28 Feb.-1 March 1942: The heavy cruiser USS Houston (CA-30) and light cruiser HMAS Perth were sunk in a shootout with a Japanese squadron escorting transports carrying the Fifteenth Army to Java in the Battle of Sunda Strait.

The Houston–one of President Roosevelt’s favorites as he had traveled on her several times before the war–and Perth had survived the Battle of the Java Sea on the 27th, where the entire Allied force was sunk or dispersed. The two cruisers retreated to the port of Tanjung Priok on Java’s north coast early on the 28th and were ordered that evening to go through the Sunda Strait to Tjilatjap on Java’s south central coast with the destroyer HNLMS Evertsen.

They did not expect to find any ships in the strait and were surprised to encounter what they thought was an Australian corvette near Saint Nicolaas Point at about 2315 hours. When challenged, it replied with the wrong color lamp and then fired nine Long Lance torpedoes and turned away making smoke.

Capt. Horace Waller, skipper of the Perth, immediately ordered his forward batteries to fire and the two cruisers plunged ahead. During the furious night battle that followed, the two cruisers were surrounded and pummeled by Japanese guns and torpedoes. Their crews abandoned ship shortly after midnight and both sank.

Meanwhile, HNLMS Evertsen, which had been held up at departure, was about two hours behind and trying to catch up when its crew saw signs of the battle ahead. Her captain ordered a course change toward Sumatra’s east coast and then hugged the shoreline as she turned south to head through Sunda Strait. A pair of Japanese destroyers looking for escaping Allied ships illuminated the Evertsen with searchlights and opened fire, scoring several hits. With her stern aflame, the skipper ordered his crew to ground the ship on a coastal reef/ They fired off their remaining torpedoes and escaped ashore just before the fire reached the aft magazine and blew off most of her stern.

A total of 696 men from the Houston and 375 from Perth were killed, including both captains. Japanese vessels picked up and took prisoner 368 Houston survivors and 307 from Perth. Most of Evertsen’s crewmen were rounded up ashore and imprisoned on 9-10 March.

The Japanese lost a minesweeper and four troop transports–including the one carrying Fifteenth Arny commander Lt. Gen. Hitoshi Iwamura, who went over the side and was later picked up. The Japanese vessels were reportedly sunk by improperly aimed friendly torpedoes.

Details of the Houston’s final battle did not become known until after the crew was repatriated. Despite being short of ammunition and with her rear turret’s 8-inch guns out of action from a bomb hit in the Java Sea battle, Houston put up a good fight. Capt. Albert H. Rooks remained on the bridge directing the fight until killed by a shell burst at about 0030 hours. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor after the war. Chaplain (Cdr.) George S. Rentz was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously for giving his lifejacket to a sailor without one.

ILLUSTRATIONS: (1) Japanese searchlights illuminate the cruisers USS Houston and HMAS Perth as Japanese gunners tear the Allied ships to pieces before sinking them in the Battle of Sunda Strait. (2) The USS Houston (CA-30) is sunk at the Battle of Sunda Strait. (3) Searchlights and flares illuminate the cruiser HMAS Perth so Japanese gunners can sink the ship at the Battle of Sunda Strait. (4) HMAS Perth engages Japanese ships in the Battle of Sunda Strait.