 Kunyange zvazvo ngarava dzavo dzehondo dzakanga dzisingakwanisi kushanda pamusoro penyika, mauto eJapan aiva nezvikepe zvinoparadza akakurumidza kuparadzanisa uye kutsvaira mauto ehondo eAllied muDutch East Indies campaign yaFebruary-March 1942. Muzviito zvitatu zvakasiyana, vakanyudza ngarava shanu dzeAllied mbiri dzeDutch uye imwe yeBritish, vokuAustralia, uye vokuAmerica vaishandisa zvombo zvinokandwa uye pfuti, vachirwisa ngarava imwe yeJapan yakakuvadzwa. Neimwe cruiser yeAllied yakadzoswa kuti igadziriswe, iyo chete cruiser yeAllied yakasara munharaunda yacho yakanga yakakuvara. Pasinei nokubudirira kwavo nokukurumidza, vaJapan vakapfuurira nenzira yakarongeka, vasingambosiya kufukidzwa kwavo nemhepo uye nokukurumidza vachigadzira nzvimbo itsva dzendege sezvavaifambira mberi. 