USS Houston sunk off Java
28th February 1942: HMAS Perth and USS Houston are sunk in the Battle of the Sunda Strait as they confront a large Japanese invasion force
After the fall of Singapore the Japanese had a clear opening south to the Dutch East Indies - the islands of Sumatra and Java.
The ABDA allies - American, British, Dutch, Australian - attempted to bring together a combined fleet. This disparate collection of …