Dark days recalled

Australian and American Diplomatic and Defence personnel gathered together at the Australian Embassy in Jakarta to commemorate the loss 61 years ago of the cruisers HMAS Perth and USS Houston in the Battle of the Sunda Strait.

The two ships were the sole operational survivors of a hastily-assembled combined cruiser and destroyer force that had endeavoured to confront the Japanese invading forces at the Battle of the Java Sea on February 27, 1942.

On the following evening the two cruisers attempted to return to Australia via the Sunda Strait but steamed headlong into a major heavily-defended Japanese invasion force. In the melee that followed both cruisers inflicted heavy damage on the enemy but the end was inevitable.

Shortly after midnight Perth was struck by four torpedoes and quickly rolled over and sank; Houston succumbed shortly afterwards. Of Perth’s ship’s company of 681 only 214 were to survive the action and subsequent captivity.

The highlight of the ceremony was the presentation to the Australian Embassy of a Memorial plaque by former Clearance Diving Officer Mr. Clive Carlin, now a resident of Jakarta. The plaque will be mounted in the Embassy forecourt.

.