• Battle of the Java Sea

Date of birth:

June 3rd, 1914 (Savannah/Georgia, United States)

Date of death:

December 4th, 1945

Mentioned on:

American Cemetery and Memorial Manila

Service number:

0-77161

Nationality:

American

Otto Kolb was a Naval Academy graduate, Class of 1936. He died when the HNLMS De Ruyter was sunk by a Japanese aerial torpedo during the Battle of the Java Sea.
After graduation, Kolb served in the battleship Maryland and after a year was transferred to the new cruiser Savannah. In October 1939 he was posted to the destroyer Paul Jones in the Asiatic Fleet
At the outbreak of war, the USS Paul Jones (DD-230/AG–120) was at Tarakan, Borneo operating in an allied force under Rear Admiral Doorman of the Royal Netherlads Navy, whose flagsip was the Dutch cruiser De Ruyter.
Kolb was transferred to Admiral Doorman's staff as a liaison officer and was on board De Ruyter in the Battle of the Java Sea on 27 February 1942. In that battle, De Ruyter, with its ammunition almost gone and its crews exhausted from near-constant combat, was hit by torpedoes fired by Japanese destroyers and sank with a great loss of life.
The official record states that Kolb was last seen on a liferaft off Bawean Island.

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Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Lieutenant

Unit:

Hr. Ms. De Ruyter (1936), Koninklijke Marine

Citation:
"For extraordinary heroism and distinguished service in the line of his profession while serving as Liaison Officer with the Commander Allied Striking Force, serving on Her Majesty's ship De RUYTER, in the defense of Java during the period 1 January 1942 to 27 February 1942. Lieutenant Kolb acted to establish and effect communications between the vessels of the Allied Forces and rendered valuable service in maintaining those communications under most difficult conditions during hotly contested action with enemy Japanese forces. The conduct of Lieutenant Kolb throughout this action reflects great credit upon himself, and was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service."

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Lieutenant

Unit:

Hr. Ms. De Ruyter (1936), Koninklijke Marine

Awarded on:

October 8th, 1942

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Lieutenant

Unit:

Hr. Ms. De Ruyter (1936), Koninklijke Marine

Awarded on:

October 8th, 1942

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Lieutenant

Unit:

Hr. Ms. De Ruyter (1936), Koninklijke Marine

Awarded on:

October 8th, 1942

Citation:
"Demonstrating great skill and courage as liaison and communications officer attached to Rear Admiral Doorman aboard Our Cruiser "de Ruyter", his skill being an indispensable factor in the joint operations in which surface forces of the three fleets participated, while his coolness during the battle demonstrated great courage."

Royal Decree no. 6.
Replacement of the Bronze Cross

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

• Photo 1: Findagrave
• - ERIK MüLLER, De Bronzen Leeuw.
  - ERIK MüLLER, Het Bronzen Kruis, Studiekring Ridderorden en Onderscheidingen.
  - Recipients of The Navy Cross, 1916 - Present, by C. Douglas Sterner
  - Otto Kolb - Recipient -
  - https://www.onderscheidingen.nl/
  - Otto F. Kolb Jr. | American Battle Monuments Commission
  - https://nl.findagrave.com/
  - https://usnamemorialhall.org/
  

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Battle of the Java Sea