National Museum of the U.S. Navy

1942:  January 24:   Battle of Balikpapan

In the Battle of Balikpapan on January 24, 1942, U.S. Navy destroyers John D. Ford, Parrott, Pope, and Paul Jones attacked the anchored Japanese invasion force in the harbor of Balikpapan, Borneo.   The high-speed night attack sank 4 of 12 enemy transports, though the number of transports sunk was reduced by poor U.S. torpedoes.  This engagement was the first U.S. naval surface engagement in Asian waters since the Spanish-American War.  

Image:   80-G-177786:  USS Paul Jones (DD-230).  Photograph dated September 16, 1944.  Official U.S. Navy photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.