Ahoy - Mac's Web Log

January 24, 2010

Dear Mr. Gregory,

I read a section of your website on the Battle of the Java Sea, 27/2/42 and in particular the section on HMNS
De Ruyter.

There is a reference to 345 casualties, may I ask, do you know how many survived or alternatively how many
sailed on the ship?

Kind regards

Yours sincerely
Andrew Jones

Andrew,

Dutch Cruiser De Ruyter sunk at Battle of Java Sea.

Details of the ship. It lists her complement as 435 maximum, this would give us survivors of 90 odd, somewhere in the back of  my mind I believe I have read of 111 survivors, the actual total is between 90 and 111.

Name: HNLMS de Ruyter
Laid down: 16 September 1933
Launched: 11 March 1935
Commissioned: 3 October 1936
Fate: Sunk by torpedoes in the Java Sea 28 February 1942 
General characteristics 
Class and type: De Ruyter class cruiser 
Displacement: 6,545 tons standard 
Length: 170.9 metres (561 ft) 
Beam: 15.7 metres (52 ft) 
Draught: 5.1 metres (17 ft) 
Propulsion: 3 Parsons geared steam turbines, 6
Yarrow boilers, 2 screws, 66,000 shp 
Speed: 32 knots (59 km/h) 
Range: 6,800 nautical miles (12,590 km) at 12 knots 
Complement: 435 max 
Armament: 7 × 150 mm (3×2;1×1)
10 × Bofors 40 mm guns (5×2)
8 × Browning .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns 
Armour: Side belt: 50 mm
Deck and turrets: 30 mm 
Aircraft carried:

Regards,
Mac.

Andrew,

Go to thisURL:
http://ahoy.tk-jk.net/MoreImages7/NETHERLANDSNAVY.xls

put it into Google.

It lists 2066 names alphabetically of all the Dutch sors killed or taken as POW's from the Battle of the Java Sea.

Should  you feel inclined you could scroll down the list to count the De Ruyter survivors.

Hope this helps.

Best wishes,
Mac.

January 24, 2010

Mac,

Firstly a big thanks for exceeding my expecations with all this information!

I filtered the excel sheet, once to the ship and second to the outcome and found:

95 POW L
16 POW F

which makes your 111

But also found 3 listed as survivors two of which had rescued by ss s-37 against their name.

Do you know what the L and F stand for?

Thanks
Andrew

Andrew,

No I cannot find what the  L and F stand for after POW. S-37 was an old US Submarine, here is a picture of her.

S-37.

Regards

Mac.

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