to return to Soerabaja. At 0500, she submerged and began making her way along the Bali coast. At 0615, she sighted three Japanese destroyers through her periscope on a northerly course, 3 nautical miles (5500 m)off. Astern of S-37, an obvious oil slick — the result of her going aground in the Lombok Strait — extended some in a glassy sea, but she remained undetected. Temporary repairs were soon reducing the oil slick. At 0700, when S-37 sighted another destroyer patrol, the slick remained obvious but unnoticed. By 0830, S-37 was avoiding sudden changes in depth which would aggravate the leak. The slick was minimized, but at 0915 a destroyer was heard on the starboard beam. Depth charges were dropped, and their explosions were followed by the detonation of aerial bombs. S-37 went to . The depth charging and bombing continued until 1200, when S-37′s crew heard heavy anti-aircraft fire. The destroyer was distracted, but at 1245 she apparently resumed her search for S-37. After dropping three more depth charges, the destroyer continued to ping until after 1400. At 1415, S-37 went to periscope depth. The destroyer was off, but the seas had become choppy. No oil slick was visible. S-37 cleared Lombok Strait at 1500 and, 25 hours later, moored at the Soerabaja Navy Yard. Repairs began immediately, but the Japanese were moving on Java. So, too, was the sub command situation; S-37 lost her skipper to , replaced by James R. Reynolds, and on 26 February, S-37 was ordered out. Equipment and parts in the navy yard shops were recalled, stores from the limited supplies at the base were taken on and, after the return of two air compressor coolers, she got underway on the port main engine, as the ship's force completed reassembly of the starboard. Electrical steering failures, breakdowns in the coolers, and a change of orders delayed her departure; but, on the afternoon of 27 February, she moved out and headed north to patrol between Bawean Island and the western channel into Soerabaja Roads. That night, the Battle of the Java Sea raged over the horizon, and, early on the morning of 28 February, the S-boat closed a Japanese formation of two cruisers and three destroyers retiring victoriously from the scene. A fight for depth control, however, precluded an attack. At mid-day, she sighted a open boat from Dutch light cruiser , carrying sixty Allied