Karel Doorman
Karel Willem Frederik Marie Doorman (born April 23, 1889 in Utrecht ; † February 27, 1942 in the Java Sea ) was a Dutch Rear Admiral (Dutch: Schout-bij-Nacht ).
Life
Karel Doorman came from a Catholic family with a long military tradition. Doorman was one of the first naval officers to hold a pilot's license . He also achieved special services in building up the Dutch naval aviation industry. In 1937 Karel Doorman was stationed in the Dutch East Indies as a sea captain . He was appointed rear admiral in 1940 and two years later he was given command of the Allied ABDA battle fleet. The ABDA fleet (short for American, British, Dutch and Australian ) comprised warships from the four nations of Australia , Great Britain , the Netherlands and the USA in order to protect the Southeast Asian region from Japanese expansion . His flagship was the Mr. Ms. De Ruyter .
On February 27, 1942, he led the ABDA fleet against a Japanese association that was calling in the Java Sea from the north to invade the island of Java . After smaller previous clashes, the first major naval battle of the Pacific War developed , the Battle of the Java Sea , at the end of which the destruction of the ABDA fleet and the sinking of Mr. Ms. De Ruyter stood. Karel Doorman went down with his flagship. His last words "Ik val aan, volg mij!" , Which means "I attack, follow me!" In German , became famous . In fact, he never said that like that. Only the order passed down at the beginning of the battle, which was “All ships follow me!” , Was given to put an end to the turmoil when the damaged British Exeter ran back to Java after a Japanese torpedo attack and the other ships threatened to follow her.
Posthumous honors
Two aircraft carriers and two other ships of the Dutch Navy were named after Karel Doorman :
- Mr. Ms. Karel Doorman (QH-1) - escort carrier of Nairana class - former carriers of the Royal Navy , which at the end of World War II was in service in the Netherlands to the 1948th
- Mr. Ms. Karel Doorman (R81) - Colossus- class light aircraft carrier , ex HMS Venerable , sold by the Royal Navy to the Dutch Navy on April 1, 1948 , and served there until 1968 . After a fire, the carrier was sold to Argentina on October 15, 1968 and put into service there as Veinticinco de Mayo .
- Mr. Ms. Karel Doorman (F827) - guided missile frigate , in service from 1991 to 2006. The lead ship of the Karel Doorman class with eight frigates, two of which are still in Dutch service. Karel Doorman ( F827) was put back into service in the Belgian Navy in 2008 as Léopold I. (F930).
- Zr. Ms. Karel Doorman (A 833) - A multi-purpose provider , this has been in service since 2014.
biography
- Steketee, Menno & Saul David (2001) Ik val aan, volg mij; Militaire blunders in de twintigste eeuw , Uitgeverij Bert Bakker / Prometheus ISBN 90-351-2061-2 (Dutch)
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Doorman, Karel |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Doorman, Karel Willem Frederik Marie (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Dutch rear admiral |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 23, 1889 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Utrecht |
| DATE OF DEATH | February 27, 1942 |
| Place of death | Java lake |