Battle of Badung Strait
1942: February 18-20: Battle of Badung Strait
When the Japanese invaded Bali on February 18, 1942, the naval forces of the American-British-Dutch-Australia (ABDA) Command, led by Royal Netherlands Navy Rear Admiral Karel W.F.M. Doorman steamed to attack. In the resulting days, the Japanese drove off the ABDA force, and the airfield at Bali was captured, continuing the conquest of the Dutch East Indies. In the engagements, the Royal Netherlands Navy lost the destroyer HNLMS Piet Hien and the cruiser Tromp, which was damaged by shells from Japanese destroyer Asashio but returned to Australia for repairs. USS Stewart (DD-224) was damaged during the night engagement on February 19-20 and returned to Surabaya. Scuttled in March, following the Battles of the Java Sea and Sunda Strait, the destroyer was raised by the Japanese and commissioned as anti-submarine vessel CD-22. Returned to the U.S. Navy after the war, Stewart was sunk as a target on May 24, 1946.
Image: 80-G-702832: Ex-USS Stewart (DD-224) sinking after use as a target on May 24, 1946. U.S. Navy photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.
