Nachi was a heavily armed Japanese cruiser that played a central role in the Battle of the Java Sea. Equipped with powerful ...

On December 8, 1941, an Allied naval officer might reasonably have thought to himself “It’s not that bad.Really, could be worse.” The United States Navy (USN) could still pack a punch, and it could ...

In 1942, the Japanese surged through the Dutch East Indies, conquering territory at an incredible pace. By February, Japanese troop convoys advanced towards Java, as they were met by a small Allied ...

Speaking in October this year on the readiness of U.S. armed forces, then-Secretary of Defense Mark Esper referenced Task Force Smith—a unit decimated in the early days of the Korean War as a result ...

British cruiser H.M.S. Exeter being cheered by sailors and dock workers as she is brought alongside the quay at Plymouth, England, on Feb. 15, 1940. Rider AP The HMS Exeter, a heavy cruiser in the ...

The Battle of Java Sea, fought on February 27, 1942, marked the high tide of Japanese naval power in the Pacific. Poor organization, strategic confusion, inter-service competition, and national ...