Second Battle of the Java Sea The Second Battle of the Java Sea was the last naval action of the Netherlands East Indies campaign , of 1941 – 1942 . It occurred on 1 March 1942 , two days after the first Battle of the Java Sea . It saw the end of the last Allied warships operating in the waters around Java , allowing Japanese forces to complete their conquest of the Netherlands East Indies unhindered . Background . The American - British - Dutch - Australian Command fleet defeated at the first battle , on 27 February 1942 had been dispersed or sunk by the Japanese . The light cruiser and heavy cruiser had retired to Tanjong Priok , the port of the capital , Batavia , in the west of the island . They were to withdraw via the Sunda Strait to Tjilatjap on the south of the island and departed on the evening of 28 February ; but encountering the Japanese Western Invasion Force later that night in Bantam Bay , they were both sunk . This is referred to as the battle of Sunda Strait . The heavy cruiser — severely damaged in the battle — had withdrawn to Surabaya in the east , escorted by the Dutch destroyer HNLMS " Witte de With " . There she was joined by , which arrived with the survivors from the destroyer HNLMS " Kortenaer " . Also at Surabaya were the four U . S . destroyers of Destroyer Squadron 58 ( DesRon 58 ) , which had also withdrawn there from the battle , and , which had been undergoing repairs . On 28 February , after nightfall , , , , and of DesRon 58 departed for Australia via the Bali Strait ; after a brief encounter with a Japanese destroyer they arrived safely at Fremantle on 4 March . After emergency repairs , HMS " Exeter " also left for further repairs in Ceylon , leaving at dusk on 28 February , and escorted by HMS " Encounter " and USS " Pope " . " Witte de With " was unable to leave , due to mechanical trouble , and was later bombed and sunk at Surabaya on 2 March . As " Exeter " had too much draft for the Bali Strait , it was decided to go via Sunda Strait , which was thought still open ; the morning of 1 March found the three Allied ships westnorthwest of Bawean island , heading westwards . The ships were making , as much as " Exeter " could manage . The battle . At 04 : 00 on 1 March , ships were sighted to the west ; being in no condition for a battle , " Exeter " and her consorts reversed course , turning northwest to avoid contact . More ships were sighted at 07 : 50 , bearing southwest ; again , the Allied ships had to alter course to avoid them . At 09 : 35 , two heavy cruisers were sighted approaching from the south ; these were and of the Eastern Invasion Force with two destroyers , under Admiral Takeo Takagi , whom they had met two days previously at the battle of the Java Sea . " Exeter " and the destroyers turned northeast and increased speed , but soon sighted more ships approaching from the northwest ; this was Admiral Ibo Takahashi , with the heavy cruisers and and two destroyers . Closing in on either side of the fleeing Allied ships , the cruisers opened fire at 10 : 20 as they came in range . " Encounter " and " Pope " responded by making smoke , and later attempted a torpedo attack , while " Exeter " returned fire , but at 11 : 20 " Exeter " sustained a major hit in her boiler room , resulting in a loss of power and slowing her to . As the four Japanese cruisers closed in on HMS " Exeter " , " Encounter " and " Pope " were ordered to make all speed for a nearby rain squall , in an attempt to shake off pursuit ; wracked by gunfire , " Exeter " was brought to a standstill , and the destroyer closed in for a torpedo attack . " Exeter " sank at 11 : 40 , south of Borneo . The cruisers switched their attention to the fleeing destroyers ; HMS " Encounter " was quickly hit by shell fire and sunk , but USS " Pope " was able to reach the rain squall and was lost to sight . The respite was short - lived , however ; shortly after noon she was spotted by planes from the aircraft carrier , which was covering the Western Invasion Force ; she was dive - bombed and sunk around 13 : 50 . There were just over 800 survivors altogether ; these were picked up and imprisoned by the Japanese , 190 of them subsequently dying in captivity . In the aftermath of the battle , the surviving Allied ships had dispersed to find safe haven , but as Java had been invaded by the Japanese , it became necessary to retire further .