February 19th, 1942 - The Battle of Badung (or Lombok) Strait

Conflict: World War II

Combatants: Dutch vs. Japanese

Location: South Pacific (near Java)

Outcome: Japanese victory

With the Japanese military ascendent throughout the Pacific, a squadron of Allied vessels commanded by Dutch Admiral Karel Doorman made an attempt to slow the Japanese forces approaching Java in the Badung (or Lombok) Strait. A small Japanese destroyer squadron intervened, however, and sank a Dutch destroyer during a fierce night engagement.

HNLMS Light Cruiser De Ruyter by an unknown Australian photographer

Points of Interest:

• Just a week after the Badung Strait, Admiral Doorman was killed during the Battle of the Java Sea when he chose to go down with his torpedoed flagship.

• On this same date, Japanese naval forces attacked the port of Darwin in Australia.

Commander (later Admiral) Karel Doorman by an unknown photographer

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Sources:

Dupuy, Trevor N., Johnson, Curt, & Bongard, David L. (1992). The Harper's Encyclopedia of Military Biography. New York: Castle Books (HarperCollins).

Dupuy, R. Ernest & Dupuy, Trevor N. (1993). The Harper's Encyclopedia of Military History. New York: HarperCollins.

Eggenberger, David (1985). An Encyclopedia of Battles: Accounts of Over 1,560 Battles from 1479 B.C. to the Present. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.

Gailey, Harry A.. (1995). The War in the Pacific. Novato, CA: Presidio Press.