Battle of the Java Sea - United States

In this fourth and final article in the short series on the forces involved in the Battle of Java Sea we look at the ships of the US Navy and the models to represent them. Regular readers of this series may recall that I am building these fleets up using 1/3000th scale models from the extensive Navwar range. 

To appreciate the US commitment to the Battle of the Java Sea some consideration should be given to the strategic situation in the Western Pacific. On the 8th of December Japanese aircraft hit the airfields of Luzon and soon the limited naval forces based in the Philippines, the Asiatic Fleet, were sent south to Java and Australia. Even before hostilities the forces that comprised the Asiatic Fleet were both limited and often obsolete. Specifically the US Asiatic Fleet had just one heavy cruiser, one old light cruiser and 13 veteran Clemson class destroyers. These were supported by a number of light and auxiliary vessels and no less than 29 submarines. A number of these vessels made it to the Dutch East Indies but over the next two months some were lost to action while many others distributed to convoy escort tasks.

By late February 1942 only five US vessels were available to assist in the sortie against Japanese invasion convoys that would result in the Battle of Java Sea. The most significant of these five was the USS Houston. Houston was one of six Northampton heavy cruisers built. She was laid down in 1928, launched in 1929 and commissioned in 1930. 

USS Houston before the war clearly showing her two forward triple 8" turrets

Spending most of the decade in the Pacific she was the flagship of the Asiatic Fleet under Admiral Hart when hostilities began. She carried nine 8” guns distributed in three gun turrets making her one of the more powerful cruisers available. Yet, Houston was to suffer the loss of one 8” gun turret at the Battle of Makassar Strait meaning for the Battle of Java Sea she would have just two 8" gun turrets. 

By 1942 her secondary armament comprised eight 5” anti-aircraft guns which were supplemented by numerous smaller calibre AA guns. However, early in the campaign her 5" guns were hamstrung by poor ammunition, a poor batch, which meant around 75% of the shells failed to explode. These were later replaced by shells, from a different batch, transferred to Houston from the damaged and departing Boise. Below, USS Houston in miniature.

In the night phase of the Battle of Java Sea the cruisers Java and De Ruyter were lost while Perth and Houston managed to retire. These two, low on fuel and ammunition, arrived at Tanjung Priok on the 28th February. Sailing again later in the day, and followed by the Dutch destroyer HNLMS Evertsen, all three were engaged in the one sided night engagement of the Battle of Sunda Strait (28th February to 1st March) and lost.

The US destroyers at the Battle of Java Sea comprised four Clemson class destroyers. Specifically, USS Alden, USS John D. Edwards, USS John D. Ford and USS Paul Jones. The Clemsons were a minor redesign of the proceeding Wickes class and were commissioned between 1919 and 1922 with 156 in the class, though not all were in service by 1942. They were commonly referred to as "flush deckers", "four stackers" or "four pipers" with a theoretical speed of around 35 knots, though by the time of Java Sea this speed doesn’t seem to be achievable. Each had a main armament of four 4" guns in single mounts though their arrangement limited them to a three gun broadside. Despite their poor gun armament they carried an extensive torpedo armament of twelve 21" torpedoes. However, lacking a central firing position the torpedoes were divided six per side in two triple mounts per side.

USS John D. Ford in 1930 showing her forward, port and rear 4" open mounts

All four destroyers were heavily engaged in the first phase of the battle, most notably when the shell damaged HMS Exeter fell out of line. Here the "four pipers" laid smoke and then launched a torpedo attack on the Japanese heavy cruisers Nachi and Haguro at 10,000 to 13.000 yards. The first attack was with their starboard torpedo tubes which were launched at 6.17pm. After reversing direction a second attack was launched with the their port broadside. All torpedoes failed to find their mark. Their torpedoes exhausted the four destroyers, low on fuel, retired towards Surabaya. 

Above, the four destroyers in miniature. Their distinctive four pipe silhouette can be easily determined, even in 1/3000th scale. Navwar don’t make a Clemson class destroyer but rather the almost identical Wickes class. Below, all four destroyers can be seen escorting USS Houston. During the battle they operated independently of the Houston in a seperate destroyer group and were held back for some time.

That completes the short outline of the US forces at the Battle of Java Sea, and of course my models that represent these ships. 

If you haven't seen the previous articles in the series they include a short review of the Japanese Navy, the Dutch Navy and the British and Australian navies. I trust you have found this short series of interest.