View source for Battle of Badung Strait

{{Short description|1942 naval battle on the Pacific campaign of WWII}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict          = Battle of Badung Strait
| image             = HNLMS De Ruyter.jpg
| image_size        = 300
| caption           = [[HNLMS De Ruyter (1936)|HNLMS ''De Ruyter'']] off Java in 1942.
| partof            = [[World War II]], [[Pacific War]]
| date              = 19–20 February 1942
| place             = [[Badung Strait]] off [[Bali]] in the [[Dutch East Indies]]
| result            = Japanese victory
| combatant1        = {{flagicon|Netherlands}} [[Dutch government-in-exile|Netherlands]]<br>{{flag|United States|1912}}<br>{{flag|United Kingdom}}
| combatant2        = {{flagcountry|Empire of Japan}}
| commander1        = {{flagdeco|Netherlands}} [[Karel Doorman]]<ref>{{cite web |first = Klemen |last = L |url = https://warfare.gq/dutcheastindies/doorman.html |title = Rear-Admiral Karel W.F.M. Doorman |date = 1999–2000 |work = Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942 |access-date = 30 March 2021 |archive-date = 31 October 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211031142644/https://warfare.gq/dutcheastindies/doorman.html |url-status = dead }}</ref>
| commander2        = {{flagicon|Empire of Japan|naval}} [[Kyuji Kubo]]<ref>{{cite web |first= Klemen |last= L |url= https://warfare.gq/dutcheastindies/kubo.html |title= Rear-Admiral Kyuji Kubo |date= 1999–2000 |work= Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942 |access-date= 30 March 2021 |archive-date= 15 May 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210515234236/https://warfare.gq/dutcheastindies/kubo.html |url-status= dead }}</ref>
| strength1         = 3 cruisers<br>7 destroyers<br>2 submarines<br/>20 aircraft
| strength2         = 4 destroyers<br>2 transports
| casualties1       = 1 cruiser damaged<br>1 destroyer sunk<br>1 destroyer damaged and<br>— later scuttled —
| casualties2       = 25 killed<br>83 wounded<br>3 destroyers damaged<br>1 transport damaged|
}}{{One source|date=August 2025}}{{Campaignbox Netherlands East Indies}}

The '''Battle of Badung Strait''' was a [[naval battle]] of the [[Pacific War|Pacific campaign]] of [[World War II]], fought on the night of 19/20 February 1942 in [[Badung Strait]] (not to be confused with the West Java city of [[Bandung]]) between the [[American-British-Dutch-Australian Command]] (ABDA) and the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]]. In the engagement, four Japanese [[destroyer]]s defeated an Allied force that outnumbered and outgunned them, sinking the [[Netherlands|Dutch]] destroyer {{HNLMS|Piet Hein|1929|2}} and escorting two [[transport (ship)|transport]]s to safety. The battle demonstrated the Japanese Navy's considerable superiority over the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]] in night fighting, which lasted until the [[Battle of Cape St. George]].

==Background==
A battalion of the 48th Infantry Division of the [[Imperial Japanese Army]] landed in [[Bali]] on 18 February 1942. Dutch [[Admiral]] [[Karel Doorman]]'s naval forces were scattered around Indonesia, but the invasion of [[Bali]] could not be ignored; it would give the Japanese an airbase within range of the ABDA naval base at [[Surabaya]], so he sent in all available ships. The short notice gave no time to concentrate his ships; accordingly, several Allied forces were to attack the Japanese.<ref name="tw">{{cite book |last1=Womack |first1=Tom |title=The Allied Defense of the Malay Barrier, 1941-1942 |date=2016 |publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers |location=Jefferson, North Carolina |isbn=9781476662930 |pages=169–178}}</ref>

==Battle==
On 19 February, the first Allied vessel to engage was the submarine {{USS|Seawolf|SS-197|6}}, which damaged one of the Japanese transports. Later that day, 13 [[USAAF]] heavy bombers and seven [[A-24 Banshee]]s attacked the convoy, but succeeded only in damaging the transport ''Sagami Maru''. On Bali, W.P. Roodenburg's Balinese militia deserted, while the Japanese captured [[Ngurah Rai International Airport|Denpasar airfield]] intact.<ref name=tw/>

The Japanese were aware that their invasion convoy was likely to be attacked again, so they retreated north as soon as possible. The [[cruiser]] {{Ship|Japanese cruiser|Nagara||2}} and destroyers {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Wakaba|1934|2}}, {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Hatsushimo|1933|2}}, and {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Nenohi|1932|2}} were well away and took no part in the action. The last ships to leave were the transports, each escorted by two destroyers. ''Sasago Maru'' was escorted by {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Asashio|1936|2}} and {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Ōshio||2}}; the heavily damaged ''Sagami Maru'' was escorted by {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Michishio||2}} and {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Arashio||2}}.<ref name=tw/>

On 19 February, the first Allied wave consisting of the cruisers {{HNLMS|De Ruyter|1935|6}} and {{HNLMS|Java|1921|2}} and destroyers {{USS|John D. Ford}}, {{USS|Pope|DD-225|2}}, and {{HNLMS|Piet Hein|1929|6}} arrived off the southern tip of Bali at 9:30 pm as they proceeded north through the Badung Strait. At 11 pm, the Allies commenced firing as they were spotted by the Japanese. No damage was done in this 10-minute exchange of fire, and the two Dutch cruisers continued through the strait to the northeast, onwards to [[Soerabaja]]. Then. ''Piet Hein'', ''Pope,'' and ''John D. Ford'' came into range and ''Piet Hein'' was soon crippled by shell fire. At 11:16 pm, ''Asashio'' and ''Oshio'' sent nine torpedoes into ''Piet Hein'', which sank at 11:30 pm. ''Asashio'' and ''Oshio'' then exchanged gunfire with ''Pope'' and ''John D. Ford'', forcing the two American destroyers to retire to the southeast instead of following the cruisers to the northeast. In the darkness, ''Asashio'' and ''Oshio'' mistook each other for enemy ships and fired on each other for several minutes, without any damage.<ref name=tw/>

On 20 February, the second Allied wave consisting of the cruiser {{HNLMS|Tromp|1937|6}} and destroyers {{USS|John D. Edwards}}, {{USS|Parrott||2}}, {{USS|Pillsbury|DD-227|2}}, and {{USS|Stewart|DD-224|2}} arrived off the southern tip of Bali at 1:09 am. The destroyers launched torpedoes, which were easily avoided by ''Oshio'' and ''Asashio''.  The destroyers headed to the northern portion of the strait as ''Oshio'' and ''Asahio'' confronted ''Tromp'', which was hit several times, causing heavy damage. ''Oshio'' 's magazine was hit by a shell that failed to explode, and seven men were killed on her bridge. As the Allied ships departed to the north, they encountered ''Arashio'' and ''Michisio'', crippling ''Michisio'', killing 13 and wounding 83. The late-arriving motor torpedo boats failed to have an impact on the battle.<ref name=tw/>

==Aftermath==
[[File:HNLMS Tromp (3).JPG|thumb|HNLMS ''Tromp'' in [[Sydney]] after undergoing repairs for damage sustained during the battle]]
The battle was a significant victory for the Japanese. Lieutenant Commander Gorō Yoshii of ''Asashio'' and Commander Kiyoshi Kikkawa of ''Oshio'' had shown great bravery and skill. They had driven off a much larger Allied force, sinking the destroyer ''Piet Hein'', damaging the destroyer ''Stewart,'' and severely damaging the cruiser ''Tromp''. Meanwhile, the Japanese had sustained little damage themselves, and had protected their transport ships.{{Citation needed|date=August 2025}}

The Japanese continued their conquest of the Dutch East Indies with [[Battle of Timor|the capture of Timor]] from 20 to 23 February. The ABDA forces engaged at Badung Strait were decisively defeated in the [[Battle of the Java Sea]] on 27 February 1942, in which the Dutch cruisers ''Java'' and ''De Ruyter'' were sunk and Admiral Doorman was killed. ''Tromp'' evaded this fate, for she was withdrawn to Australia to repair damage suffered at Badung Strait. The US destroyer ''Stewart'' was sufficiently damaged that she had to be placed in dry dock for repairs in [[Soerabaia]], where she was scuttled to avoid capture by the rapidly advancing Japanese. She was raised, repaired, and put into Japanese service a year later as the patrol vessel ''PB-102''.{{Citation needed|date=August 2025}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{Commons|Battle of the Java Sea}}

*{{cite web |first= Klemen |last= L |url= https://warfare.gq/dutcheastindies/index.html |title= Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942 |date= 1999–2000 |access-date= 30 March 2021 |archive-date= 26 July 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110726053035/http://www.dutcheastindies.webs.com/index.html |url-status= dead }}
* [https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/usnwc-historical-monographs/28/ To the Java Sea: Selections from the Diary, Letters and Reports of Henry E. Eccles, 1940-1942, commanding officer, USS John D. Edwards]
*[http://www.navweaps.com/index_oob/OOB_WWII_Pacific/OOB_WWII_Badung-Strait.htm Order of battle]
*O'Hara, Vincent, [http://www.microworks.net/pacific/battles/badung_strait.htm Battle of Badung Strait]
*Ramires, Felipe C. [https://web.archive.org/web/20070101073645/http://smmlonline.com/articles/badoeng.html The fall of Bali and the naval battle of the Badoeng Strait 18 – 20 February 1942]
*Womack, Tom [http://www.netherlandsnavy.nl/battle_balitimor.html Fire in the Night: The loss of Bali and Timor]
*Womack, Tom (February 1996), [https://web.archive.org/web/20061030042241/http://www.historynet.com/wars_conflicts/world_war_2/3788187.html?showAll=y&c=y Battle of Badoeng Strait: World War II Naval Duel off Bali]

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[[Category:South West Pacific theatre of World War II|Badung Strait]]
[[Category:World War II naval operations and battles of the Southeast Asia Theatre|Badung Strait]]
[[Category:Naval battles of World War II involving the Netherlands|Badung Strait]]
[[Category:Naval battles of World War II involving Japan|Badung Strait]]
[[Category:Naval battles of World War II involving the United States|Badung Strait]]
[[Category:Naval battles of World War II involving the United Kingdom|Badung Strait]]
[[Category:Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies]]
[[Category:20th century in Bali]]
[[Category:1942 in Japan]]
[[Category:1942 in the Dutch East Indies]]
[[Category:February 1942]]
[[Category:Battles of World War II involving the United States]]