Battle of Badung Strait

{{Campaignbox Netherlands East Indies}} The '''Battle of Badung Strait''' was a [[naval battle]] of the [[Pacific War|Pacific campaign]] of [[World War II]], fought on the night of 19/20 February 1942 in [[Badung Strait]] (not to be confused with the port of [[Bandung]]) between the [[American-British-Dutch-Australian Command]] (ABDA) and the [[Imperial Japan]]ese [[Imperial Japanese Navy|Navy]]. In the engagement, the four Japanese [[destroyer]]s defeated an Allied force that outnumbered and outgunned them, escorting two [[transport (ship)|transport]]s to safety and sinking the [[Netherlands|Dutch]] destroyer {{HNLMS|Piet Hein|1927|2}}. The battle demonstrated the Japanese Navy's considerable superiority over the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]] in night fighting which lasted until the [[Battle of Cape St. George]]. ==Background== A battalion of the 48th Infantry Division of the [[Imperial Japanese Army]] landed on [[Bali]] on 18 February 1942. Dutch [[Admiral]] [[Karel Doorman]]'s naval forces were scattered around Indonesia, but the invasion of [[Bali]] could not be ignored — it would give the Japanese an airbase within range of the ABDA naval base at [[Surabaya]] — so he sent in all available ships. The short notice gave no time to concentrate his ships; accordingly, several Allied forces were to attack the Japanese. ==Battle== The first Allied vessels to engage were the submarines {{USS|Seawolf|SS-197|6}} and {{HMS|Truant|N68|6}}. Both attacked the Japanese convoy on 18 February, but did no damage and were driven off by [[depth charge]]s from Japanese destroyers. Later that day, 20 planes of the [[United States Army Air Forces]] attacked the convoy but succeeded only in damaging the transport ''Sagami Maru''. The Japanese were aware that their invasion convoy was likely to be attacked again, so they retreated north as soon as possible. The [[cruiser]] {{Ship|Japanese cruiser|Nagara||2}} and the destroyers {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Wakaba||2}}, {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Hatsushimo||2}} and {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Nenohi||2}} were well away and took no part in the action. The last ships to leave were the two transports, each escorted by two destroyers. ''Sasago Maru'' was escorted by {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Asashio||2}} and {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Oshio||2}}; the heavily damaged ''Sagami Maru'' was escorted by {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Michishio||2}} and {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Arashio||2}}. The first Allied group—consisting of the cruisers {{HNLMS|De Ruyter|1935|6}} and {{HNLMS|Java||2}} and the destroyers {{USS|John D. Ford|DD-228|6}}, {{USS|Pope|DD-225|2}}, and {{HNLMS|Piet Hein|1927|6}}—sighted the Japanese in Badung Strait at about 22:00 and opened fire at 22:25 on 19 February. No damage was done in this exchange of fire, and the two Dutch cruisers continued through the strait to the northeast, to give the destroyers a free hand to engage with torpedoes. Then ''Piet Hein'', ''Pope'' and ''John D. Ford'' came into range. At 22:40, a [[Japanese Long Lance torpedo|Long Lance torpedo]] from ''Asashio'' hit ''Piet Hein'', sinking the Dutch destroyer immediately. ''Asashio'' and ''Oshio'' then exchanged gunfire with ''Pope'' and ''John D. Ford'', forcing the two American destroyers to retire to the southeast instead of following the cruisers to the northeast. In the darkness, ''Asashio'' and ''Oshio'' mistook each other for enemy ships and fired on each other for several minutes, without any damage. About three hours later, the second group of ABDA ships—the cruiser {{HNLMS|Tromp|1937|6}} and the destroyers {{USS|John D. Edwards|DD-216|6}}, {{USS|Parrott|DD-218|2}}, {{USS|Pillsbury|DD-227|2}}, and {{USS|Stewart|DD-224|2}}—reached Badung Strait. At 01:36, ''Stewart'', ''Pillsbury'' and ''Parrott'' launched torpedoes but did no damage. Then ''Oshio'' and ''Asashio'' sortied again and there was another exchange of gunfire. ''Tromp'' was hit by eleven {{convert|5|in|mm|abbr=on}} shells from ''Asashio'', severely damaging her and hit both Japanese destroyers, killing four men on ''Asashio'' and seven on ''Oshio''. ''Tromp'' later had to return to Australia for repairs. ''Arashio'' and ''Michishio'' had been ordered by Admiral Kubo to turn back, and at about 02:20 they joined the battle. ''Michishio'' was hit by shells from ''Pillsbury'', ''John D. Edwards'' and ''Tromp'', killing 13 of her crew and wounding 83. She lost speed and had to be towed after the battle. Both groups of ships turned away, and the engagement was over. ==Aftermath== The third ABDA group—seven [[torpedo boat]]s—arrived in Badung Strait at about 06:00 but did not encounter any Japanese ships. The battle was a significant victory for the Japanese. Lieutenant Commander Gorō Yoshii of ''Asashio'' and Commander Kiyoshi Kikkawa of ''Oshio'' had shown great bravery and skill. They had driven off a much larger Allied force, sunk the destroyer ''Piet Hein'' and severely damaged the cruiser ''Tromp'', had sustained little damage themselves, and had protected their transport ships. Bali's garrison of 600 Indonesian [[militia]] offered no resistance to the Japanese, and its airfield was captured intact. The Japanese continued their conquest of the Dutch East Indies with the capture of [[Timor]] from 20–23 February. The ABDA forces engaged at Badung Strait were decisively defeated in the [[Battle of the Java Sea]] on 1 March 1942, in which the Dutch cruisers ''Java'' and ''De Ruyter'' were sunk and Admiral Doorman was killed. ''Tromp'' evaded this fate, for she was withdrawn to Australia to repair damage suffered at Badung Strait. The destroyer ''Stewart'' was repaired in [[Soerabaia]], where she was next captured by the Japanese and put to their service as the patrol vessel '''''P-102'''''. ==Further reading== *[http://www.navweaps.com/index_oob/OOB_WWII_Pacific/OOB_WWII_Badung-Strait.htm Order of battle] *O'Hara, Vincent, [http://www.microworks.net/pacific/battles/badung_strait.htm Battle of Badung Strait] *Ramires, Felipe C. [http://www.smmlonline.com/articles/badoeng.html The fall of Bali and the naval battle of the Badoeng Strait 18 - 20 of February 1942] *Womack, Tom [http://www.netherlandsnavy.nl/battle_balitimor.html Fire in the Night: The loss of Bali and Timor] *Womack, Tom (February 1996), [http://www.historynet.com/wars_conflicts/world_war_2/3788187.html?showAll=y&c=y Battle of Badoeng Strait: World War II Naval Duel off Bali] {{Commons|Battle of the Java Sea}} {{coord missing|Indonesia}}