Navy Department Communique No. 48

FEBRUARY 28, 1942

The Navy Department issued the following communiqué, outlining the Naval situation based on reports received up to 4 p. m. (e. w. t.), February 28, 1942:

Far East.
On February 27 a major action occurred in which combined Dutch, British, Australian, and United States naval forces engaged a much larger enemy force of combatant vessels covering 40 transports attempting a landing on the north coast of Java.
From fragmentary reports received in the Navy Department American naval forces participating in this action consisted of one heavy cruiser and five destroyers.
A landing on Java by the enemy was not effected.
The Japanese heavy cruiser Mogami and three enemy destroyers were put out of action in the attempt. When last seen, enemy transports were retiring to the northward.
None of our vessels suffered heavy damage in the initial phase of this battle for Java, and our forces are still intact despite the overwhelming superiority in numbers of the enemy naval forces.
Further action can be expected from this area.

Reports from U. S. submarines operating in the Far East are as follows:
On February 23 two torpedo hits were effected on one large ship of the enemy.
On February 24 two torpedo hits were effected on one large enemy auxiliary vessel.
On February 25 one torpedo hit was effected on an enemy transport and one torpedo hit on a type unknown.

In addition, date unknown, one of our submarines registered a torpedo hit on an enemy transport.
All of these ships of the enemy are believed sunk.