Watch VoirFilms. The Northern coast of Java was the setting for a dramatic battle at sea on the 27 February 1942. A fleet of battleships from the USA, Australia, Britain, and the Netherlands, led by the legendary Dutch rear admiral Karel Doorman, made a vain attempt to hold back the Japanese offensive against the Dutch East Indies. Almost the entire Allied fleet was sunk within a few hours, while the Japanese escaped virtually unscathed. More than two thousand men lost their lives in the battle of the Java Sea and it's aftermath.