27 February 1942 – The Battle of the Java Sea
On this day occurred the Battle of the Java Sea between the ABDA Light Cruisers and destroyers and the Japanese Heavy cruisers. The Japanese used spotter aircraft to improve the accuracy of their 8 inch gunfire and torpedo attacks by destroyers.
After several hours when the battle was evenly matched HMS Exeter of Battle of the River Plate fame was hit by a shell which knocked out six of her eight boilers. She hauled out of the battle line to return to Surabaya . To protect this stricken cruiser Hec Waller in Perth ordered maximum speed and laid a smokescreen across her. An officer in Houston’s for’ard turret later wrote:
Perth charged past with her throttles open and a billowing cloud of white smoke streaming from her smoke generators. From her yard arms and the gaff three battle ensigns streamed astern. She was firing rapid fire. It was the finest sight I have ever seen.
Perth was fighting off Japanese destroyers in a confused night action when the two Dutch cruisers were sunk. Thanks to Perth’s covering smoke Exeter survived to repair herself and fight and die in an heroic last stand another day.
The battle of the Java Sea was a disaster at every level due to the inexperience of the Dutch commander, no coordination of a battle plan, inefficient communications, the efficiency and range of the Japanese long lance torpedoes and the presence of seaplanes which provided the Japanese with a radio reported real time tactical picture to update their battle plan.
