In 1915, the Netherlands adopted a law on fleet reinforcement to protect their colonial territories in the East Indies. As part of the new shipbuilding program, cruiser Java was laid down in 1916 but was only commissioned in 1925. The cruiser stayed in the East Indies during the interwar period and returned to Europe in 1937 to undergo refurbishment and take part in the coronation review of George VI. During World War II, Java fulfilled missions in the East Indies. When Japan...