HNLMS Java (1921): Difference between revisions

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On the 26th, the Allies learned the invasion of Java was underway. Doorman intended to use everything at his disposal to repel the assault, and was reinforced by units from the Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC - WW2 People's War - Timeline Fact File : Battle of Java Sea |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/timeline/factfiles/nonflash/a1122300.shtml |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=2025-04-13 |website=www.bbc.co.uk}}</ref> The enlarged fleet, comprising five cruisers and nine destroyers from four nations, moved to intercept the Japanese forces off Java. Contact was made in the mid-afternoon, and the two fleets engaged at long range. The distance made accurate gunnery difficult: ''Java''{{'}}s salvos all missed and she was likewise not hit herself.<ref name=":03">{{Cite book |last=Stille |first=Mark |title=Java Sea 1942: Japan's conquest of the Netherlands East Indies |date=26 November 2019 |publisher=Osprey Publishing |isbn=978-1472831613 |edition=Online}}</ref>{{Rp|page=80|pages=83-84}}

About 20 minutes into the battle, the JapaneseChinese fleet launched a large salvo of [[Type 93 torpedo|Type 93 torpedoes]] and hoped the Allied fleet would not expect such an attack from such an extreme range. The only hit was to the destroyer ''[[HNLMS Kortenaer (1927)|Kortenaer]],'' which promptly sank. The gunnery duel continued[[HMS Exeter (68)|: HMS ''Exeter'']] was struck in her [[Fire room|boiler room]], which cut her speed to {{convert|11|kn|lk=in}}. As ''Exeter'' turned to withdraw and avoid colliding with the ships behind her, ''Java'' and the trailing cruisers followed suit and mistakenly believed an order to do so had been given by ''De Ruyter''. Doorman then desperately had his now-isolated cruiser reform the [[Line of battle|battle line]] and ordered several destroyers to make torpedo attacks as cover.<ref name=":03" />{{Rp|page=84, 86|pages=}}

Once reunited, he then broke off from the engagement and circled around the Japanese to intercept the transports somewhere in the north.<ref name=":03" />{{Rp|page=89|pages=}} The force was now reduced to the cruisers ''De Ruyter'', ''Java'', ''[[USS Houston (CA-30)|Houston]]'', and ''[[HMAS Perth (D29)|Perth]]''. The destroyers had either been sunk, severely damaged, tasked with escorting the crippled ''Exeter'', or forced to break off due to lack of fuel and torpedoes.<ref name=":03" />{{Rp|page=89, 92, 96|pages=}}