HMAS Perth (I), USS Houston - Battle of Sunda Strait

On the nights of 28 February/1 March 1942 the RAN cruiser HMAS Perth (I), in company with the cruiser USS Houston, made a desperate bid to force passage through the Sunda Strait in an effort to reach the safety of Tjilatjap in the aftermath of the disastrous Battle of the Java Sea. Low on fuel and ammunition, both ships proceeded at high speed but were detected by a superior force of Japanese warships. This extract from the Royal Australian Navy production "The History of the Royal Australian Navy Volume Two, 1919-1945" recreates HMAS Perth’s desperate final action and the gallantry of the crews of Perth and Houston, both of which were sunk.