DOORMAN, KAREL (WILLEM FREDERIK MARIE)

born April 23, 1889, Utrecht, Neth. died Feb. 27, 1942, Java Sea Dutch rear admiral who commanded a combined American, British, Dutch, and Australian (ABDA) naval force on a virtual suicide mission in World War II. Its purpose was to halt the Japanese naval invasion of the Netherlands East Indies. A navy officer since 1910, Doorman served first in the Netherlands East Indies; during and after World War I, he helped develop the Dutch naval air force. Returning to the East Indies in 1937 as commander of the naval air force, in 1940 he became commander of the entire Dutch fleet in the East Indies. On Feb. 25, 1942, he was appointed tactical commander of the combined ABDA fleet that was ordered by ABDA commander General Sir Archibald P. Wavell to defend the Java Sea against the Japanese invasion fleet. Though greatly outnumbered, his 13-ship fleet sank many Japanese ships in a futile attempt to stop the invasion of Java. Allied naval resistance collapsed, however, when he went down with his flagship, De Ruyter. His rallying cry, Ik val aan, volgt mij (I attack, follow me, sometimes given as All ships follow me), served as a battle slogan during the remainder of World War II.