1. Karel Willem Frederik Marie Doorman was a Dutch naval officer who during World War II commanded remnants of the short-lived American-British-Dutch-Australian Command naval strike forces in the Battle of the Java Sea.
17 Facts About Karel Doorman
1. 2.
In 1906, he and his brother Lou ACM Karel Doorman were commissioned as midshipmen.
3.
From 1915 to 1918, Karel Doorman was stationed at Soesterberg with the Aviation Service under the command of Captain of Engineers Henk Walaardt.
4.
In 1915, Karel Doorman was awarded a civilian pilot's license and in 1916 he was awarded a naval pilot's license.
5.
Karel Doorman commanded this Naval Air Base from 1919 to 1921.
6.
Budget cuts and an arm injury ended Karel Doorman's active flying career but from November 1921 to November 1923, he attended the Higher Naval School in The Hague; this training, which included coursework in aircraft and naval vessel communication, laid the groundwork for his later career.
7.
From 1919 to 1934, Karel Doorman was married to Justine AD Schermer.
8.
In 1926, for the first time in eleven years, Karel Doorman gained a longer appointment aboard the armored naval vessel De Zeven Provincien.
9.
Early in 1928, Karel Doorman returned to the Netherlands, where he ran equipment-purchasing for The Hague's Naval Aviation department.
10.
In January 1934, Karel Doorman returned to the Netherlands with Evertsen and spent three years as Chief of Staff of the naval commander in Den Helder.
11.
On 16 May 1940, Karel Doorman was promoted to rear-admiral and on 13 June 1940, on board the light cruiser De Ruyter, he took command of the squadron previously led by Rear-Admiral GW Stove at Surabaya.
12.
Karel Doorman led another force attempting to stop the invasion the next day.
13.
Karel Doorman was killed in action when De Ruyter was hit by a Japanese Long Lance torpedo and sunk in the Battle of the Java Sea.
14.
Part of the crew was rescued but Karel Doorman, following navy tradition, chose to go down with his ship.
15.
Karel Doorman is often honoured because he signaled during the Battle of the Java Sea, which some have considered gallant.
16.
Karel Doorman realised that the Dutch fleet was outnumbered but nonetheless proceeded to attack.
17.
Karel Doorman's actions lost the fleet and he ultimately went down with his ship.