The ship's bell from the United States Navy light cruiser, USS Houston. The USS Houston and HMAS ...

The ship's bell from the United States Navy light cruiser, USS Houston. The USS Houston and HMAS Perth were both sunk in a night action in the early hours of 1 March 1942 when they encountered the Japanese Western Invasion Convoy in Bantam Bay about to land on Java. The Japanese convoy escorts, which included a number of light cruisers and destroyers with additional warships of the Japanese 7th Cruiser Squadron to seaward north of Bantam Bay. USS Houston and HMAS Perth had sailed from Tanjong Priok on the evening of 28 February bound for Tjilatjap via the Sunda Strait when they were sighted by Japanese warships. Both ships, low on fuel, expended all their remaining ammunition and torpedoes against the Japanese forces sinking a number of Japanese transports and damaging others and then turned to attempt to force a passage through Sunda Strait. HMAS Perth, who was in the lead, was struck by at least four torpedoes and quickly sunk about twenty-five minutes after midnight, approximately 4 miles NNE of St Nicholas Point. USS Houston, although badly on fire and still engaging the enemy, was also sunk about twenty minutes later. From the USS Houston's complement of about 1,000, 368 survived as prisoners of war (POW). From HMAS Perth's complement of 680, 320 became POW's, and a further 105 sailors died during captivity. The surviving sailors from both cruisers formed a close and enduring relationship as they shared a common experience as prisoners of the Japanese. The ship's bell from the USS Houston was recovered by Indonesian divers in 1973 and was displayed on board the old battleship USS Texas in San Jacinto. It is now incorporated into the USS Houston Monument site in Sam Houston Park, Houston, Texas.