20 Feb 1942

Dutch East Indies
  • At 0130 hours, a fresh ABDA force consisted of a Dutch cruiser and four US destroyers attempted to intercept a Japanese transport fleet in the Badung Strait in the Dutch East Indies for the second time. Dutch cruiser Tromp (10 killed) and American destroyer Stewart were damaged on the Allied side, while Japanese destroyers Asashio (4 killed) and Oshio (7 killed) also suffered damage. At 0220 hours, Japanese destroyers Arashio and Michishio joined in the action; Michishio became the target of all four American destroyers, suffering several hits and 13 killed, but was able to be towed away from battle. Elsewhere, at dawn, Japanese troops landed at Dili, Portuguese Timor and Koepang, Dutch Timor. Portuguese defenders at Dili was overrun and Portugal accepted the Japanese occupation for the duration of the war; Australian defenders at Koepang resisted, however. At 1045 hours, 323 Japanese paratroops were delivered to Koepang airfield, but most of them did not land in the drop zone, and 245 of them were killed by the Australians. ww2dbase [Dutch East Indies Campaign, Java | Michishio | Arashio | Oshio | Stewart | Timor | CPC]
20 May 1943

Dutch East Indies
  • Submarine USS Thresher departed her patrol area off West Timor, Dutch East Indies and set a course for Fremantle, Australia. ww2dbase [Thresher | Timor | DS]



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Japanese battleship Hiei evading aerial bombing, north of Savo Island, Solomon Islands, 13 Nov 1942; seen from a B-17 aircraft of US 11th Bombardment Group

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