Battle of the Java Sea, 1942

Battle of the Java Sea

A GQ Scenario by Jimmy Sperling

Weather

Wind is 6" speed from E.
Visibility is 72"
Sea State 3

Victory Conditions

Decisive Allied Victory: Damage inflicted on the Japanese forces is two times greater than the damage received by ABDA player.
Tactical Allied Victory: Damage inflicted on the Japanese forces is 50% greater than the damage inflicted on the ABDA forces.
Decisive Japanese Victory: All ABDA cruisers damaged greater than 50%, two cruisers sunk. Tactical Japanese Victory: Two ABDA cruisers damaged greater than 50%.

Notes

No aircraft are carried by the ABDA cruisers. Houston's aft turret is out of commission. She has lost one main battery armament box and her main battery cannot fire into her aft arc.

Optional Forces

Several vessels were ordered to Tandjok Priok (Batavia) and made several sorties but failed to find the Japanese. Too weak a force to have accomplished much, they could have joined Doorman instead. Add the attached optional ships.

The ML-KNIL (Dutch Army Air Corps) had 4 B-339Ds (Dutch Buffaloes) available but allocated them to escort a dive-bombing mission instead of providing air cover for the ships. They could have countered the Japanese floatplane threat and somewhat changed the situation. The Buffaloes could have flown out to meet the Japanese cruisers, and would have provided the spotting and reconnaisance needed to avoid the Japanese screen.
Alternatively, air cover could have been provided by P-40s based at Tjilatjap. They would have been ferried in by USS LANGLEY, but she was sunk 50nm short of her destination only a few days before the battle. Allow the Allied player D6 P-40Es overhead.

ABDA Fleet