HMS Electra 27/2/42

[Jordi Comas]

Hi all,

I'm looking for number of crew members on board DD Electra on 27/2/42 during the battle of Java Sea.

Many sources say there were 173 men but according to casualty list and survivors there were less than this.

108 killed in the battle
54 rescued by S-38 but 1 died later
5 POW of whom 1 died few days later

So, that's a total of 167 men. Perhaps the Japanese captured 11 men, not 5?

Do you know what Japanese ship rescued this survivors?

Regards

[Darius]

Hi Jordi,

Combat Narrative, No. 3, Java Sea Campaign, pub. 1943, p. 68:

The other ships of our striking force merely saw the Electra disappear into the smoke, after which she was "never seen again." This description is from a Dutch source, based on accounts of survivors of the Electra, 58 of whom, including 5 badly wounded, were picked up the following morning by the United States submarine S-38. They were transferred to a Dutch mine layer off Soerabaja. While they were floating on their rafts, during the night of the 27th, these survivors saw a submarine, probably Japanese, pass on the surface.

Regards

Darius

[Darius]

Hi Jordi,

a) the war diary of S 38 gives

[...] this ship recovered from the sea fifty six living survivors [...]

A list is given in Enclosure A, incl. the one who died on wounds. But the list has in all only 54 names...

b) The Enclosure B, H.MS. ELECTRA - Narrative of loss in JAVA SEA Action - February 27, 1942, gives

[...] She was commanded by Commander May, R.N. (fate unknown) and manned by 8 officers and 166 [or 165 - I can´t read the last digit] men.[...]

Regards

Darius

[Jordi Comas]

Thank you Darius,

Some survivors may have been rescued by Japanese forces because 7 crew members of Electra died in captivity during the war.

Regards