JAVA NAVAL BATTLE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 63, 16 March 1942, Page 5

JAVA NAVAL BATTLE

GALLANT ALLIED CRUISERS EPIC ENCOUNTER WITH JAPANESE FORCE The stirring story of the battle in the North Java Sea on February 27, when an Allied naval force, outranged, outgunned and outmanoeuvred because of lack of speed, is conveyed in an Admiralty communique. As a result of the engagement, the Allies have lost the cruiser Exeter (of River Plate fame), the Australian cruiser Perth, the United States cruiser Houston, and the Dutch cruisers De Ruyter and Java, as well as seven destroyers and the Australian sloop Yarra. the Japanese losses, though apparently heavy, are not yet definitely known.

(Rec. 6.30 p.m.) Rugby. .March 14. The Admiralty communiquei states: “Although full inforina-1 tion is not yet available, it is now; possible to give some account, from particulars at present in hand, of events in the .lava Sea , on February 27 and subsequent days during the Japanese invasion of Java. "On the afternoon of February 27 i an Allied force, consisting ol H.M.A.S. ‘ Perth, H.M.S. Exeter, the United States cruiser Houston, and the Dutch cruisers De Ruyter and Java, was at sea north of Sourabaya. The Allied cruisers were accompanied by the destroyers H.M.S. Electra, H.M.S. Jupi- : ter and H.M.S. Encounter, and me Dutch destroyer Kortenser. This forcewas under the sea command of Ad- : miral Doorman, whose flag was fly- ■ ing in the De Ruyter, the whole naval force in the area was under the strategical control of Admiral Helfrich, of the Royal Netherlands Navy. , “At 4.14 p.m. on February 27 this Allied force made contact with a Japanese force about half-way between Bawean Island an 1 Sourabaya. The Japanese force consisted of al least two Nati class cruisers, of 10,000 tons, armed with ten 8-;n ii guns, and a number of Tin Japanese cruisers had with them thirteen destroyers, or i.mised in two flotillas. Action was joined at extreme range almost at once. One of the Japanese destroyer flotillas launched an attack but this was driven off by the fire of the Allied cruisers, and one of th* enemy destroyers was seen to be hit by shells from the Perth. Soon afterwar is the other Japanese destroy-r flotilladelivered a torpedo attack. While action was being taken to avoid these i torpedoes, the Exeter was hit by an > 8-inch shell in the boiler-room. This reduced her sneed and forced her to drop out of line. Only one of the! torpedoes launched in this attack took | effect. This hit the Dutch destroyer Kortenser and she sank. The three British destroyers were ordered to counter-attack the Japanese destroyers, who of a smoke screen. Very little information is available about the result o” th s counter-attack. The Jupiter reported i seeing only two enemy destroyers, both of which she engaged with gunfihe. The Electra was not seen aft; r ’ • ' into the smoke screen, and it is presumed she was \ sunk. As soon as the Allied cruisers, except the Exeter, who was unable to keen up. drew clear of the smoke they • again engaged the enemv. this time; ■ hour later the enemv crui rs turned away under cover of smoko screens. 1 It was seen that one of the enemv , heavy 8-inch cruisers had been hit I a : "Admiral Do r an led his force! round and < hased the enemy to the nori gain touch with the - • • fadtoe light After nightfall the Allied cruisers sighted fwr e-»<*Tnv ships to westward and engaged with} what results is not known. Admiral 1 Doorman attempted to work round I these enemy «h : ' s in order f n locate! the com ■ to the r."' ”••• ard found to I bp impracticable owin'.' to the hi T sm • the Admiral ■ ward. c|n o f o {iqo mast of Java, intending' to sv “••• to the westward along the rna-f in an attempt to intercept the Japanese ir’aMon convoys. Ha’f an hour Inter the All’ed force had v -ard alon" the Java coast. The Jupiter v -s d : «ahled bv an unc> • - on and sank four hours far from the mainland of Java and* a number of s-rvivors have alreadv I reached a. ‘r.a!in. “At 11.30 p.m.. when the Allied cruisers were .about 12 miles north of Remhang. two enemy cruisers were sighted between our ships and the coast. They v < re at once engaged and an s wei se< ured on the enemy. The De Ruyter was hit hy one >'iell. Immo-lintelv afterwards the De Ru? t< :nad i I u e altei ation in h ' ' * fon • exploS’ - in ’tmDe Ruvtor and the Java both these Dutch rs I n and -• nk at on< e. It was ’ • , ...... with a . the ■ an , P?P inflicted Upon the pnerm during the actions on Fol ? Perth considei that one Japanese 8inch gun ci uiser had I n s ink, a second 8-in . ci damaged, and a d r sunk It 1 s iso been report da® <B5OO t ns, fifti n 6.1-incii guns) Was set on fire, and three destrovers » ing. Thp Pe r fh v hich received some damage, mat-lmd Tani mg Prink at 7 a.m. on F “With the e-uin> in command of the air north of Java in exerwiNming force, the Allied Command was faced villi the problem of extricating the re maining Alli I ships from a very dangerous situation. Ihe way to Australia was barred by the Goo-mik-long island of Java, with the straits at either end of it under enemy control. “After dark on February 28 the Perth left Tanjong Friok with the intention of passmg through Sunda Strait during the nours oi darxness. During the night a report was received from tne Perth, which indicated that she had come into contact with a for e ol Japanese ships ofi SI. Nichols Point at about 11.30 p.m. Nothing, however, has ~een heard of the Perth or the United Stales cruiser Houston since that time. On the same night the Exeter, which was unable to Uceed half-speed, left Sourabaya, accompanied by H.M.S. Encounter and tbe U.S. desl A 1 1 h< foi ■ - noon of Sim la. . March 1. the Exeter reported that she had sighted three enemy cruisers steering toward her. No further signals were received from the Exeter, the Encounter or the U.S. destroyer Pone. The Dutch destroyers Evertsen encountered two Japanese cruisers in Sunda Strait and she was damaged and beached. The destroyer H.M.S. Stronghold and the sloop H.M.A.S. Yarra are also missing and must be considered ost. “It has not been possible to form

my estimate of the damage inflicted on the enemy by these ships during their last action. All other Allied warships which are in Java waters ire known to be safe, except some -mall craft, and auxiliaries, about which information is not yet available.” The casualties of the Allied Navies were thus:— Sritish.—The cruiser EXETER, of 8330 tons, six 8-inch guns (of River Plate fame). The destroyers JUPITER (1690 tons), ELECTRA and (both of 1375 tons), and STRONGHOLD (905 tons). Australian.—The cruiser PERTH, of 7000 tons, eight 6-inch guns, and the sloop YARRA (1060 tons). united States. The cruiser HOUSTON. of 9050 tons, nine 8-inch guns. Th( destroyer POPE (1190 tons). Dutch. —The cruisers JAVA, of 6670 tons, ten 5.9 in. guns, and DE RUY’TER, of 6450 guns, seven 5.9 in. guns. The destrovers KORTENAER and EVERTSEN, both of 1310 tons. A United States Navy Department communique states that in the Java Sea lighting the Japanese lost eight ships believed sunk or damaged.— 8.0.W. PRESUMED LOST TWO AUSTRALIAN SHIPS Canberra, March 13. The Prime Minister, Mr. ■). Curtin, announced to-night that the Australian cruiser Perth and the Australian-built sloop Yarra were overdue and presumed lost. He said that there was no news of anv survivors, but that it was possible -me members of the crews had managed to reach shore or had been picked up by other ships. The Perth had a complement of 682. the Yarra one of 151. The Perth took part in the Battie of the Java Sea, fought successfully, and returned to port. Her report of that action was cabled to the Naval Board. She received instructions to return to Australia along with the Yarra. i ngly she sailed, since when she has not been reported. She has now been so long overdue that she is. presumed to have been lost. Minister said that ar. enemy claim that the Perth had been ' ■ made some days ago. At that time, however, the Naval Board had no information to substantiate this. The Perth had fought successfully and unharmed in the Battle of the Java Sea and reported to the Naval Board from personal observation the severe losses inflicted on the enemv by Allied naval forces. Formerly H.M.S. Amphiun. H.M.S. Perth was renamed in July, 1939, and joined the Australian station in August of that year, after visiting the New York World Fair. She was under the command of Captain H. B. Farncombe. M.V.0., the first Officer to reach the rank of captain after a naval career passed wholly in the " ■ ' n Navy. The Pert;, was of 7100 tons, and had the following dimensions: Length, 560 feet: beam. 56ft. Sin.; draught, 15ft. Sin. Hei armament consisted of eight 6iu. guns, eight 4in. anti-aircraft guns. IS mailer guns, one catapult, anti two aircraft. She had a speed of 321 knots and her normal complement was 590. The sloop Yarra was of 1060 tons and was built in 1935. She carried three 4in. guns and had a speed 01. 161 knots.