Battle of the Java Sea

27 February 1942, Java Sea, north of Surabaya

Japanese victory

The largest surface battle since Jutland, fought to stop the invasion of Java. Rear Admiral Karel Doorman led a scratch force of Dutch, American, British and Australian ships that had never trained together and had no common signal book. They met Rear Admiral Takeo Takagi's cruisers and destroyers covering the invasion convoy in the afternoon. The long-range gunnery duel went the Japanese way when an 8-inch shell from Haguro burst in Exeter's boiler room and she fell out of line, throwing the Allied column into confusion. A long-range Japanese torpedo broke Kortenaer in two, and Electra was sunk covering Exeter. Doorman fought on into the night trying to reach the transports. Jupiter blew up, probably on a Dutch mine, and at about 11 p.m. torpedoes from Nachi and Haguro sank Java and De Ruyter. Doorman went down with his flagship, having signalled the survivors to make for Batavia. About 2,300 Allied sailors died. Japan lost no ships, and landed on Java on 1 March.