Photos and the story

Java

Type	Light cruiser (CL)
Builder	De Schelde, Vlissingen
Launched	1921-08-09
Commissioned	1925-05-01
Fate	Sunk. on the night of 27 February 1942 in the Battle of the Java Sea. A torpedo blew off her stern. She was the last cruiser in the line and had not been under gunfire. She sank in about a quarter of an hour. Japanese records credit Nachi. The Allied accounts say only that the Japanese cruisers fired it. The number lost is given as 512, 515, and 526.
Command	van Straelen, Philippus Bernardus Maria In command when the East Indies war began; Lost with her, 27 February 1942

Laid down, displacement, length, beam, draft, speed, and complement are not stored for each hull, so this table leaves them out.

Java was a Dutch light cruiser, one of the pair of the Java class. De Schelde built her at Vlissingen. Her keel was laid on 31 May 1916, she was launched on 9 August 1921, and she was commissioned on 1 May 1925. Captain Philippus Bernardus Maria van Straelen had her when the war with Japan began.

On 27 February 1942 she was the last cruiser in Doorman's column, behind De Ruyter, Exeter, Houston, and Perth. Through the afternoon gun duel she had not been under fire.

At about 2330 a torpedo hit her aft. The stern was blown off, the after part of the ship was in flames, and she sank in about fifteen minutes. Japanese records credit Nachi. The Allied accounts say only that the torpedo came from the Japanese cruisers.

Captain van Straelen was lost with her. Forty-three men got off and were taken prisoner. The number of dead is given as 512, as 515, and as 526.

The pictures on this page are the originals.