*In the opening days of World War II the Japanese quickly overran the Pacific Ocean possessions of the European Allies. The Dutch island of Java was next on the Japanese 'hit list' and to avert another disaster, the Allies sent various naval units to the aid of the Dutch Admiral who was in overall command. These units included American, British and Australian ships. The operation seemed doomed from the beginning: conflicts in strategy and tactics, combined with differences in languages and signalling methods, along with a lack of knowledge and experience of Japanese tactics, made Allied success a long-shot. Nevertheless, this ad-hoc fleet was the only Allied force standing between Japan and the Empire's successful conquest of the major oil- and rubber-producing possessions in the Far East. The Battle of the Java Sea, while not as famous as the Battles of Midway and Coral Sea, constituted a major confrontation in the Pacific theater during World War II. It may remain 'mysterious' to many military and WW2 buffs, but it had far-reaching consequences on the course of the Second World War. *Source: necpress.com