Navy Department Communique No. 54

MARCH 14, 1942

The Navy Department issued the following communiqué based on reports received up to 12 noon (e. w. t.) March 14, 1942.

Far East.
Joint British Admiralty and U. S. Navy Department communiqué:
Although full information is not yet available it is now possible to give some account of events in the Java Sea on February 27 and subsequent days during Japanese invasion of Java.
On afternoon of Friday, February 27th, an Allied Force consisting of H. M. A. S. Perth, H. M. S. Exeter, the U. S. S. Houston and Dutch cruisers De Ruyter and Java were at sea north of Sourabaya. The Allied cruisers were accompanied by a group of British, Dutch, and U. S. destroyers. This force was under the sea command of Rear Admiral Deoorman of the Dutch Navy whose flag was flying in the De Ruyter.  The whole naval force in the area was under the strategic control of Vice Admiral Helfrich of the Royal Netherlands Navy.
At 4: 14 p. m. on February 27th this Allied Force made contact with a Japanese force about halfway between Bawean Island and Sourabaya. The Japanese force consisted of at least 9 cruisers of which two were of the Nati class of 10,000 tons armed with ten 8-inch guns. The Japanese cruisers had with them 2 flotillas of destroyers.
Action was joined at extreme range. Almost at once one of the Japanese destroyer flotillas launched an attack but this attack was driven off by the fire of Allied cruisers and one of the enemy destroyers was seen to be hit by shells from H. M. A. S. Perth. Soon afterwards the other Japanese destroyer flotilla delivered a torpedo attack. While action was being taken to avoid these torpedoes H. M. S. Exeter was hit by an 8-inch shell in a boiler room. This reduced her speed and forced her to drop out of line. Only one of the torpedoes launched in this attack took effect. This hit the Netherlands destroyer Kortenaer and she sank.
Three destroyers were ordered to counterattack the Japanese destroyers who were retiring under cover of a smoke screen. Very little information is available about the result of this counterattack. H. M. S. Jupiter reported seeing only two enemy destroyers both of which she engaged with gunfire. H. M. S. Electra was not seen after she had disappeared into the smoke screen and it is presumed that she was sunk. As soon as Allied cruisers, including the Houston but without the Exeter, which was unable to keep up, drew clear of smoke they again engaged the enemy, this time at shorter range. Less than half an hour later the enemy cruisers turned away under cover of a smoke screen. It was seen that one of the enemy’s heavy 8-inch gun cruisers had been hit aft and was burning fiercely.
Admiral Deoorman led his force about and chased the enemy to northeastward but he failed to regain touch with the enemy in the fading light. After nightfall the Allied cruisers sighted four enemy ships to westward and engaged them but without definite knowledge of the results.
Admiral Deoorman attempted to work around these enemy ships in order to locate the convoy which was expected to the northward. This was found to be impossible owing to the high speed of the enemy, and Admiral Deoorman then turned his force to southward to approach the coast of Java intending to sweep to westward along the coast in an attempt to intercept the Japanese invasion convoys.
Half an hour after this Allied force had turned to westward along the Java coast H. M. S. Jupiter was disabled by an under-water explosion. She sank 4 hours later. H. M. S. Jupiter was not far from the mainland of Java and a number of survivors have already reached Australia. A U. S. submarine assisted in the rescue of 53 survivors.
At 11: 30 p. m. when the remaining Allied cruisers were about 12 miles north of Rembang two enemy cruisers were sighted between our ships and the coast. Our ships at once engaged and a number of hits were secured on the enemy. The De Ruyter was hit by one shell. Afterwards the De Ruyter made a large change of course presumably in order to avoid torpedoes fired by the enemy. The other Allied cruisers were following the De Ruyter when underwater explosions occurred simultaneously in cruisers De Ruyter and Java. Both these Dutch cruisers blew up and sank at once.
It is impossible to estimate with accuracy the damage inflicted upon the enemy during these actions of February 27th.  Observers in the Perth consider that one Japanese 8-inch gun cruiser was sunk, a second 3-inch [sic] gun cruiser damaged and a destroyer sunk. It has also been reported that a cruiser of the Mogami class was set on fire and three destroyers seriously damaged and left on fire or sinking.
H. M. A. S. Perth and U. S. S. Houston, which had received some damage in this action, reached Tanjong Priok at 7 o’clock the morning of Saturday, February 28th.  Five U. S. destroyers reached Sourabaya after the action.
With the enemy in command of sea and air north of Java in overwhelming force the Allied command was faced with the problem of extricating the remaining Allied ships from a very dangerous situation. The way to Australia was barred by the 600-mile long Island of Java with the Straits at either end of it under enemy control.
After dark on February 28th, H. M. A. S. Perth and U. S. S. Houston left Tanjong Priok with the intention of passing through Sunda Strait during dark hours. During the night an enemy report from H. M. A. S. Perth was received which indicated that she and U. S. S. Houston had come into contact with a force of Japanese ships off St. Nicholas Point at about 11: 30 p. m. Nothing, however, has been heard from H. M. A. S. Perth or the U. S. S. Houston since that time. The next of kin of the U. S. S. Houston are being informed accordingly.
The same night the Exeter, which was capable of only half speed, left Sourabaya accompanied by H. M. S. Encounter and the U. S. destroyer Pope. On the forenoon of Sunday March 1st the Exeter reported that she had sighted three enemy cruisers steering towards her. No further word has been received from the Exeter, Encounter or the U. S. S. Pope. The next of kin of the Pope are being informed accordingly. The Dutch destroyer Evertsen encountered two Japanese cruisers in Sunda Strait. She was damaged and was beached.
The destroyer H. M. S. Stronghold and Sloop H. M. A. S. Yarra are also missing and are presumably lost.
It has not been possible to form any accurate estimate of damage inflicted on the enemy by these ships during these actions.
There is nothing to report from other areas.