Banten

Banten (Bantam; 106.817E 6.167S) is a small port on Bantam Bay on the north coast of western Java. Once an important port for sea traffic through the Sunda Strait, the port was later overshadowed by Batavia.

Battle of Sunda Strait. Banten fell to elements of 2 Division on 28 February 1942, which came ashore against neglible ground resistance. However, as the transports were unloading, Allied cruisers Houston and Perth, which were attempting to escape through Sunda Strait following Allied defeat in the Battle of the Jave Sea,  stumbled into the transport force. The Allied cruisers opened fire on the transports, but failed to detect destroyer Fubuki until it was in torpedo range. The cruisers turned to avoid the torpedoes, which instead hit several Japanese transports anchored in the bay. Sakura Maru was sunk outright and three other transports were forced to beach themselves. The Allied cruisers then attempted to escape to Sunda Strait, but were intercepted and sunk by a large force of Japanese cruisers and destroyers. One Japanese heavy cruiser and a destroyer were lightly damaged.

Allied order of battle

Japanese order of battle

Rail connections

Cikampek

Serang

Tjikembar

The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia © 2007, 2012 by Kent G. Budge.  Index

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