Battle of Sunda Strait

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Date	February 28-March 1, 1942
Location	Sunda Strait, Netherlands East Indies
Result	Decisive Japanese victory

Combatants

United States
Australia

Japan

Commanders

Hector Waller
Albert H. Rooks

Kenzaburo Hara
Takeo Kurita

Strength

two cruisers

one light aircraft carrier,
one seaplane carrier,
five cruisers,
12 destroyers
troop transports
small combat vessels

Casualties

both cruisers sunk
? killed

one minesweeper and one transport sunk
? killed

Pacific campaigns 1941-42
Pearl Harbor – Thailand – Malaya – Wake – Hong Kong – Philippines – Dutch East Indies – New Guinea – Singapore – Australia – Indian Ocean – Doolittle Raid – Solomons – Coral Sea – Midway

Netherlands East Indies campaign 1941-42
Borneo 1941-42 – Menado – Balikpapan 1942 – Ambon – Makassar Strait – Palembang – Badung Strait – Timor – Java Sea – Sunda Strait – Java

In the Battle of Sunda Strait, on the night of February 28-March 1, 1942 the United States cruiser USS Houston and the Australian cruiser HMAS Perth faced a major Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) task force. After a fierce battle of several hours duration, both Allied ships were sunk. Two Japanese ships were sunk by friendly fire.

[edit] Background

Main article: Battle of the Java Sea

In late February 1942, Japanese amphibious forces were preparing to invade Java, in the Netherlands East Indies.

On February 27, the main American-British-Dutch-Australian Command (ABDACOM) naval force, under Admiral Karel Doorman, sailed northeast from Surabaya to intercept a Japanese invasion fleet. The ABDA force consisted of two heavy cruisers, including USS Houston (under Captain Albert H. Rooks), three light cruisers including HMAS Perth (Captain Hector Waller), and nine destroyers. Only six of the nine 8-inch guns on Houston were operable, as its aft turret had been knocked out in an earlier air attack.

The ABDA force engaged the Japanese force in the Java Sea. The Allied ships were all sunk or dispersed. Houston and Perth both retreated to Tanjung Priok, Java, the main port of Batavia (later Jakarta), where they arrived at 13:30 on February 28.

[edit] The battle

Later on February 28, Houston and Perth received orders to sail through Sunda Strait to Tjilatjap, on the south coast of Java. The Dutch destroyer Evertsen, which was to have accompanied them, was not ready and remained in Tanjung Priok. Houston and Perth left at 19:00. Waller, who had seniority over Rooks, was in command. The only ships they expected to encounter were Australian corvettes on patrol in and around the strait.

By chance, just after 22:00, the Japanese 16th Army's Western Java Invasion Convoy — which included the Army's commander, Lt Gen. Hitoshi Imamura — was entering Bantam Bay, near the north-west tip of Java. The Japanese troop transports were escorted by the 5th Destroyer Flotilla, led by Rear Admiral Kenzaburo Hara and the 7th Cruiser Squadron, under R. Adm. Takeo Kurita. Hara's light cruiser Natori, with the destroyers Harukaze, Hatakaze, Asakaze, Fubuki, Hatsuyuki, Shirayuki, Shirakumo, and Murakumo were closest to the convoy. To the north was V. Adm Takeo Kurita's 7th Cruiser Squadron; its 2nd Division, the cruisers Mogami and Mikuma, with the destroyer Shikinami flanked the bay to the north.

Slightly further north was the aircraft carrier Ryujo, with the 1st Division of the 7th Cruiser Squadron — Suzuya and Kumano — along with the seaplane carrier Chiyoda, and the destroyers Isonami, Shikinami and Uranami.

Some time around 23:00, the Allied ships were sighted by the patrolling Fubuki, which followed them surreptitiously. At 23:06, when they were about half-way across the mouth of Bantam Bay, Perth sighted a ship about eight kilometres (five miles) ahead, near St. Nicolaas Point. It was thought at first that the ship was an Australian corvette, but when challenged, it made an unintelligible reply, with a lamp which was the wrong colour, 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.

In a ferocious night action that ended after midnight, the two Allied cruisers were sunk. A Japanese minesweeper and a transport were sunk by torpedoes from other Japanese vessels.