Battle of the Java Sea

The Dutch light cruisers HNLMS De Ruyter (flagship), HNLMS Java, along with US cruisers USS Houston (heavy), USS Marblehead (light), and USS Boise (light); the British heavy cruiser HMS Exeter (1928), along with the Australian HMAS Perth;, the American-British-Dutch-Australian (ABDA) command under Dutch Admiral Karel Doorman tried vainly to stop the Japanese advance into the Java Sea in February 1942. Their Japanese enemy also had a cruiser-destroyer force, with the heavies IJN Nachi' and IJN Haguro, and two light cruisers IJN Naka and IJN Jintsu. Japanese torpedoes, however, were overwhelmingly superior.

Order of battle

While the forces were not radically different in size, the Allied command was made up of a mixture of units with different doctrines, different languages, and very little joint training. The more homogeneous Japanese force also had a decisive weapon, whose capabilities were not yet fully understood by the Allies, the Type 95 torpedo.

• Allied Forces
  • ABDA Combined Striking Force, Rear Admiral Karel Doorman, Royal Netherlands Navy
    • USS Houston CA Capt. A.H. Rooks USN
    • HMS Exeter (1929) Capt. O.L. Gordon RN
    • HNLMS Java
    • HNLMS De Ruyter (1935) (F) Cdr. E.E.B. Lacomblé RNN
    • HMAS Perth Capt. H.M.L. Waller RAN
    • Destroyer Division 58, Cdr. T.H. Binford USN
      • USS John D. Edwards, Lt. Cdr. H.E. Eccles USN
      • USS Paul Jones, Lt. Cdr. J.J. Hourihan USN
    • Destroyer Division 59, Cdr. E.N. Parker USN
      • USS John D. Ford Cdr. Parker
      • USS Alden Lt. J.E. Cooper USN
      • USS Pope Lt. Cdr. W.C. Blinn USN
    • British Destroyers Cdr. C.W. May, RN
      • HMS Electra Cdr. C.W. May
      • HMS Jupiter Lt. Cdr. N.V.J.T. Thew, RN
      • HMS Encounter Lt.Cdr. E.V. St. J. Morgan, R
    • Destroyer Group 3. Evertsen Lt. Cdr. W.M. de Vries RNN
    • Destroyer Group 1, Lt. Cdr. F.J.E. Krips
      • Witte De With (F) Lt. Cdr. P. Schotel RNN
      • Kortenaer Lt. Cdr. A. Kroese, RNN

• Imperial Japanese Navy
  • Eastern Attack Group, Rear Admiral Shoji Nishimura
    • Destroyer Squadron 4
      • CL Naka (F)
      • DesDiv 2, Capt. Masao Tachibana
        • IJN Yudachi
        • IJN Samidare
        • IJN Murasame
        • IJN Harusame
      • DesDiv 9, Capt. Yasuo Sato
        • IJN Minegumo
        • IJN Asagumo
  • Eastern Covering Group, Rear Admiral Takeo Takagi
    • Cruiser Division 5
    • IJN Nachi (F)
    • IJN Haguro
    • Desron 4, Desdiv 24
      • IJN Yamakaze Lt. Comm. Shuichi Hamanaka
      • IJN Kawakaze

• • • Desdiv 7
      • IJN Sazanami Lt. Comm. Hiroshi Uwai
      • IJN Ushio Comm. Yoshitake Uesugi

• • • Destroyer Squadron 2, Rear Admiral Raizo Tanaka
      • IJN Jintsu flagship, light cruiser
    • Desdiv 16, Capt. Shiro Shibuya
      • IJN Yukikaze—Comm. Kenjiro Tobita
      • IJN Tokitsukaze—Comm. Giichiro Nakahara
      • IJN Amatsukaze—Lt. Comm. Tameichi Hara
      • IJN Hatsukaze—Comm. Kameshirou Takahashi