Evening star., 1942-03-14
Eight Jap Worcroft
Lost or Set F|ominq
In Terrific Sea Fiqht
By CLAUDE A. MAHONEY.


Allied forces lost IL vessels perhaps 13 in the battle
of Java and in turn listed eight japanese craft lost
damaged joint communique of the British AG-
miralty and the Navy Department said today.
The losses included the heavy cruiser U. S. S. Hous-
ton and the fourstack destroyer u S. Pope Neither
has been heard from since messages February % and
March said they had encountered superior Japanese
forces Navy has notified the families of all men
and officers.
The other ships lost by the AIlies were divided
among the British Dutch and Australians
The list follows
British-Cruser Exeter and destroyers Electra, Ju-
piter, Encounter and Stronghold all known or pre-.
sumed lost (The Exeter of the ships in the
engagement off Montevdeo, Uruguay, in December,
193s which led to the scuttng of the German pocket
battleship Admiral Graf Spee)
Dutch-Destroyer Kortenaer, cruisers De Ruyter
and Java, blown up and the destroyer Evertsen,
beached and listed as probably lost
Austraa-The cruiser Perth and the sloop Yarra.
japanese losses were listed as follows One cruiser
hit and burning, cruiser SUNK cruiser dam
aged, destroyer sunk, heavy cruiser of the
Mogami class fire and probably sinking, and three
destroyers fire and sinking.
The Navy said that loss of life in the terrific
encounter would not be announced until next of kin
had been notified
The battle began Friday afternoon, February 27,
when Allied force consisting of H M. A. s. Perth,
H. NJ S. Exeter the u S. s. Houston and Dutch cruisers
De Ruyter and Java at north of Soerabaya.
The Allied cruisers accompanied by group of
British Dutch and United States destroyers and the
whole group under the sea command of Rear
Admiral Deoorman of the Dutch Navy, who aboard
the flagship De Ruyter.
Nine cruisers of the Japanese sighted at about
Ala o'clock that afternoon about half way between
Bawean Island and Soerabaya Two of the cruisers
of the OO OOOton Natl class and were armed with
10 eght-inch guns. The cruisers were protected oy
two f1otillas of deStroyers.
Action began at extreme range, the Navy reported
and the first japanese attack driven off by Allied
fire and one enemy destroyer was hit by shells from the
cruiser Perth. Soon after the first engagement the
japanese destroyers delivered torpedo attack and
while attempting to avoid the torpedoes the cruiser
Exeter hit by 8-inch shell in boiler This
reduced her speed and forced her to drop out of line
OF the orpedoes launched in this attack only took
effect this one sinking the Netherlands destroyer Kor
tenaer.
Electra Disappears in Smoke Screen.
Three destroyers assigned to counterattack the
japanese destroyers which retiring under blind
ing smoke The Navy said little information is
available about the result of this counterattack How
ever M S. Jupiter reported seeing only two enemy
destroyers both of which she engaged with gun fire
The destroyer Electra disappeared into the smoke
screen and was not again. Allied cruisers nclud
ing the Houston, but without the Exeter, which was
unable to keep up, drew clear of the smoke-fed sea
battlefield and again engaged the Japanese, this time
at shorter range After half hours action the Jap
cruisers turned away under cover of smoke
Continued 2-x, Column ~