bigpigeon.us webpage WW II - Japan > Japan Lashes Out > The Dutch Indies Lost, updated by RAC 7 Oct 2020.
jAmong Japanese conquests in early 1942 were the Netherlands East Indies, then a Dutch colony and today the nation of Indonesia. A hastily-organized coalition of American, British, Dutch and Australian forces, known as ABDA, attempted to resist but were quickly brushed aside with the loss of some thousands of Allied lives.
jAmong Japanese conquests in early 1942 were the Netherlands East Indies, then a Dutch colony and today the nation of Indonesia. A hastily-organized coalition of American, British, Dutch and Australian forces, known as ABDA, attempted to resist but were quickly brushed aside with the loss of some thousands of Allied lives.
The United States contributed most of the remainder of the Asiatic Fleet as well as army air force units and a battalion of ground troops to ABDA operations. Almost all personnel were killed or captured.
Among the Unites States losses was the United State's original aircraft carrier, the USS Langley, ferrying USAAF aircraft and crews for the defense of Java. The Langley was torpedoed south of Tjilatjap, Java on 27 Feb '42 and was then scuttled. |
Sources for the The Dutch Indies Lost webpage:
Pottawattamie County, Iowa Area WW II Dead - the Dutch Indies Lost:
† Christensen, Lester Angus, SN 316-61-17, US Navy, Pott. Co.
- The webpage header photo, USS Langley - CV-1 is courtesy of pinterest.com.
- The Japanese Capture of the Indies map is courtesy of DeDuijn at wikibooks.org.
Pottawattamie County, Iowa Area WW II Dead - the Dutch Indies Lost:
- Taken from the bigpigeon.us WW II Dead webarea.
† Christensen, Lester Angus, SN 316-61-17, US Navy, Pott. Co.
- Cruiser USS Houston (CA-30); KIA 28 Feb 1942 Battle of Sunda Strait, between Java & Sumatra, Dutch Indies; Houston sunk by Japanese destroyer torpedoes, 793 dead; Japan Lashes Out > The Indies Lost; BNR.
- Destroyer USS Perry (DD-340) & destroyer tender USS Black Hawk (AD-9); DNB 19 Jan 1942 on the Black Hawk in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, malaria; Japan Lashes Out > The Indies Lost.
- 13th or 33rd Pursuit Sqdn.; KIA 1 Mar 1942, 430 miles south of Java, Dutch East Indies; on old aircraft carrier USS Langley (CV-1); Langley sunk by Japanese air attack, 177 AAF survivors transferred to destroyer USS Edsall (DD-219) which then headed towards Java; Edsall sunk by Japanese surface ships; most Edsall survivors left in the water; of the survivors rescued by the Japanese most - maybe all - subsequently died in captivity or were executed; Japan Lashes Out > The Indies Lost; BNR.
- Destroyer USS Peary (DD-226); KIA 19 Feb 1942 Darwin, Australia, Peary sunk by Japanese air attack, 93 dead, 49 survivors; Japan Lashes Out > The Indies Lost; BNR.