4 February 1942

Battle of Makassar Strait

VIVAnews – Since the Japanese successfully overran parts of Borneo, Sulawesi, and Maluku in late January 1942, the Allies’ positions in Java and Sumatra were under constant threats

To prevent further advances by the Japanese, on 2 February 1942, the Allies commanders in the Dutch East Indies decided to launch a counter-attack.  A huge naval force was formed the following day under Admiral Karel Doorman. The Allies fleet consisted of 4 cruisers (HNLMS De Ryter, HNLMS Tromp, USS Houston, and USS Marblehead) and 7 destroyers (Bankert, Piet Hein, Van Ghent, Barker, Bulmer, Edwards, and Stewart).  

On 4 February 1942, the Allies fleet sailed for Meinderts Droogte (now Karang Mas), off the north coast tip of East Java. At 09.30am, the Allies commanders received news from its air patrols that they had just spotted a Japanese convoy heading for Surabaya. The convoy consisted of three cruisers, 18 destroyers, and several other ships.

At 09.49am, a squadron of Japanese bombers spotted the advancing Allies fleet south of the Kangean Islands. The planes attacked the Allies cruisers. The first to be hit was USS Marblehead. The ship sustained two direct hits and lost 15 members of its crew. The bombs also damaged the ship’s ability to maneuver. 

Soon, the USS Houston also suffered a severe hit and lost 48 members of its crew. The Dutch flagship, De Ruyter, meanwhile, managed to evade four Japanese attacks and sustained only minor damage. About three hours later, realizing that the whole mission would be to no avail without proper air support and protection, Doorman ordered the Allies fleet to return west.

The USS Marblehead and other US destroyers went south through Lombok Strait. The two US cruisers headed for Cilacap for repairs and medical help. The failure of the Allies navy to take control of the Makassar Strait gave the Japanese an opportunity to strengthen their grip on the Eastern part of the Dutch East Indies.  

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