Battle of Makassar Strait

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USS Marblehead in February 1942, showing bomb damage received in the battle

Date	4 February 1942
Location	Makassar Strait
Result	Japanese victory

Combatants

Commanders

Strength

4 cruisers, 7 destroyers

37 planes

Casualties

2 cruisers damaged, 70 seamen killed

4+ planes destroyed

Pacific campaigns 1941-42
Pearl Harbor – Thailand – Malaya – Wake – Hong Kong – Philippines – Dutch East Indies – New Guinea – Singapore – Australia – Indian Ocean – Doolittle Raid – Solomons – Coral Sea – Midway

Netherlands East Indies campaign 1941-42
Borneo 1941-42 – Manado – Tarakan 1942 – Balikpapan 1942 – Ambon – Makassar Strait – Palembang – Badung Strait – Timor – Java Sea – Sunda Strait – Java

The Battle of Makassar Strait was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II. A fleet of the American-British-Dutch-Australian Command, under the command of Admiral Karel Doorman, was on its way to intercept a Japanese invasion convoy when it was attacked by 37 Japanese dive-bombers from Kendari bound to Surabaya and forced the fleet to retreat.

The ADBA force consisted of the cruisers HNLMS De Ruyter (flagship), HNLMS Tromp, USS Houston, and USS Marblehead escorted by the Dutch destroyers Bankert, Piet Hein, Van Ghent, and the United States destroyers Barker, Bulmer, Edwards, and Stewart.

In early February 1942 these ships were patrolling the Makassar Strait between Borneo and Celebes. An attempt to intercept a Japanese convoy at Kendari on 2 February failed as the convoy had departed. On 4 February 1942 they set out again from Bunda Roads, at Madura island, in search of a large Japanese invasion force reported to be passing through the straits — three cruisers and 18 destroyers escorting invasion transports and other ships, commanded by Rear Admiral Takeo Takagi.

At 09:49, Japanese bombers were sighted to the east by sailors on the ABDA ships. Marblehead was hit by two bombs and damaged by a near miss close to the port bow, killing 15 and wounding 84. Houston was also badly damaged and De Ruyter slightly damaged.

However in the afternoon, the fleet was forced to retreat southward through Lombok Strait to protect the damaged cruisers. The fleet sailed westward further and the American cruiser stopped for repair at Cilacap and the rest continued to Batavia through Sunda Strait.

[edit] Notes

The Naval Battle of Balikpapan, 24 January 1942, is sometimes referred to as the "battle of Makassar Strait", especially in United States Navy sources.
US Navy source at [1] mentions this action variously as "Action of Madura Strait" or "Action North of Lombok Strait" or "Battle of Flores Sea." The map shows the position of cruiser USS Marblehead when hit. It is interesting to note that it took place near Kangean Island, which is closer to Madura island than to Makassar Strait.