How did the Battle of the Java Sea happen?

The Battle of the Java Sea was a fierce battle in the Java Sea in February 1942 between the Japanese fleet and the allied fleets composed of the navies of the United States, Britain, the Netherlands, and Australia. This naval battle went through five battles: the Battle of Balikpapan, the Battle of Java Sea, the Battle of Bangka Island, the Battle of Bali Island, and the Battle of Surabaya. As a result, the Japanese fleet defeated the Allied fleet with one enemy.

War background

Since the outbreak of the Pacific War, the Japanese army has been unstoppable on the Taiping battlefield, and has successively captured many strategic strongholds in the Pacific and Southeast Asian countries. In January 1942, Japan further expanded its invasion southward, intending to launch an attack on the Dutch East Indies from the east, north, and west. Because the Dutch East Indies was a choke point controlling maritime traffic between the Asian and Australian continents and the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It was also rich in strategic materials such as oil, rubber, tin, and coal. It had long been coveted by Japanese warlords and was the main strategic target of the Japanese army going south. The US Pacific Fleet and the British Far East Fleet, which had been passively beaten, decided to join forces with Australia, the Netherlands and other countries to fight back. To this end, the Allies assembled forces from all parties, including the U.S. Asiatic Fleet (1 heavy cruiser, 2 light cruisers, 13 destroyers, and 25 submarines), the British Far East Fleet (1 heavy cruiser), and the Australian Fleet ( 3 light cruisers and 7 destroyers) and the Dutch fleet (3 light cruisers, 7 destroyers, 16 submarines). In addition, a U.S. Navy bomber group and a Dutch fighter group served as air cover. On January 10, 1942, Britain's Wavell became the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, the United States' Admiral Hart served as the commander of the Four-Nation Combined Naval Command, and the Netherlands' Rear Admiral Durman became the commander of the Allied Naval Attack Department. The Allied forces were ready and waiting patiently for the arrival of the Japanese army.

The course of the war

On January 20, 1942, an Allied submarine patrolled the sea off Makassar and discovered a Japanese fleet passing between Borneo and Celebes Island. The Kasai Strait moved south at full speed, including 22 transport ships and cargo ships, escorted by cruisers and destroyers, intending to launch an attack on the oil port of Balikpapan. After receiving the news, Allied aircraft were immediately ordered to patrol along the coast of Borneo in preparation for air attacks on the Japanese fleet. Although it was reported that "the results of the battle were considerable," the huge Japanese fleet remained strong and continued to advance. Admiral Hart saw that the situation was not good and urgently ordered General Talbot to lead the fleet to attack. On January 23, night shrouded the Makassar Strait. Talbot led the new armored cruiser "Powys" and "Horse" The USS Bothead and the destroyers "Ford", "Parrot", "Pope" and "Paul James" split the waves northward. Unfortunately, the "Powys" ran aground during the voyage and almost sank, so she had no choice but to leave the queue with regret. Later, the "Marblehead" turbine suffered a serious failure at this time. Talbot, who was eager to annihilate the enemy, assessed the situation and resolutely led four destroyers to continue moving forward.

At 2 a.m. on the 24th, Allied ship lookout Smith reported: Balikpapan is ahead. After hearing the news, the allied ships became redoubled vigilance. At 3 o'clock in the morning, the Allied forces discovered that a Japanese convoy consisting of 1 patrol boat and 12 transport ships was coming through the waves. Talbot immediately ordered an attack, and the four destroyers launched at full speed and rushed directly towards the Japanese escort fleet. Facing the allied warships approaching the city, the Japanese ships were unaware of it. The Allied destroyer quickly launched torpedoes a few hundred meters away from the Japanese ship. In an instant, a Japanese ship was hit by a mine, and thick smoke and fire rose into the sky. The Japanese ship that was suddenly attacked was stunned, stunned, and at a loss what to do. I saw strong searchlight beams piercing the night sky, and artillery shells frequently exploded in the air. It turned out that the Japanese thought they were being attacked by an aerial night attack, and those fast-moving Japanese ships had already fired meteor bombs into the air. Talbot led the "Ford" to take the lead, and the other three ships followed closely. The four ships galloped horizontally and vertically, as if they were in an uninhabited land, rushing back and forth four times and firing all 48 torpedoes. Talbot then ordered to withdraw from the battlefield and return south to Surabaya Port. In this night attack, the Japanese sank 4 Japanese transport ships, damaged many more, and killed about 1,000 Japanese officers and soldiers. At this time, the first stage of the Battle of the Java Sea was known as the Battle of Balikpapan (also known as the Battle of Makassar). It was the first ocean surface attack launched by the Americans since the Pearl Harbor incident. Nimitz, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, commented that it was the only successful maritime operation achieved by Allied forces in night attacks during the entire Dutch East Indies campaign.

However, the Battle of Balikpapan was, after all, a small-scale maritime raid. This battle failed to stop the Japanese army from moving south, and the situation was still very serious. On February 3, the Allies dispatched Rear Admiral Durman to lead 5 cruisers and 7 destroyers to launch another raid on Balikpapan. In the early morning of February 4, the Durman fleet heading north at high speed was discovered by Japanese reconnaissance aircraft, so 54 Japanese planes immediately took off from the airports in Borneo and Celebes and pounced on the Allied fleet. Near noon, the Japanese planes formed a group of nine and first rushed towards the cruisers "Houston" and "Marblehead" with obvious targets. The Allied fleet had no fighter cover and was in a very dangerous situation, so they were forced to disperse and dodge. , while shooting in the air. At noon, a bomb hit the "Houston" and blew its rear turret into a pile of scrap metal. More than 50 crew members were killed on the spot, and a raging fire broke out on the ship's surface. At 13:00, the embarrassed "Marblehead" was also hit by a bomb. The driving device was blown up and there were many casualties. At this time, Durman saw that the battle was not going well and ordered a retreat.

The two injured cruisers, under the cover of destroyers, sailed through the strait to Manglaza Port. This air raid battle was called the "Battle of the Java Sea" by the Japanese.

After this battle, the Japanese army was able to send a large number of ships to the port of Makassar in the Cilipas Islands, staring eagerly at the Java Sea. In addition, the Japanese had land-based aircraft cover and thus controlled air superiority over the Java Sea, and the Allied fleet was in a bad situation. Soon, news came from the western front of the Java War Zone that the Japanese landing troops had invaded Sumatra Island. Durman immediately led 5 cruisers and 10 destroyers on a westward expedition to reinforce Palembang. Unexpectedly, he was discovered by a Japanese plane on the way. At 10 a.m. on the 15th, Lieutenant General Ozawa ordered an air attack on the Allied fleet. Fierce sea and air battles began shortly in the afternoon. After three hours of fierce fighting, the Allied cruiser "Uxeter" was hit by a bomb and caught fire. Durman did not dare to fight and quickly led the ship back to Batavia. Unfortunately, it was bombed again midway. This battle was known as the Battle of Bangka Island. Although the Allied forces did not suffer major losses, they were severely damaged and in trouble due to repeated bombings and the failure of reinforcements.

Just as the Durman fleet returned to its base, the eastern front of the Java theater reported that the Japanese army was landing on Bali. Bali and Java are so close that if they fall, the threat will be great. The new Allied naval commander, Lieutenant General Helfrick, decided to launch a surprise attack on the Japanese ships landing in Bali in three attack waves. At dusk on the 19th, Durman led the fleet from Mang Laza to carry out the first attack. However, when the Durman fleet sailed into the Lombok Strait at full speed, it was unfortunately discovered by the Japanese ship. The Japanese army launched a fierce attack on it, and the "Java" was hit first, and the ship's surface burst into flames. The "Pitham" was bombarded by two Japanese cruisers. It was instantly covered with fire and sank quickly. Although the torpedo launched by the allied ship also hit a Japanese transport ship, the Japanese ship was fully alert at this time and blocked the route of the Dullmann fleet like an iron wall. At 11 o'clock in the night, Durman was forced to withdraw from the combat sea area, and the first wave of attacks failed. In the early morning of the 20th, Naval Lieutenant Colonel Binford led four destroyers as the second attack wave to set sail from Surabaya to the sea of ??Bali. At 1:34, the allied ships launched an offensive, and the Battle of Bali reached its climax again. During the fierce battle, three Japanese ships were damaged by allied ships, but the losses of the allied ships were also considerable. The flagship "Stuart" suffered a bomb in the steering compartment, the steering gear of the "Parrot" malfunctioned, and the "Trump" The number was also hit once. Facing the dominant Japanese fleet, Lieutenant Colonel Binford had no choice but to order a retreat. At 2 o'clock in the morning, six Dutch torpedo boats came from the south to act as the third attack wave, but still found nothing. The three Allied attack waves were defeated one by one by Japanese ships, which was not worth the loss for the Allies. The defeat in the Battle of Bali further plunged Java into isolation and the crisis deepened day by day.

On February 22, 1942, the Japanese 48th Division took 41 ships, escorted by the 2nd and 9th Destroyer Fleets of the 4th Mine Squadron, and formed a long snake formation with a length of 30 kilometers in front and rear. , heading south along the Java Sea. At this point, the Surabaya naval battle, which is related to the future and destiny of the entire Java Island and determines whether the Allies can continue to survive in the Nanyang Islands, is on the verge of breaking out. After intercepting this information, the Allied Naval Command immediately ordered Durman to lead the fleet to meet the enemy, but no trace of the Japanese fleet was captured in two sorties. At 2:30 pm on the 27th, Durman was ordered for the third time to lead 5 cruisers and 10 destroyers to attack. At 3:30, Dullman learned that the exact location of the huge Japanese transport convoy and escort fleet was 60 nautical miles northwest of Maweian Island, and immediately ordered the fleet to move forward at full speed to search and attack the Japanese ships. When the Japanese ship officers and soldiers were convinced that the Allied fleet was coming towards them, they urgently ordered the transport convoy to withdraw north quickly. At 5:46 p.m., the Allied fleet opened fire first outside the range of the Japanese naval guns. Dozens of shells landed on the left front of the Japanese fleet, stirring up tall water columns. The Allied fleet caught up from the left rear of the Japanese ship, and the ships of both sides launched an artillery battle at a distance of 25,000 meters. Initially, the Allied ships hit their targets one after another with their accurate gunfire, and plumes of black smoke rose from the Japanese ships. However, under the guidance of three missile observation aircraft, the Japanese ship's hit rate was also quite high, causing many allied ships to be hit. During the artillery battle, the Japanese army implemented a new tactic, that is, secretly carrying out long-distance torpedo attacks, and then taking advantage of the enemy's chaos to attack fiercely and annihilate them in one fell swoop. As a result, Japan's 2nd Mine Team braved the roaring shells and rushed to the 9,000-meter position. At 6:05 pm, the Japanese warship secretly fired 43 torpedoes at the allied ships, but they all failed due to the distance. Subsequently, Japan lined up eight destroyers and carried out a hand-to-hand attack. Durman commanded the allied ships to fight back bravely. The battle lasted for nearly an hour, and the outcome was hard to determine between the two sides. At 6:48 p.m., the boiler of the Allied ship "Uxeter" was hit by a bullet and she was seriously injured. The Japanese ship "Shentong" was hit by artillery fire, and the "Chaoyun" and "Fengyun" were severely damaged.

At 6:59 p.m., Dullman reorganized his formation and led the fleet to retreat to the southeast. In order to ensure the safety of the landing force, the Japanese warships waited for the night battle and retreated to the north. The two sides gradually pulled apart during the shelling. Great distance. At this moment, Durman believed that the first task was to immediately capture the group of transport ships that were crucial to the war situation. As a result, the ship continued to change course and search the sea surface. But unexpectedly, at 10:30 p.m., the Allied warships sailed into the minefield laid by our own side, and the "Zhoubit" struck a mine, exploded and sank. At 0:40 on the 28th, the allied ships discovered that the Japanese ships "Nachi" and "Haguro" were sailing south. A few minutes later, they suddenly turned around and sailed north again, and fired 12 torpedoes at the allied ships. The Allied cruisers Root and Java were hit and sunk.

Durman was buried at the bottom of the sea together with 366 officers and soldiers on the flagship "Root". The Japanese ships originally wanted to take advantage of the chaos among the Allied ships to launch an encirclement and annihilation campaign, but later gave up due to weather conditions. The Allies took the opportunity to escape. In the Battle of Surabaya, the Allies sank 2 cruisers, damaged 1, and sank 3 destroyers; the Japanese lost 9 transport ships and damaged many cruisers and destroyers. After the war, the maritime power that the Allied forces relied on to defend Java Island gradually collapsed.

In the early morning of February 28, the allied ships "Houston", "Perth", and "Ephosin" that escaped from Surabaya arrived at Tanjong Priok Naval Base. At this time, the Allied forces received intelligence that the Japanese army was attempting to land in the Batavia area, and once again entered a state of war. At midnight on the 28th, just as the main force of the Japanese 16th Army that had landed (aboard 56 transport ships and covered by the 7th Squadron and the 5th Mine Squadron) began to transfer, the Allied cruisers "Houston" and "Perth" led the " "Ephesian" and several other destroyers and high-speed torpedo boats suddenly rushed out. The Japanese transport convoy was caught off guard by this sudden attack, and the order was in chaos. The command ship was accidentally hit and sank quickly. At this time, Allied aircraft dropped flares in the sky, exposing the movements of the Japanese ships to the Allied vision. At this critical moment, Lieutenant Colonel Yamashita Masashio wisely contacted the nearby 7th Squadron and the 5th Mine Squadron, resulting in a sudden increase in the power of the Japanese ships. At 0:10 on March 1, the Allied ship "Houston" was hit by a 203mm artillery shell, then hit by a mine, and capsized soon after. The "Perth" was hit by 10 torpedoes in a row, and sank successively with the destroyer "Everson". On the Japanese side, the Japanese sank a minesweeper and a transport ship, and damaged 6 transport ships. After this attack, the Allied forces on Java were completely helpless. Therefore, the joint naval command of the United States, Britain, the Netherlands, and Australia ordered that all remaining ships quickly break through the Lombok Strait and the Sunda Strait towards Australia. However, it was too late. The Nagumo Fleet, Kondo Fleet and the Southern Force had been ordered to attack the sea south of Java. From March 1st to 4th, the Japanese fleet sank 2 Allied light cruisers, 3 destroyers, and 13 ordinary ships trying to escape to Australia. Only four destroyers managed to escape from the Java Sea. At this point, the huge Allied fleet was completely wiped out, and the Battle of the Java Sea ended.

Results and Evaluation of the War

In the Battle of the Java Sea, the Japanese army killed and wounded 300,000 Allied troops and sunk and damaged more than 40 Allied ships; while the Japanese army only Injuring 25,000 people, killing 15,000 people, sinking 4 destroyers (excluding small ships and transport ships), and damaging 2 cruisers, the Japanese army achieved an absolute victory. This opened the door for the Japanese army to move south to occupy Java Island and then occupy a larger area of ??land. On March 5, 1942, Batavia fell. On the 8th, the Japanese army captured Surabaya. On the 9th, Bandung was captured. On March 12, the Governor-General of the Netherlands and India formally surrendered to the Japanese army. By March 15, the Japanese army occupied the entire Dutch East Indies. In early May 1942, the Japanese invaders completed complete control of Southeast Asia and the Southwest Pacific Ocean, and successfully established a "peripheral defense circle."