One of the decisive sea battles of history was fought last week, the naval battle for Java. A battle, lost before it began, for the last bulwark against Japanese conquest of the Indies.

Admiral Helfrich on the cover of TIME magazine in 1942 One of the decisive sea battles of history was fought last week in the placid waters between Java and Borneo. It was the naval battle for Java. It was a battle for the last bulwark against Japanese conquest of the Indies, a battle for the Southwest Pacific, a battle for… View large cover