View source for Second Battle of the Java Sea

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}

{{Short description|Naval battle during World War II}}
{{Infobox military conflict
|conflict    = Battle of the Java Sea (II)
|image       = Exeter sinking.jpg
|image_size  = 300px
|caption     = {{HMS|Exeter|68|6}} sinking
|partof      = the [[Pacific War|Pacific theatre]] of [[World War II]]
|date        = 1 March 1942
|place       = [[Java Sea]], [[Dutch East Indies]]
|result      = Japanese victory
|combatant2  = {{flagcountry|United Kingdom}} <br> {{flagcountry|United States|1912}}
|combatant1  = {{flagcountry|Empire of Japan}} 
|commander2  = {{flagdeco|United Kingdom|naval}} [[Oliver Gordon (Royal Navy officer)|Oliver Gordon]]
|commander1  = {{flagdeco|Empire of Japan|naval}} [[Takeo Takagi]] <br> {{flagdeco|Empire of Japan|naval}} [[Ibō Takahashi]]
|strength2   = 1 heavy cruiser <br> 2 destroyers
|strength1   = 4 heavy cruisers <br> 5 destroyers <br> 1 light aircraft carrier <br> 2 seaplane tenders <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.combinedfleet.com/mizuho.htm|title=IJN Mizuho: Tabular Record of Movement|last=Tully|first=Anthony|access-date=2009-07-04}}</ref><ref name=combinedfleetchitoseavp>{{cite web |url= http://www.combinedfleet.com/chitosesp_t.htm |title=IJN Seaplane Carrier CHITOSE: Tabular Record of Movement |first1=Athony |last1=Tully |work=combinedfleet.com |date=19 May 2014|access-date=11 December 2021}}</ref>
|casualties2 = 800 captured <br> 1 heavy cruiser sunk <br> 2 destroyers sunk
|casualties1 = 1 destroyer damaged
|campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Pacific 1941}} <br> {{Campaignbox Netherlands East Indies}}
}}

The '''Second Battle of the Java Sea''' was the last naval action of the [[Netherlands East Indies campaign]], of 1941–42. It occurred on 1 March 1942, two days after the first [[Battle of the Java Sea]]. It saw the end of the last [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] warships operating in the waters around [[Java (island)|Java]], allowing [[Empire of Japan|Japanese]] forces to complete [[Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies|their conquest]] of the [[Dutch East Indies]] unhindered.

==Background==
[[File:HMS Exeter off Sumatra in 1942.jpg|thumb|right|HMS ''Exeter'' in 1942.]]
[[File:USS Pope (DD-225) underway 1942.jpg|thumb|right|USS ''Pope'' in February 1942.]]
[[File:HMS Encounter 1938 IWM FL 11382.jpg|thumb|right|HMS ''Encounter'' in July 1938.]]
The [[American-British-Dutch-Australian Command]] fleet were defeated at the first Battle of the Java Sea, on 27 February 1942, and its ships had been dispersed or sunk by the Japanese.

The [[light cruiser]] {{HMAS|Perth|D29|6}} and the [[heavy cruiser]] {{USS|Houston|CA-30|6}} had retreated to [[Tanjung Priok]], the port of the capital, [[Jakarta|Batavia]], in the west of the island. They planned to withdraw via the [[Sunda Strait]] to [[Tjilatjap]] on the south of the island and departed on the evening of 28 February; but encountering the Japanese Western Invasion Force later that night in [[Bantam Bay]], they were both sunk in the [[battle of Sunda Strait]]; in a related but separate action, the Dutch [[destroyer]] {{HNLMS|Evertsen|1926|6}} was also destroyed.

The heavy cruiser {{HMS|Exeter|68|6}}—severely damaged in the first Battle of the Java Sea—had withdrawn to [[Surabaya]] in the east, escorted by the Dutch destroyer {{HNLMS|Witte de With|1928|6}}. There she was joined by {{HMS|Encounter|H10|6}}, which arrived with the survivors from the destroyer {{HNLMS|Kortenaer|1927|6}}.<ref>https://pacificwrecks.com/ship/hms/encounter/report-of-proceedings-of-hms-encounter.pdf</ref> Also at Surabaya were the four U.S. destroyers of Destroyer Division 58 (DesDiv 58), which had also withdrawn there from the battle, and {{USS|Pope|DD-225|6}}, which had been undergoing repairs.

On 28 February, after nightfall, DesDiv 58 ({{USS|John D. Edwards}}, {{USS|John D. Ford||2}}, {{USS|Alden||2}}, and {{USS|Paul Jones|DD-230|2}}) departed for Australia via Surabaya's shallow eastern channel, and then exited the Java area by going south through the [[Bali Strait]]; after a brief encounter with Japanese destroyers they arrived safely at [[Fremantle, Western Australia|Fremantle]] on 4 March.

After emergency repairs, ''Exeter'' also left for further repairs in [[Sri Lanka|Ceylon]], leaving at dusk on 28 February, and escorted by ''Encounter'' and ''Pope''. ''Witte de With'' was unable to leave, due to mechanical trouble, and was later bombed and sunk at Surabaya on 2 March.

As ''Exeter'' had too much draft for leaving the main anchorage at Surabaya via its southern (thence eastern) channel, she was forced to leave via the main north entrance with a decision having been made to exit the Java Sea via Sunda Strait to the west, which was thought to be still open; the morning of 1 March found the three Allied ships west-northwest of [[Bawean]] island, heading westwards. The ships were making {{convert|23|kn|mph km/h|lk=in|abbr=on}}, as much as ''Exeter'' could manage.

==The battle==
At 04:00 on 1 March, ships were sighted to the west; being in no condition for a battle, ''Exeter'' and her two consorts changed course to the northwest to avoid contact.

More ships were sighted at 07:50, bearing southwest; again, the Allied ships had to alter course to avoid them.

At 09:35, two heavy cruisers were sighted approaching from the south; these were {{Ship|Japanese cruiser|Nachi||2}} and {{Ship|Japanese cruiser|Haguro||2}} of the Eastern Invasion Force with two destroyers, {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Yamakaze|1936|2}} and {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Kawakaze|1936|2}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.combinedfleet.com/nachi_t.htm|title = Imperial Cruisers}}</ref> under Admiral [[Takeo Takagi]], whom they had met two days previously at the [[Battle of the Java Sea]].

''Exeter'' and the destroyers turned northeast and increased speed, but soon sighted more ships approaching from the northwest; this was Admiral [[Ibo Takahashi]], with the heavy cruisers {{Ship|Japanese cruiser|Ashigara||2}} and {{Ship|Japanese cruiser|Myōkō||2}} and two destroyers, {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Inazuma|1932|2}} and {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Akebono|1930|2}}.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.combinedfleet.com/ashigara_t.htm|title = Imperial Cruisers}}</ref>

Closing in on either side of the fleeing Allied ships, the cruisers opened fire at 10:20 as they came in range.

''Encounter'' and ''Pope'' responded by making smoke, and later attempted a torpedo attack, while ''Exeter'' returned fire, but at 11:20 ''Exeter'' sustained a major hit in her boiler room, resulting in a loss of power and slowing her to {{convert|4|kn|mph km/h|abbr=on}}. As the four Japanese cruisers closed in on ''Exeter'', ''Encounter'' and ''Pope'' were ordered to break contact and make for a nearby rain squall in an attempt to shake off pursuit.  Struck by multiple shell hits, ''Exeter'' was brought to a standstill, and the destroyer ''Inazuma'' closed in for a torpedo attack, hitting ''Exeter'' with two torpedoes on her starboard side.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.combinedfleet.com/inazum_t.htm|title = Long Lancers}}</ref> ''Exeter'' sank at 11:40, approximately {{convert|90|mi|nmi km|lk=on|abbr=on}} north-west of Bawean Island.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pacificwrecks.com/ships/hms/exeter.html|title=Pacific Wrecks - HMS Exeter (68)}}</ref>

The Japanese cruisers had by then already switched their attention to the fleeing destroyers; ''Encounter'' however had gallantly disobeyed her orders to escape and had previously turned back to lay a smoke screen to protect the immobilised ''Exeter'', and aid survivors, but had soon been immobilised herself by shell hits and set on fire.<ref>Lt. (Sir) Sam Falle in My Lucky Life</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.navybooks.com/blog/2017/03/01/the-sinking-of-hms-exeter-1-march-1942/|title=Search results for: 'blog 2017 03 01 the sinking of HMS exeter 1 march 1942'}}</ref> [[Lieutenant Commander]] Eric 'Rattler' Morgan, the destroyer's [[captain (nautical)|captain]], ordered his ship scuttled to prevent her capture by the Japanese and she capsized and sank about 12:10.<ref>https://pacificwrecks.com/ship/hms/encounter/report-of-proceedings-of-hms-encounter.pdf</ref><ref>Evans, p. 109</ref> ''Pope'' continued to evade and was able to reach the rain squall and was lost to sight.

The respite was short-lived, however; shortly after noon she was spotted by planes from the [[aircraft carrier]] {{Ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Ryūjō||2}}, which was covering the Western Invasion Force; she was dive-bombed and sunk around 13:50.

There were just over 800 survivors altogether; these were rescued and imprisoned by the Japanese, with 190 of them subsequently dying in captivity.

==The wrecks==
The wrecks of HMS ''Exeter'' and HMS ''Encounter'' were discovered by explorers – who had been looking for the wrecks for five years – in February 2007 only several miles apart, {{convert|90|mi|km}} north-west of Bawean Island, {{convert|60|mi|km}} from Exeter's captain's ([[Oliver Gordon (Royal Navy officer)|Oliver Gordon]]) estimated sinking position, at a depth of approximately 60&nbsp;m (200&nbsp;ft).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.pacificwrecks.com/people/visitors/denlay/index.html|title = Kevin Denlay - Shipwreck Discoveries and SCUBA Diver}}</ref> The remains of the wreck of USS ''Pope'' was discovered in late 2008, but was found to have already been plundered.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pacificwrecks.com/ships/usn/DD-225.html|title=Pacific Wrecks - USS Pope DD-225}}</ref>

In November 2016, a diving expedition discovered that the wrecks of HMS ''Exeter'' and HMS ''Encounter'' were missing from the ocean floor. The Guardian newspaper subsequently reported that the wrecks of HMS ''Exeter'', HMS ''Encounter'', and part of HMS ''Electra'', as well as the submarine {{USS|Perch|SS-176|6}} were missing and presumed illegally scavenged.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/16/british-second-world-war-ships-illegal-scavenging-java-sea|title = British second world war shipwrecks in Java Sea destroyed by illegal scavenging|website = [[TheGuardian.com]]|date = 16 November 2016}}</ref> Commenting on their removal, one of the men involved in their original discovery was stunned at the magnitude of the salvaging that appeared to have taken place.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.historyanswers.co.uk/history-of-war/java-sea-shipwrecks-of-world-war-2-one-of-the-men-who-found-them-reflects-on-their-loss/|title = Java Sea Shipwrecks of World War 2: One of the men who found them reflects on their loss | work = History of War | date = 2016-11-23 | publisher = Future Publishing Limited }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
*[[Stephen Roskill]]: The War at Sea 1939-1945 Vol II (1956) ISBN (none)
*[[Samuel Eliot Morison]]: History of United States Naval operations in World War II: Vol III The Rising Sun in the Pacific (1948) ISBN (none)
*Eric Groves: Sea Battles in Close-Up WWII Vol 2 (1993) {{ISBN|0-7110-2118-X}}
*Donald MacIntyre: The Battle for the Pacific (1966) ISBN (none)

{{coord missing|Java Sea}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Java Sea, Battle of 02}}
[[Category:Military history of Indonesia]]
[[Category:South West Pacific theatre of World War II]]
[[Category:World War II naval operations and battles of the Southeast Asia Theatre]]
[[Category:Naval battles of World War II involving the United States]]
[[Category:Naval battles of World War II involving the United Kingdom|Java Sea]]
[[Category:Naval battles of World War II involving Japan]]
[[Category:1942 in Japan]]
[[Category:Java Sea]]
[[Category:Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies]]
[[Category:March 1942]]

[[ja:スラバヤ沖海戦#三月一日昼戦]]