American-British-Dutch-Australian Command
In January 1942, the short-lived American-British-Dutch-Australian Command (ABDACOM) was formed, to direct Allied forces in South East Asia and the South West Pacific. On 5 January, the deputy commander of ABDA naval forces, Rear Admiral Arthur Palliser, made Layton the senior naval officer at Tanjung Priok, the port for Batavia (Jakarta), Java. His main role was organising better convoy protection.