Editing Battle of the Java Sea (section)

===Second Battle of the Java Sea===
{{Main|Second Battle of the Java Sea}}
[[File:Exeter sinking.jpg|thumb|''Exeter'' sinking, taken from ''Myōkō's'' floatplane]]
The ''Exeter'', still crippled from ''Haguro's'' shell hit, was continuing for safety in [[Ceylon]], and had traversed almost the entire Java Sea alongside the destroyers ''Encounter'' and ''Pope'', only to be located at 10:00 on 1 March by the heavy cruisers ''[[Japanese cruiser Myōkō|Myōkō]]'' and ''[[Japanese cruiser Ashigara|Ashigara]]'' and their escorting destroyers, and engaged in a two hour long gun battle which saw no hits scored on either side. Just before 12:00, the battle experienced ''Haguro'' and ''Nachi'' arrived on the scene and opened fire, and 4 minutes later ''Exeter'' was finally hit by an 8-inch (203 mm) shell that destroyed what was left of her boilers. Slowing to a stop, gunfire from the cruisers destroyed her electrical power and guns and set her on fire, leading to the crew scuttling ''Exeter''. Almost entirely out of ammo, ''Haguro'' and ''Nachi'' finally withdrew, while the destroyers ''Kawakaze'' and ''Yamakaze'' bombarded ''Encounter'', scoring hits that destroyed her steering gear and caused her to loose speed, and as ''Myōkō'' and ''Ashigara'' joined into the pounding, ''Encounter'' was sunk to overwhelming gunfire. ''Pope'' initially escaped, only to be crippled by aircraft from the light carrier ''[[Japanese aircraft carrier Ryūjō|Ryūjō]]'' and finished off by gunfire from ''Myōkō'' and ''Ashigara''.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=主要兵器 |first=大日本帝国軍 |date=2018-02-03 |title=江風【白露型駆逐艦 九番艦】Kawakaze【Shiratsuyu-class destroyer】 |url=https://japanese-warship.com/destroyer/kawakaze/ |access-date=2025-03-10 |website=大日本帝国軍 主要兵器 |language=ja}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Pope I (DD-225) |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/p/pope-i.html |access-date=2025-03-10 |website=public1.nhhcaws.local |language=en-US}}</ref>
[[File:USS Victoria (AO-46) fueling Clemson-class destroyers in 1942.jpg|thumb|The surviving American destroyers being refueled upon successfully reaching Australia, March 1942]]