Bust of Doorman in Rotterdam

He was originally a naval aviator in the Royal Netherlands Navy but quickly rose through the ranks to become Schout-bij-nacht in 1940.

In early 1942 he was made commander of the combined American, British, Dutch and Australian (ABDA) fleet in the Dutch East Indies, a force consisting of cruisers and destroyers.

Doorman became a Dutch naval hero because of his supposed last words to the fleet: ?Ik val aan, volg mij!? ('I'm attacking, follow me'). In reality, he only issued the command All ships follow me to prevent confusion when the damaged HMS Exeter sailed back to harbour. Doorman just wanted to indicate that his ships should follow him and not the Exeter.

Karel Doorman died when his flagship De Ruyter was struck by a Japanese torpedo and sank during the Battle of the Java Sea. He voluntarily remained with the crippled and wounded who could not abandon ship, thereby honoring the naval tradition to go down with the ship he commanded.

Several ships of the Royal Dutch Navy have been named Karel Doorman.

External links

• Biography of Rear-Admiral Karel W.F.M. Doorman.

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