The Battle of Sunda Strait was a
naval battle
Naval warfare is combat in and on the sea, the ocean, or any other battlespace involving a major body of water such as a large lake or wide river. Mankind has fought battles on the sea for more than 3,000 years. Even in the interior of large lan ...
which occurred during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
in the
Sunda Strait
The Sunda Strait ( id, Selat Sunda) is the strait between the Indonesian islands of Java island, Java and Sumatra. It connects the Java Sea with the Indian Ocean.
Etymology
The strait takes its name from the Sunda Kingdom, which ruled the weste ...
between the islands of
Java
Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's List ...
, and
Sumatra
Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...
. On the night of 28 February 1 March 1942, the
Australian
Australian(s) may refer to:
Australia
* Australia, a country
* Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
** European Australians
** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists
** Aboriginal Au ...
light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck. Prior to thi ...
,
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
heavy cruiser
The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range and high speed, armed generally with naval guns of roughly 203 mm (8 inches) in caliber, whose design parameters were dictated by the Washington Naval Tr ...
, and Dutch
destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort
larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in ...
faced a major
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrender ...
(IJN) task force. After a fierce battle lasting several hours, all
Allied
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
ships were sunk. Five Japanese ships were sunk, three of them by
friendly fire
In military terminology, friendly fire or fratricide is an attack by belligerent or neutral forces on friendly troops while attempting to attack enemy/hostile targets. Examples include misidentifying the target as hostile, cross-fire while eng ...
.
Background
In late February 1942, Japanese
amphibious forces
Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...
were preparing to invade
Java
Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's List ...
, in the
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...
. On 27 February, the main
American-British-Dutch-Australian Command
The American-British-Dutch-Australian (ABDA) Command, or ABDACOM, was a short-lived, supreme command for all Allied forces in South East Asia in early 1942, during the Pacific War in World War II. The command consists of the forces of Australia ...
(ABDACOM) naval force, under Admiral
Karel Doorman
Karel Willem Frederik Marie Doorman (23 April 1889 – 28 February 1942) was a Dutch naval officer who during World War II commanded remnants of the short-lived American-British-Dutch-Australian Command naval strike forces in the Battle o ...
–a Dutch officer–steamed northeast from
Surabaya
Surabaya ( jv, ꦱꦸꦫꦧꦪ or jv, ꦯꦹꦫꦨꦪ; ; ) is the capital city of the Provinces of Indonesia, Indonesian province of East Java and the List of Indonesian cities by population, second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. L ...
to intercept an
Imperial Japanese navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrender ...
invasion fleet. This part of the ABDA force consisted of two
heavy cruiser
The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range and high speed, armed generally with naval guns of roughly 203 mm (8 inches) in caliber, whose design parameters were dictated by the Washington Naval Tr ...
s, including under the command of
Captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
Albert H. Rooks
Albert Harold Rooks (December 29, 1891 – March 1, 1942) was a captain in the United States Navy who Posthumous recognition, posthumously received the Medal of Honor during World War II.
Biography
Albert Harold Rooks was born in Colton, Washingt ...
, three
light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck. Prior to thi ...
s, including under Captain
Hector Waller
Hector Macdonald Laws Waller, (4 April 1900 – 1 March 1942) was a senior officer in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). His career spanned almost thirty years, including service in both world wars. At the helm of the flotilla leader in the Med ...
, and nine
destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort
larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in ...
s. Only six out of nine of USS ''Houston''s
heavy guns were operational because her aft
gun turret
A gun turret (or simply turret) is a mounting platform from which weapons can be fired that affords protection, visibility and ability to turn and aim. A modern gun turret is generally a rotatable weapon mount that houses the crew or mechani ...
had been knocked out in an earlier Japanese
air raid. The force engaged the Japanese force in the
Battle of the Java Sea
The Battle of the Java Sea ( id, Pertempuran Laut Jawa, ja, スラバヤ沖海戦, Surabaya oki kaisen, Surabaya open-sea battle, Javanese : ꦥꦼꦫꦁꦱꦼꦒꦫꦗꦮ, romanized: ''Perang Segara Jawa'') was a decisive naval battle o ...
. The Allied ships were all sunk or dispersed. ''Houston'' and ''Perth'' both retreated to
Tanjung Priok
Tanjung Priok is a district of North Jakarta, Indonesia. It hosts the western part of the city's main harbor, the Port of Tanjung Priok (located in Tanjung Priok District and Koja District). The district of Tanjung Priok is bounded by Laksamana ...
, Java, the main port of
Batavia, Dutch East Indies
Batavia was the capital of the Dutch East Indies. The area corresponds to present-day Jakarta, Indonesia. Batavia can refer to the city proper or its suburbs and hinterland, the Ommelanden, which included the much-larger area of the Residency ...
, where they arrived at 13:30 on 28 February.
Prelude
In the early evening on 28 February, ''Houston'', ''Perth'' and the Dutch
destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort
larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in ...
received orders to depart Tanjung Priok and head through
Sunda Strait
The Sunda Strait ( id, Selat Sunda) is the strait between the Indonesian islands of Java island, Java and Sumatra. It connects the Java Sea with the Indian Ocean.
Etymology
The strait takes its name from the Sunda Kingdom, which ruled the weste ...
to
Tjilatjap
Cilacap Regency ( jv, ꦏꦨꦸꦥꦠꦺꦤ꧀ꦕꦶꦭꦕꦥ꧀, also spelt: Chilachap, old spelling: Tjilatjap, Sundanese: ) is a regency () in the southwestern part of Central Java province in Indonesia. Its capital is the town of Cilacap.
...
, on the south coast of Java. Waller, who had seniority, was de facto commander of this force. The only ships they expected to encounter were Australian
corvette
A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the slo ...
s on patrol, in and around the strait itself. While ''Houston'' and ''Perth'' left at 19:00, ''Evertsen'' was not ready and followed the cruisers two hours later.
By chance, just after 22:00, a Japanese invasion convoy bound for West Java including the entire
Sixteenth Army, under Lieutenant General
Hitoshi Imamura
was a Japanese general who served in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II, and was subsequently convicted of war crimes.
Early career
A native of Sendai city, Miyagi Prefecture, Imamura's father was a judge. Imamura graduated from t ...
, in over 50 transport ships was entering
Bantam Bay Banten Bay also known as Bantam Bay is a bay in Banten province, near the north-west tip of Java, Indonesia. It is part of the Java Sea and has a total water surface of approximately 150 square kilometres and an average depth of seven metres. It inc ...
, near the north-west tip of Java. The Japanese troop transports were escorted by the 5th Destroyer Flotilla, led by
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...
Kenzaburo Hara, and the 7th Cruiser Division, under
Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita
was a vice admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. Kurita commanded IJN 2nd Fleet, the main Japanese attack force during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the largest naval battle in history.
Biography Early life
Takeo Kurita ...
. Light cruiser (with Admiral Hara aboard), with the destroyers , , , , , , , and were closest to the convoy. Flanking the bay to the north were the heavy cruisers and , accompanied by the destroyer .
Slightly further north, though not involved in the action, was the aircraft carrier , with the heavy cruisers and (with Admiral Kurita aboard), along with the
seaplane tender
A seaplane tender is a boat or ship that supports the operation of seaplanes. Some of these vessels, known as seaplane carriers, could not only carry seaplanes but also provided all the facilities needed for their operation; these ships are rega ...
, and the destroyers and .
Some time around 23:15, the Allied ships were sighted by the patrolling ''Fubuki'', which followed them surreptitiously. At 23:06, when they were about halfway across the mouth of Bantam Bay, ''Perth'' sighted a ship about ahead, near Saint Nicolaas Point. It was thought at first that the ship was an Australian corvette, but when challenged, she made an unintelligible reply, with a lamp which was the wrong color, fired her nine Long Lance (
Type 93) torpedoes from about and then turned away, making smoke. The ship was soon identified as a Japanese destroyer (probably ''Harukaze''). Waller reported the contact and ordered his forward turrets to open fire.
Main action
During a ferocious night action, the Allied cruisers were surrounded. Following severe damage from torpedo and shell impacts, ''Perth'' and ''Houston'' were abandoned after midnight and sank.
About four Japanese transports and a minesweeper were sunk by friendly torpedoes that had missed their target. (Two of these transports were later refloated.) One of the Japanese transports sunk was ''Ryujo Maru'', carrying Lieutenant General Imamura, who had to jump overboard. He was later rescued by the crew of a small boat and taken ashore.
Destroyer action
Meanwhile, as ''Evertsen'' was trying to catch up with ''Houston'' and ''Perth'', her crew spotted the
tracers
Tracer may refer to:
Science
* Flow tracer, any fluid property used to track fluid motion
* Fluorescent tracer, a substance such as 2-NBDG containing a fluorophore that is used for tracking purposes
* Histochemical tracer, a substance used for tr ...
and intense shellfire of the main action. Her captain ordered a course northwest towards Pulau Mundu island, off the west coast of
Sumatra
Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...
, then hugged the Sumatran coast as ''Evertsen'' turned south to head through Sunda Strait.
However, ''Evertsen'' was spotted by ''Murakumo'' and ''Shirakumo'', looking for more escaping Allied ships. Both immediately illuminated ''Evertsen'' with their searchlights and took her under fire. ''Evertsen'' attempted to evade by turning west, but after turning southward again, the Dutch destroyer again encountered the Japanese destroyers. ''Evertsen'' was hit repeatedly, but temporarily disengaged under a smokescreen. By then, however, ''Evertsen''s stern was on fire. Still taking Japanese fire, the captain ordered his crew to
ground ''Evertsen'' on a coastal reef. Firing all her torpedoes, the remaining crew escaped ashore before the fire reached the aft magazine, causing an explosion that blew off most of the stern.
Aftermath
![Rockingham Naval Park 7](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/Rockingham_Naval_Memorial_Park%2C_Commemorative_plaque_for_HMAS_Perth_%28D29%29_and_USS_Houston_%28CA-30%29.jpg)
Officially the Allied personnel killed during the battle included 696 members of the crew of ''Houston'' and 375 from ''Perth'', including the captains of both vessels, Rooks and Waller. The survivors were picked up by Japanese vessels and taken prisoner, included 368 from ''Houston'' and 307 from ''Perth''. Rooks was posthumously awarded the
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...
for his actions. The majority of ''Evertsen''s crew was taken prisoner on 9–10 March 1942 and were held by the Japanese for three and a half years.
The crew of the Japanese cruiser ''Mikuma'' suffered six killed and 11 wounded, as a result of damage caused by ''Houston''. A direct shell hit to the
bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
of the destroyer ''Shirayuki'' killed one crew member and wounded 11; ''Harukaze'' suffered hits to her bridge, engine room and rudder, killing three and wounding more than 15 others.
See also
*
Burma Railway
The Burma Railway, also known as the Siam–Burma Railway, Thai–Burma Railway and similar names, or as the Death Railway, is a railway between Ban Pong, Thailand and Thanbyuzayat, Burma (now called Myanmar). It was built from 1940 to 1943 ...
*
Houston Volunteers
*
Lost Battalion (Pacific, World War II)
Notes
References
*
*
*
*
*
Further reading
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* – Firsthand account of the battle by a survivor from USS ''Houston''
*
External links
''Naval History'' (no date), "1942 03 01 0100 Surface Action Battle Of Sunda Strait" *
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Battle Of Sunda Strait
South West Pacific theatre of World War II
Sunda Strait
The Sunda Strait ( id, Selat Sunda) is the strait between the Indonesian islands of Java island, Java and Sumatra. It connects the Java Sea with the Indian Ocean.
Etymology
The strait takes its name from the Sunda Kingdom, which ruled the weste ...
Sunda Strait
The Sunda Strait ( id, Selat Sunda) is the strait between the Indonesian islands of Java island, Java and Sumatra. It connects the Java Sea with the Indian Ocean.
Etymology
The strait takes its name from the Sunda Kingdom, which ruled the weste ...
Sunda Strait
The Sunda Strait ( id, Selat Sunda) is the strait between the Indonesian islands of Java island, Java and Sumatra. It connects the Java Sea with the Indian Ocean.
Etymology
The strait takes its name from the Sunda Kingdom, which ruled the weste ...
Sunda Strait
The Sunda Strait ( id, Selat Sunda) is the strait between the Indonesian islands of Java island, Java and Sumatra. It connects the Java Sea with the Indian Ocean.
Etymology
The strait takes its name from the Sunda Kingdom, which ruled the weste ...
Sunda Strait
The Sunda Strait ( id, Selat Sunda) is the strait between the Indonesian islands of Java island, Java and Sumatra. It connects the Java Sea with the Indian Ocean.
Etymology
The strait takes its name from the Sunda Kingdom, which ruled the weste ...
Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies
1942 in Japan
Sunda Strait
February 1942 events
March 1942 events