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{{Short description|York-class cruiser of the Royal Navy}}
{{other ships|HMS Exeter}}
{{good article}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=HMS Exeter (68) off Coco Solo c1939.jpg
|Ship caption=''Exeter'' underway off the coast of [[Coco Solo]] in 1939
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=[[United Kingdom]]
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|naval}}
|Ship name=''Exeter''
|Ship ordered=15 March 1928
|Ship namesake=[[Exeter]]
|Ship builder=[[HMNB Devonport|Devonport Dockyard]], [[Plymouth]]
|Ship laid down=1 August 1928
|Ship launched=18 July 1929
|Ship christened=
|Ship commissioned=27 July 1931
|Ship identification=[[Pennant number]]: 68
|Ship fate=Sunk during the [[Second Battle of the Java Sea]], 1 March 1942, wreck destroyed by illegal salvagers 2014–2016
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=(as built)
|Ship class={{sclass|York|cruiser|0}} [[heavy cruiser]]
|Ship displacement={{convert|8390|LT|t|lk=on}} ([[Displacement (ship)#Standard displacement|standard]])
|Ship length={{convert|575|ft|1|in|m|abbr=on|1}} ([[Length overall|o/a]])
|Ship beam={{convert|58|ft|m|abbr=on|1}}
|Ship draught={{convert|20|ft|3|in|m|abbr=on|1}} ([[deep load]])
|Ship power=*8 [[Admiralty 3-drum boiler]]s
*{{convert|80000|shp|lk=on|abbr=on}}
|Ship propulsion=4 × shafts; 4 × geared [[steam turbine]] sets
|Ship speed={{convert|32|kn|lk=in}}
|Ship range={{convert|10000|nmi|lk=in|abbr=on}} at {{convert|14|kn}}
|Ship complement=628
|Ship armament=
*3 × twin [[BL 8-inch Mk VIII naval gun|{{cvt|8|in|0}} guns]]
*4 × single [[QF 4 inch Mk V naval gun|{{convert|4|in|mm|abbr=on|0}}]] [[AA gun]]s
*2 × single [[QF 2-pounder naval gun|2 pdr (40&nbsp;mm)]] AA guns
*2 × triple [[British 21-inch torpedo|{{cvt|21|in|0}}]] [[torpedo tube]]s
|Ship armour=
*[[Belt armor|Waterline belt]]: {{convert|3|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
*[[Deck (ship)|Deck]]: {{convert|1.5|in|mm|abbr=on}}
*[[Barbette]]s: {{convert|1|in|mm|abbr=on|0}}
*[[Gun turret]]s: {{convert|1|in|mm|abbr=on}}
*[[Magazine (artillery)|Magazine]]s: {{convert|3|-|5.5|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
*[[Bulkhead (partition)|Bulkhead]]s: {{convert|4.375|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
|Ship aircraft=2 × [[seaplane]]s
|Ship aircraft facilities=2 × [[aircraft catapult]]s
}}
|}
'''HMS ''Exeter''''' was the second and last {{sclass|York|cruiser|0}} [[heavy cruiser]] built for the [[Royal Navy]] during the late 1920s. Aside from a temporary deployment with the [[Mediterranean Fleet]] during the [[Abyssinia Crisis]] of 1935–1936, she spent the bulk of the 1930s assigned to the [[Atlantic Fleet (United Kingdom)|Atlantic Fleet]] or the [[North America and West Indies Station]]. When [[World War II]] began in September 1939, the cruiser was assigned to patrol [[South America]]n waters against German [[commerce raider]]s. ''Exeter'' was one of three British [[cruiser]]s that fought the German heavy cruiser {{ship|German cruiser|Admiral Graf Spee||2}}, later that year in the [[Battle of the River Plate]]. She was severely damaged during the battle, and she was under repair for over a year.

After repairs were completed the ship spent most of 1941 on [[convoy]] escort duties before she was transferred to the [[Far East]] after the start of the [[Pacific War]] in December. ''Exeter'' was generally assigned to escorting convoys to and from [[Singapore]] during the [[Malayan Campaign]], and she continued on those duties in early February 1942 as the Japanese prepared to [[Dutch East Indies campaign|invade the Dutch East Indies]]. Later that month, she was assigned to the Striking Force of the joint [[American-British-Dutch-Australian Command]] (ABDACOM), and she took on a more active role in the defence of the [[Dutch East Indies]]. The culmination of this was her engagement in the [[Battle of the Java Sea]] later in the month as the Allies attempted to intercept several [[Imperial Japanese Navy]] invasion convoys. ''Exeter'' was crippled early in the battle, and she did not play much of a role as she withdrew. Two days later, she attempted to escape approaching Japanese forces, but she was intercepted and sunk by Japanese ships at the beginning of March in the [[Second Battle of the Java Sea]].

Most of her crewmen survived the sinking and were rescued by the Japanese. About a quarter of them died during Japanese captivity. Her wreck was discovered in early 2007, and it was declared a war grave, but by 2016 her remains, along with other WWII wrecks, had been destroyed by illegal [[Marine salvage|salvagers]].

==Design and description==
[[File:HMS Exeter (68) at anchor in Balboa harbor on 24 April 1934.jpg|thumb|left|Aerial view of ''Exeter'' at anchor with awnings rigged, [[Balboa, Panama]], 24 April 1934]]
''Exeter'' was ordered two years after her [[sister ship]] {{HMS|York|90|2}} and her design incorporated improvements in light of experience with the latter. Her [[beam (nautical)|beam]] was increased by {{convert|1|ft|cm|0|spell=in}} to compensate for increases in topweight, and her boiler uptakes were trunked backwards from the boiler rooms, allowing for straight [[funnel (ship)|funnel]]s further removed from the [[bridge (nautical)|bridge]] rather than the raked funnels on ''York'' to ensure adequate dispersal of the flue gases. As the {{convert|8|in|mm|0|spell=in|adj=on}} [[gun turret]]s had proved not strong enough to accommodate the [[aircraft catapult]] originally intended, ''Exeter'' was given a pair of fixed catapults angled out from amidships in a "V" shape, with the associated [[crane (machine)|crane]] placed to starboard. Consequently, the bridge was lowered (that of ''York'' being tall to give a view over the intended aircraft), and was of a [[streamlined]], enclosed design that was incorporated into later cruisers.<ref>Raven & Roberts, pp. 139, 141</ref>

''Exeter'' was slightly lighter than expected and displaced {{convert|8390|LT|t|lk=on}} at [[Displacement (ship)|standard load]] and {{convert|10620|LT|t}} at [[deep load]]. The ship had an [[length overall|overall length]] of {{convert|575|ft|1|in|m|1}}, a beam of {{convert|58|ft|m|1}}<ref>Raven & Roberts, pp. 141, 414</ref> and a [[draft (hull)|draught]] of {{convert|20|ft|3|in|m|1}}<ref>Whitley, p. 94</ref> at deep load. She was powered by four [[Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company|Parsons]] geared [[steam turbine]] sets, each driving one shaft, using steam provided by eight [[Admiralty 3-drum boiler]]s. The turbines developed a total of {{convert|80000|shp|lk=on}} and gave a maximum speed of {{convert|32|kn|lk=in}}. The ship could carry {{convert|1900|LT|t|0}} of [[fuel oil]] which gave her a range of {{convert|10000|nmi|lk=in|-1}} at {{convert|14|kn}}.<ref>Lenton, p. 53</ref> The ship's complement was 628 officers and [[naval rating|ratings]].<ref name=r12/>

The main armament of the ''York''-class ships consisted of six [[BL 8 inch Mk VIII naval gun|BL {{cvt|8|in|0|adj=on|spell=in}} Mk VIII guns]] in three twin-gun turrets, designated "A", "B", and "Y" from fore to aft. "A" and "B" were [[superfiring]] forward of the superstructure and "Y" was aft of it. Defence against aircraft was provided by four [[QF 4 inch Mk V naval gun|QF {{convert|4|in|adj=on|0|spell=in}} Mk V]] [[anti-aircraft gun|anti-aircraft (AA) guns]] in single mounts [[amidships]] and a pair of [[QF 2 pounder naval gun|two-pounder ({{cvt|40|mm|1}})]] light AA guns ("pom-poms") in single mounts. The ships also fitted with two triple [[torpedo tube]] above-water mounts for [[British 21 inch torpedo|{{convert|21|in|adj=on|0}}]] torpedoes.<ref name=r12>Raven & Roberts, p. 414</ref>

The cruisers lacked a full-length [[waterline]] [[Belt armor|armour belt]]. The sides of ''Exeter''{{'}}s [[Engine room|boiler and engine room]]s and the sides of the [[magazine (artillery)|magazine]]s were protected by {{convert|3|in}} of armour. The transverse [[bulkhead (partition)|bulkhead]]s at the end of her propulsion machinery rooms were {{convert|3.5|in}} thick. The top of the magazines were protected by {{convert|5.5|in|mm}} of armour and their ends were {{convert|4.375|in|mm|0}} thick. The lower deck over the machinery spaces and steering gear had a thickness of {{convert|1.5|in|mm}}.<ref name=r12/>

===Modifications===
[[File:British Warships of the Second World War A3555.jpg|thumb|''Exeter'' at anchor, early 1941]]
In 1932 ''Exeter'' had her side plating extended to enclose her open main deck as far back as the fore funnel.<ref name=r6>Raven & Roberts, p. 266.</ref> During that same refit, her pair of fixed catapults were finally installed for her [[Fairey IIIF]] [[floatplane]]s.<ref>Whitley, p. 92.</ref> In 1934–1935, two quadruple mounts for [[Vickers .50 machine gun|Vickers {{convert|0.5|in|abbr=on|1}}]] [[antiaircraft]] [[machinegun]]s replaced the pair of two-pounder "pom-poms" originally installed.<ref>Lenton, pp. 53–54</ref>

While under repair in 1940–1941 after her battle with the ''Admiral Graf Spee'', the Royal Navy decided to upgrade her armament and fire-control systems. The bridge was rebuilt and enlarged to accommodate a second [[High-Angle Control System]] aft of the [[Director-Control Tower]] (DCT) on top of the bridge, her single four-inch AA guns were replaced with twin-gun mounts for [[QF 4-inch naval gun Mk XVI|Mark XVI guns]] of the same calibre and a pair of octuple mounts for two-pounder "pom-poms" were added abreast her aft [[superstructure]].<ref>Friedman, p. 118</ref> Enclosures ("tubs") for single [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon|{{convert|20|mm|1|adj=on}} Oerlikon guns]] were added to the roof of both 'B' and 'Y' turrets,<ref name=w5>Whitley, p. 95</ref> but these weapons were never installed, because of shortages in production, and lighter tripod-mounted machine guns were substituted. The pole [[mast (sailing)|mast]]s were replaced by stronger [[tripod mast]]s because the [[Type 279 radar|Type 279]] [[early-warning radar]] had separate transmitting and receiving [[aerial (radio)|aerial]]s, one at each masthead. In addition, a Type 284 [[fire-control radar]] was fitted to the DCT.<ref>Lenton, p. 54</ref>

==Construction and career==
[[File:HMS Exeter at Royal Naval Dockyard, Ireland Island, Imperial fortress of Bermuda with Gibb's Hill Lighthouse beyond, ca 1936.jpg|thumb|''Exeter'' at the Royal Naval Dockyard Bermuda, circa 1936]]

===1928–1939===
''Exeter'', the fourth ship of her name to serve in the Royal Navy,<ref>Colledge, p. 119</ref> was [[laid down]] on 1 August 1928, [[Ceremonial ship launching|launched]] on 18 July 1929 and completed on 27 July 1931. The ship was then assigned to the [[2nd Cruiser Squadron (United Kingdom)|2nd Cruiser Squadron]] of the [[Atlantic Fleet (United Kingdom)|Atlantic Fleet]], where she served between 1931 and 1933.  In 1934 she was assigned, along with sister ship [[HMS York (90)|HMS ''York'']], to the [[8th Cruiser Squadron]] based at the [[Royal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda|Royal Naval Dockyard]] in the [[Imperial fortress]] [[British Overseas Territory|colony]] of [[Bermuda]], on the [[North America and West Indies Station|America and West Indies Station]]. She remained there, aside from a temporary deployment to the Mediterranean during the [[Second Italo-Abyssinian War|Abyssinian crisis]] of 1935–1936, until 1939.<ref>Whitley, pp. 94–95</ref>

After re-commissioning in England on 29 December 1936, ''Exeter'' departed two days later, returning to Bermuda via St. Vincent, in the [[Cape Verde Islands]], [[Montevideo]] and [[Punta del Este]] in [[Uruguay]] (meeting and exercising with her sister and the [[light cruiser]] {{HMS|Ajax|22|6}}), [[Rio de Janeiro]] and [[Ceara]] in [[Brazil]], [[Barbados]] (where the three cruisers joined the remainder of the squadron), and [[Tortola]] in the [[British Virgin Islands]].<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |date=1928-03-27 |title=Local Jottings (first item) |page=5 |work=The Royal Gazette |location=City of Hamilton, Bermuda}}</ref> It was initially intended for the entire squadron to be at Bermuda to take part in the ceremony there for the 12 May 1937 [[Coronation of George VI and Elizabeth]], but it was then decided to disperse the ships among the various colonies of the station, and ''Exeter'' left Bermuda on 6 May for [[Nassau, Bahamas|Nassau]], in the [[Bahamas]], departed for Bermuda after taking part in the Bahamian parade. The ship had her bottom repainted at the dockyard in Bermuda at the end of May and her [[Royal Marine]] detachment conducted combined exercises with the [[Bermuda Garrison]] to practice raiding a hostile shore in June.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |date=1937-06-04 |title=RAIDERS REPULSED IN COMBINED MANOEUVRES - Spanish Point Scene of Joint Naval & Military Operation EARLY YESTERDAY MORNING |work=The Royal Gazette |location=City of Hamilton, Bermuda |page=1}}</ref> The cruiser was scheduled to depart Bermuda on 21 June for a nine-month cruise, but the [[Governor of Trinidad]] signalled on 20 June for a cruiser to be sent to that colony due to riots that had broken out among strikers in the oil fields of [[Petrotrin#History|Apex]] and [[Fyzabad]], which had included the killings of two police officers. Workers in other industries had also staged sympathy strikes. ''Ajax'' which was in Nassau at the time, was ordered to Trinidad and ''Exeter'' followed the next day. On 2 July the marines of ''Exeter'' joined with those of ''Ajax'' and two-hundred police [[constable]]s to assault the village of Fyzabad. The ship's marines were withdrawn on 5 July after the situation in Trinidad had stabilised, and the heavy cruiser departed immediately for [[Balboa, Panama|Balboa]], [[Panama]] to continue its summer (Southern Hemisphere ''winter'') cruise, which took her through the [[Panama Canal]], up the Pacific coast of North America to [[CFB Esquimalt|HMCS Naden]] (the old [[Esquimalt Royal Navy Dockyard|Royal Naval Dockyard, Esquimalt]]), via [[San Diego]], [[California]]. ''Exeter''{{'}}s return trip took her to both coasts of South America before arriving at Bermuda on 28 March 1938 together with the light cruiser {{HMS|Orion|85|6}}.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |date=1938-03-30 |title=FORESTERS, FROM TRINIDAD WILL LAND TODAY |work=The Royal Gazette |location=City of Hamilton, Bermuda |page=1}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=1939 |title=H.M.S. EXETER 1936–1939 |location=London |publisher=HMS Exeter, Royal Navy}}</ref> The German sail training ship [[USCGC Eagle (WIX-327)|''Horst Wessel'']] visited Bermuda from 21 to 25 May and the crew of ''Exeter'' hosted the German cadets during their stay.<ref>{{cite book |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=1939 |title=H.M.S. EXETER 1936–1939 |location=London |page=84 |publisher=HMS Exeter, Royal Navy}}</ref>

===Second World War===
====Battle of the River Plate====
{{main|Battle of the River Plate}}
[[File:Exeter'sDamage1939.jpg|thumb|Damage received by ''Exeter'' during the Battle of the River Plate]]
At the outbreak of [[World War II]], she remained part of the South American [[Division (naval)|Division]] with the ''Ajax''. The division was transferred to the [[Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic|South Atlantic Station]], with the addition of the heavy cruiser {{HMS|Cumberland|57|2}}, under [[Commodore (Royal Navy)|Commodore]] [[Henry Harwood]]. The ship, commanded by [[Captain (Royal Navy)|Captain]] [[F. S. Bell|Frederick Bell]], was assigned to Force G to hunt for German commerce raiders off the eastern coast of South America on 6 October 1939. Two months later, Harwood ordered ''Exeter'' and the light cruiser {{HMNZS|Achilles|70|2}} to rendezvous with his own ''Ajax'' off the mouth of the [[Río de la Plata]], while the heavy cruiser ''Cumberland'' was refitting in the [[Falkland Islands]].<ref>Rohwer, pp. 6, 11</ref> The two other ships arrived on 12 December, and then the ''Admiral Graf Spee'' spotted the ''Exeter'' during the following morning.<ref>Stephen, pp. 16, 18</ref>

Captain [[Hans Langsdorff]] decided to engage the British and closed at full speed. The British doctrine on how to engage ships like the ''Admiral Graf Spee'' had been developed by Harwood in 1936 and specified that the British force act as two divisions. Following this procedure, ''Exeter'' operated as a division on her own while ''Achilles'' and ''Ajax'' formed the other, splitting the fire of the German ship. They were only partially successful as the German ship concentrated her main armament of six {{convert|283|mm|in|adj=on}} guns on ''Exeter'', and her secondary armament of eight {{convert|149|mm|in|adj=on}} guns on the light cruisers. Langsdorff opened fire on ''Exeter'' at 06:18 with [[Explosive material#High explosives|high-explosive]] shells and she returned fire two minutes later at a range of {{convert|18700|yd}}. The German ship [[wikt:straddle|straddled]] the British cruiser with her third [[salvo]]; shrapnel from the near misses killed the crew of the starboard torpedo tubes, started fires amidships and damaged both [[Supermarine Walrus]] seaplanes. After eight salvos from ''Exeter'', ''Admiral Graf Spee'' scored a direct hit on 'B' turret that knocked it out of action and shrapnel from the hit killed all of the bridge personnel except three. Bell, wounded in the face, transferred to the aft conning position to continue the battle. His ship was hit twice more shortly afterwards, but her powerplant was not damaged and she remained seaworthy, although her aircraft had to be jettisoned.<ref name="Stephen, pp. 18–19">Stephen, pp. 18–19</ref>

At 06:30, Langsdorff switched his fire to the light cruisers, but only inflicted shrapnel damage on them before some of ''Exeter''{{'}}s torpedoes forced him to turn away at 06:37 to evade them. Her second torpedo attack at 06:43 was also unsuccessful. In the meanwhile, Langsdorff had switched his main guns back to the heavy cruiser and scored several more hits. They knocked out 'A' turret, started a fire amidships that damaged the ship's fire-control and navigation circuits, and caused a seven-degree [[List (watercraft)|list]] with flooding.<ref name="Stephen, pp. 18–19"/> After "Y" turret had temporarily been disabled, Bell said, "I'm going to ram the --------. It will be the end of us but it will sink him too".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/15/a5776815.shtml |title=WW2 People's War – HMS Exeter- a Royal Marine's Story |publisher=BBC |date=16 September 2005 |first=Aidan |last=Toase |access-date= 6 June 2016}}</ref> The turret was repaired and she remained in action until flooding disabled the machinery for "Y" turret at 07:30. At 11:07, Bell informed Harwood that ''Exeter'' had a single eight-inch and a four-inch gun available in local control, and that she could make {{convert|18|kn}}. Harwood ordered Bell to head to the Falklands for repair.<ref>Stephen, pp. 20–23</ref>

The ship was hit by a total of seven 283&nbsp;mm shells that killed 61 of her crew and wounded another 23. In return, the cruiser had hit ''Admiral Graf Spee'' three times; one shell penetrated her main armour belt and narrowly missed detonating in one of her engine rooms, but the most important of these disabled her oil-purification equipment. Without it, the ship was unlikely to be able to reach Germany. Several days later, unable to be repaired and apparently confronted by powerful Royal Navy reinforcements (including HMS ''Cumberland''), the ''Admiral Graf Spee'' was scuttled by her captain in the harbour of Montevideo.<ref>Stephens, pp. 21–27</ref>

Although very heavily damaged, ''Exeter'' was still able to make good speed—18 knots—though four feet down by the bows, with a list of about eight degrees to starboard, and decks covered in fuel oil and water, making movement within the ship very difficult.<ref name=atwill>{{cite web | last=Atwill | first=Ron| title=HMS Exeter at the Battle of River Plate | website=Naval Historical Society of Australia | date=30 March 1977 | url=https://navyhistory.au/hms-exeter-at-the-battle-of-river-plate/}}</ref> She made for [[Stanley, Falkland Islands|Port Stanley]] for emergency repairs which took until January 1940.<ref name=w5/> There were rumours that she would remain in Stanley, becoming a rusting hulk, until the end of the war, but [[First Lord of the Admiralty]] [[Winston Churchill]] wrote to the [[First Sea Lord]] and others "We ought not readily to accept the non-repair during the war of ''Exeter''. She should be strengthened and strutted internally as far as possible . . . and come home".<ref name=atwill/> She was repaired and modernised at [[HM Dockyard, Devonport]] between 14 February 1940 and 10 March 1941;<ref>Raven & Roberts, p. 430</ref>

Captain [[W.N.T. Beckett]] was appointed to relieve Bell on 12 December 1940. Then, on 10 March 1941, the day that ''Exeter'' was due to be recommissioned, Beckett died at Saltash Hospital from complications following exploratory surgery to repair poison gas injuries that he had received earlier in his career. His replacement was Captain [[Oliver Gordon (Royal Navy officer)|Oliver Gordon]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Walter Napier Thomason Beckett |url=http://www.dreadnoughtproject.org/tfs/index.php/Walter_Napier_Thomason_Beckett |website=The Dreadnought Project |access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref>

====To the Far East====
Upon returning to the fleet, ''Exeter'' primarily spent time on 'working up' exercises,<ref name="UboatNet">{{cite web |url=https://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/1186.html |title=HMS Exeter (68) |first=Guðmundur |last=Helgason |website=Uboat.net}}</ref><ref>ADM 53/114251, ADM 53/114251 + ADM 199/655, ADM 53/114252</ref> however she also conducted several patrols in northern waters, one on which she stopped in Iceland to refuel.<ref name="UboatNet"/><ref>ADM 199/396, ADM 53/114252, ADM 53/114253</ref> On 22 May she departed from Britain (for the last time as it would turn out), escorting Convoy WS-8B to Aden (Yemen) via Freetown and Durban, South Africa<ref name="UboatNet"/><ref>ADM 53/114254</ref> (the beginning of which occurred at the very same time as the hunt for the {{ship|German battleship|Bismarck||6}}.<ref>Rohwer, p. 74</ref> was taking place). ''Exeter'' henceforth became attached to the East Indies Squadron<ref name="naval-history.net">{{cite web |url=https://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-06CA-Exeter.htm |title=HMS ''Exeter'' – ''York''-class Heavy Cruiser |first=Geoffrey B. |last=Mason |date=2003 |website=Service Histories of Royal Navy Warships in World War 2}}</ref> (later redesignated as the [[Far East Fleet]]).

''Exeter'' then stayed on escort duty in the Indian Ocean (primarily off the coast of Africa)<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cofepow.org.uk/armed-forces-stories-list/hms-exeter-the-final-days |title=HMS Exeter: The Final Days |website=COFEPOW}}</ref> and the northern Arabian Sea (where she visited Bombay, India) until 13 October.<ref name="UboatNet"/><ref name="Adm258">ADM 53/114258</ref> On that day ''Exeter'' departed Aden for [[Colombo]], [[Sri Lanka|British Ceylon]]) via [[Mumbai|Bombay]], [[British India]] arriving on 24 October. ''Exeter'' then spent several days in a graving dock and after undocking (on the 29th)<ref name="UboatNet"/><ref name="Adm258"/> conducted exercises off Colombo and visited the [[Maldives]].<ref name="UboatNet"/><ref>ADM 53/114259</ref>

Upon return to Trincomalee (Ceylon) from the Maldives on 14 November, ''Exeter'' then departed for Calcutta on the 16th to cover a small two-ship convoy that left Calcutta for Rangoon (Burma) on the 26th and 27th.<ref name="UboatNet" /> After the successful completion of that duty she was then tasked to escort another ship from Calcutta to Rangoon on 6 December. However, during that convoy, on 8 December, ''Exeter'' was ordered to urgently proceed to Singapore<ref name="UboatNet"/><ref>ADM 53/114260 + ADM 199/408</ref> to reinforce [[Force Z]], as the [[Pacific War]] had just begun. ''Exeter'' arrived at Singapore during the afternoon of 10 December,<ref>{{cite book |first1=Martin |last1=Middlebrook |first2=Patrick |last2=Mahoney |name-list-style=amp |date=1977 |title=Battleship: The Loss of the Prince of Wales and the Repulse |location=London, UK |publisher=[[Allen Lane]] |page=268 |isbn=0-713-91042-9}}</ref> too late to support {{HMS|Repulse|1916|2}} and {{HMS|Prince of Wales|53|2}} as they had both been sunk earlier that day,<ref>Gill, pp. 480–482</ref> but some of the survivors from these two ships were treated in ''Exeter''{{'}}s [[sick bay]].<ref name="coxp109">Cox, p. 109</ref>

''Exeter'' thus returned to Colombo the next day (11 December)<ref name="UboatNet"/> and spent the next two months – until almost mid-February 1942 – escorting convoys (primarily from Bombay and Colombo)<ref name="UboatNet"/><ref name="naval-history.net"/> bound for Singapore – which fell to the Japanese on 15 February.<ref name="UboatNet"/><ref>Various ADM's.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryofBritain/The-Fall-of-Singapore/ |title=The Fall of Singapore |first=Terry |last=Stewart |website=Historic UK}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/world-war-two/the-pacific-war-1941-to-1945/the-fall-of-singapore/ |title=The Fall of Singapore |first=C.N. |last=Trueman |date=19 May 2015 |website=The History Learning Site}}</ref> During this time, in early 1942, ''Exeter'' was attached to the newly formed ABDA Command,<ref name="naval-history.net"/> ([[American-British-Dutch-Australian Command]]) which came into being in early January in Singapore, but soon shifted its headquarters to Java in the Dutch East Indies (present day Indonesia).

====The Gaspar Strait sortie====

[[File:Battle of Java Sea - HMS Exeter under Attack.jpg|thumb|left|''Exeter'' under air attack on 15 February 1942]]
On 13 February Allied reconnaissance aircraft spotted Japanese invasion convoys north of [[Bangka Island]] and the new commander of ABDA naval forces, [[Vice Admiral]] [[Conrad Helfrich]] of the [[Royal Netherlands Navy]], was ordered to assemble the Allied Striking Force of ''Exeter'' and three Dutch and one Australian light cruisers at [[Oosthaven]] on the morning of 14 February. Escorted by six American and three Dutch [[destroyer]]s, the force departed that afternoon. The Dutch [[Rear Admiral]] [[Karel Doorman]], commanding the force, took his ships through the [[Gaspar Strait]] and then northwest towards Bangka Island. While passing through the strait, the Dutch destroyer {{HNLMS|Van Ghent|1926|2}} struck a rock in poor visibility and another Dutch destroyer was tasked to take off her crew.<ref>Gill, pp. 565, 571–72</ref> The Japanese spotted the Allied ships around 08:00 and repeatedly attacked them. The first was a group of seven [[Nakajima B5N]] "Kate" [[torpedo bomber]]s from the [[light carrier]] {{ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Ryūjō||2}} that attacked ''Exeter'' with bombs around 10:30. The blast from a near miss badly damaged her Walrus, but the ship was only damaged by shrapnel. They were followed shortly afterwards by a group of 23 [[Mitsubishi G3M]] "Nell" bombers from the [[Genzan Air Group]] that inflicted no damage as they dropped their bombs from high altitude. Another group of six B5Ns attacked without effect at 11:30.<ref>Shores, Cull & Izawa 1993, p. 123</ref>

The repeated aerial attacks persuaded Doorman that further progress was unwise in the face of Japanese aerial supremacy and he ordered his ships to reverse course and head for [[Tanjung Priok]] at 12:42.<ref>Gill, p. 573</ref> The attacks continued as 27 G3Ms of the [[Mihoro Air Group]] then bombed from high altitude. Seven more B5Ns attacked fruitlessly at 14:30; a half-dozen more followed an hour later. The final attack was made by 17 [[Mitsubishi G4M]] "Betty" bombers of the [[Kanoya Air Group]] shortly before dark. The Japanese attacks were almost entirely ineffectual, with no ship reporting anything more than shrapnel damage. In return, allied anti-aircraft fire was moderately effective with most of the attacking bombers damaged by shrapnel. In addition, one G4M crashed while attempting to land, and another was badly damaged upon landing.<ref>Shores, Cull & Izawa 1993, p. 124</ref>

====First Battle of the Java Sea====
{{main|Battle of the Java Sea}}
On 25 February, Helfrich ordered all available warships to join Doorman's Eastern Striking Force at [[Surabaya]]. The ''Exeter'' and the Australian light cruiser {{HMAS|Perth|D29|2}}, escorted by three British destroyers, {{HMS|Jupiter|F85|2}}, {{HMS|Encounter|H10|2}}, and {{HMS|Electra|H27|2}}, set sail at once, leaving behind one Australian cruiser and two destroyers that were short of fuel.<ref>Shores, Cull & Izawa 1993, p. 233</ref> After they had arrived the following day, Doorman's entire force of five cruisers and nine destroyers departed Surabaya at 18:30 to patrol off Eastern Java in hopes of intercepting the oncoming invasion convoy which had been spotted earlier that morning. The Japanese were further north than he anticipated and his ships found nothing.<ref>Gill, pp. 607–608</ref> His own ships were located at 09:35 on the following morning, 27 February, and were continuously tracked by the Japanese. Doorman ordered a return to Surabaya at 10:30, and his ships were attacked by eight bombers from the Kanoya Air Group at 14:37. They claimed to have made two hits on the ''Jupiter'', but actually they missed the British destroyer. Just as his leading ships were entering harbour, he received reports of enemy ships {{convert|90|mi}} to the north and Doorman ordered his ships to turn about to intercept them.<ref>Shores, Cull & Izawa 1993, p. 238</ref>

[[File:Strijd ter zee ter verdediging van Java. De kruiser HMS Exeter (2158 017924).jpg|thumb|left|''Exeter'' during the First Battle of the Java Sea]]
Aware of Doorman's movements, the Japanese commander, Rear Admiral [[Takeo Takagi]], detached the convoy's two escorting destroyer [[flotilla]]s, each consisting of a light cruiser and seven destroyers, to intercept the Allied ships in conjunction with his own pair of heavy cruisers ({{Ship|Japanese cruiser|Nachi||2}} and {{Ship|Japanese cruiser|Haguro||2}}) which were escorted by a pair of destroyers.<ref>Grove, pp. 86–89</ref> His heavy cruisers opened fire at long range at 15:47 with little effect. The light cruisers and destroyers closed to ranges between {{convert|13000|and|15000|yd}} and began firing [[Type 93 torpedo|Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedoes]] beginning at 16:03.<ref>Dull, pp. 76–78</ref> All of these torpedoes failed to damage their targets, although one torpedo hit ''Exeter'' and failed to detonate at 16:35.<ref name=g3>Grove, p. 93</ref> Three minutes later, ''Haguro'' changed the course of the battle when one of her shells penetrated the British ship's [[starboard]] aft twin four-inch gun mount before detonating in the 'B'<ref name="GordonReport">{{cite web |url=https://www.pacificwrecks.com/ships/hms/exeter/research/action-report-captain-gordon.pdf |title=Action Report: Captain O. L. Gordon HMS ''Exeter'', Battle of the Java Sea |date=1 October 1945 |website=Pacific Wrecks}}</ref>{{rp|at=Item #19}} or aft [[Fire room|boiler room]],<ref>Lacroix & Wells, p. 298</ref> knocking six of her boilers off-line<ref name=g3/> and killing 14 of her crew. The ship [[wikt:sheer#Verb|sheered]] out of line to avoid another torpedo and slowed, followed by all of the trailing cruisers.<ref>Shores, Cull & Izawa 1993, p. 239</ref> Moments later a torpedo fired from ''Haguro'' stuck the Dutch destroyer {{HNLMS|Kortenaer|1927|2}}, breaking her in half and sinking her almost immediately.<ref>Kehn, p. 306</ref> ''Perth'' laid a [[smoke screen]] to protect ''Exeter''<ref>Grove, p. 94</ref> and the Allied ships sorted themselves into separate groups as they attempted to disengage. ''Exeter'' was escorted by one Dutch and all three British destroyers in one group and the other cruisers and the American destroyers formed the other group. The Japanese did not initially press their pursuit as they manoeuvered to use their torpedoes against the crippled ''Exeter'', which could only make {{convert|5|kn}}, and her escorts.<ref>Dull, pp. 80–82</ref>
 
The Japanese began launching torpedoes beginning at 17:20 at ranges of {{convert|10000|to|18500|yd}}, but they all missed. For some reason, two Japanese destroyers, {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Asagumo|1937|2}} and {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Minegumo|1937|2}}, continued to close before firing their torpedoes at {{convert|6500|yd}} and ''Encounter'' and ''Electra'' pulled out of line to counter-attack. Engaging at close range as they closed, ''Electra'' damaged ''Asagumo'', but was sunk by the Japanese ship at 17:46. Meanwhile, the ''Exeter'' continued south to Surabaya, escorted by ''Encounter'' and the Dutch destroyer {{HNLMS|Witte de With|1928|2}}. Doorman's repeated, unsuccessful, and ultimately fatal attempts to reach the invasion convoy's transports concentrated the Japanese on the task of protecting those ships and allowed the damaged British cruiser to reach harbour.<ref>Dull, pp. 82–86</ref>

====Second Battle of the Java Sea====
{{main|Second Battle of the Java Sea}}
[[File:Exeter sinking.jpg|thumb|left|''Exeter'' sinking after the Second Battle of the Java Sea]]
The following day, after making temporary repairs and refuelling, the ''Exeter'', escorted by ''Encounter'' and the American destroyer {{USS|Pope|DD-225|2}}, was ordered to steam to Colombo, via the [[Sunda Strait]]. They departed on the evening of 28 February, but they were intercepted by the Japanese heavy cruisers ''Nachi'', ''Haguro'', {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Myōkō||2}}, and {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Ashigara||2}}, and by the destroyers {{ship|Japanese destroyer|Akebono|1930|2}}, {{ship|Japanese destroyer|Inazuma|1932|2}}, {{ship|Japanese destroyer|Yamakaze|1936|2}}, and {{ship|Japanese destroyer|Kawakaze|1936|2}} on the morning of 1 March.<ref>Grove, p. 95</ref>

At about 0800, the British ships spotted two of the Japanese cruisers, one of which launched its spotting floatplanes. Two others were seen closing in, and both launched their aircraft before opening fire at about 09:30.<ref name=si6>Shores, Cull & Izawa 1993, p. 306</ref> The Allied ships laid smoke and turned away to the east with the Japanese to their north and south.<ref name=d7>Dull, p. 87</ref> ''Exeter'' was able to reach a speed of {{convert|26|kn}}<ref>Gill, p. 623</ref> before the first hit on her detonated in her 'A', or forward, boiler room<ref name="GordonReport"/>{{rp|at=Item #44 & #45}} and catastrophically knocked out all power around 11:20.<ref name=si6/> Now defenseless<ref name="GordonReport"/>{{rp|at=Item #45}} as no guns could train or traverse, and wanting to save as many lives as he could, and to avoid the ship's capture by the Japanese forces, Captain Gordon ordered the ship to be scuttled.<ref name="GordonReport"/>{{rp|at=Item #46}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pacificwrecks.com/ships/hms/exeter/crew/george-cooper.html |title=Account of HMS ''Exeter''{{'}}s last action |first=Lt Cmdr George |last=Cooper |date=1946 |website=Pacific Wrecks}} See paragraph five.</ref> As a result, ''Exeter'' began listing to port, and that list was said to be at "a considerable angle" by the time the abandonment was completed.<ref name="GordonReport"/>{{rp|at=Item #47}} Sensing a kill, the Japanese destroyers closed in and fired torpedoes, two of which (out of a total of 18 fired by Japanese combatants) from the ''Inazuma'',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.combinedfleet.com/inazum_t.htm |title=IJN ''Inazuma'': Tabular Record of Movement |website=Combined Fleet |access-date=19 April 2015}}</ref> hit the ship – starboard amidships, and starboard just forward of A turret, as confirmed when the wreck was first discovered in 2007.<ref name="Shipwreck">{{cite web |url=https://www.pacificwrecks.com/ships/hms/exeter.html |title=HMS Exeter (68) |website=Pacific Wrecks |access-date=5 April 2018}}</ref> As a result, ''Exeter'' rapidly righted herself,<ref name="GordonReport"/>{{rp|at=Item #47}} paused briefly, and then [[capsized]] to starboard.<ref name=d7/> ''Encounter'' and ''Pope'' were also lost; ''Encounter'' approximately fifteen minutes after ''Exeter'', while ''Pope'' temporarily survived the initial melee, only to be sunk a couple of hours later. Japanese B5N Type-97s armed with one {{convert|250|kg|0|abbr=on}} and four {{convert|60|kg|0|abbr=on}} bombs assisted in the sinking of ''Pope'', already crippled by bombing from seaplanes and land-based air, and closed in to make a level bombing attack. No direct hits were scored, but several more near-misses hastened the abandonment and scuttling of the vessel, and she was finished off by gunfire with the late arrival of the two IJN cruisers ''Ashigara'' and ''Myoko''.<ref>{{cite book |last=Kehn |first=Donald M. Jr. |date=2017 |title=In The Highest Degree Tragic: The Sacrifice of the U.S. Asiatic Fleet in the East Indies during World War II |location=Lincoln, NE |publisher=[[Potomac Books]] |pages=414–415 |isbn=978-1-61234-820-9}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Womack |first=Tom |date=2016 |title=The Allied Defense of the Malay Barrier, 1941–1942 |location=Jefferson, NC |publisher=McFarland & Company |pages=250–251 |isbn=978-1-47666-293-0}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.combinedfleet.com/ryujo.htm |title=IJN ''Ryujo'': Tabular Record of Movement |website=Combined Fleet}} See entry for 1 March 1942.</ref>

The Japanese rescued 652 men of the crew of ''Exeter'', including her captain, who became prisoners of war.<ref>Gill, pp. 623–624</ref>

==Wreck site==
[[File:HMS Exeter wreck 2007.jpg|thumb|3D rendition of the wreck of ''Exeter'' as it looked when discovered in 2007]]
[[File:HMS Exeter veterans debarking HMS Kent, Tandjong Priok 28 July 2008. From left; Rob Rae, George Gaskell, (diver Kevin Denlay), Bill Francis, Joe Asher.jpg|thumb|HMS ''Exeter'' veterans debarking HMS ''Kent'', Tandjong Priok, 28 July 2008]]

The wreck was discovered and positively identified by a group of exploration divers specifically searching for ''Exeter'' aboard MV ''Empress'' on 21 February 2007.<ref name="Shipwreck"/><ref name="WW2Wrecks">{{cite web |url=https://www.ww2wrecks.com/portfolio/a-dedication-to-hms-exeter-the-shipwreck-that-disappeared-featuring-3d-renditions-of-the-wreck-by-kevin-denlay/ |title=A dedication to HMS ''Exeter'', the shipwreck that disappeared, featuring 3D renditions of the wreck, by Kevin Denlay and Stefan Draminski |first=Pierre |last=Kosmidis |date=August 2017 |website=WW2 Wrecks}}</ref> The wreck was found lying on its starboard side<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hH7IHTiv-T0 A 3D 'fly-around video' of how the wreck looked when discovered in 2007.</ref> in Indonesian waters at a depth of about {{convert|200|ft|m}}, {{convert|90|mi}} north-west of [[Bawean Island]] – some {{convert|60|mi}} from the estimated sinking position given by Captain Gordon after the war.<ref name="Shipwreck"/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/indonesia/1975561/Wartime-naval-legend-HMS-Exeter-found-off-Java.html |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|location=London |title=Wartime Naval Legend HMS Exeter Found Off Java |last=Copping |first=Jasper |date=17 May 2008 |access-date=13 June 2016}}</ref> In July 2008, {{HMS|Kent|F78|6}} performed a memorial service over the wreck of ''Exeter''. Aboard, along with several British dignitaries and high ranking naval officers,<ref name="WW2Wrecks"/> were a BBC film crew and four of HMS ''Exeter''{{'}}s veteran survivors, and one of the 2007 wreck discovery dive team<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://pacificwrecks.com/people/visitors/denlay/index.html |title=Kevin Denlay - Shipwreck Discoveries and SCUBA Diver |website=Pacific Wrecks}}</ref> representing the other three dive team members.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cofepow.org.uk/armed-forces-stories-list/hms-kent-wreath-laying |title=HMS Kent Wreath Laying |website=COFEPOW}}</ref> Her wreck, a British war grave, had been destroyed by illegal salvagers by the time another expedition surveyed the site in 2016.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/16/british-second-world-war-ships-illegal-scavenging-java-sea |title=British Second World War Ships in Java Sea Destroyed by Illegal Scavenging |last1=Holmes |first1=Oliver |last2=Harding |first2=Luke |date=16 November 2016 |newspaper=The Guardian|issn=0261-3077 |access-date=16 November 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.historyanswers.co.uk/history-of-war/java-sea-shipwrecks-of-world-war-2-one-of-the-men-who-found-them-reflects-on-their-loss/ |title=Java Sea Shipwrecks of World War 2: One of the men who found them reflects on their loss |date=23 November 2016 |website=HistoryAnswers.co.uk |access-date=5 April 2018}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

===Bibliography===
*{{Cite Colledge2006}}
*{{cite book |last=Cox |first=Geoffrey R. |title=Rising Sun, Falling Skies: The Disastrous Java Sea Campaign of World War II |year=2014 |location=Oxford |publisher=Osprey Publishing |isbn=978-1-4728-1060-1}}
* {{cite book |last=Dull |first=Paul S. |title=A Battle History of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1941–1945 |year=2007 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |isbn=978-1-59114-219-5}}
*{{cite book |last=Friedman |first=Norman |title=British Cruisers: Two World Wars and After |year=2010 |publisher=Seaforth Publishing |location=Barnsley, UK |isbn=978-1-59114-078-8 |author-link=Norman Friedman}}
* {{cite book |title=Australia in the War of 1939–1945: Series Two Navy: Volume I: The Royal Australian Navy, 1939–1942 |last=Gill |first=G. Hermon |year= 1957 |publisher=Australian War Memorial |location=Canberra, Australia |url=https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1070207/ |chapter=Chapter 15: ABDA and ANZAC |chapter-url=https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/awm-media/collection/RCDIG1070606/document/5519889.PDF |pages=513–572|oclc=848228}}
* {{cite book |title=Australia in the War of 1939–1945: Series Two Navy: Volume I: The Royal Australian Navy, 1939–1942 |last=Gill |first=G. Hermon |year= 1957 |publisher=Australian War Memorial |location=Canberra, Australia |url=https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1070207/ |chapter=Chapter 16: Defeat in ABDA |chapter-url=https://www.awm.gov.au/images/collection/pdf/RCDIG1070350--1-.pdf |pages=571–624|oclc=848228}}
*{{cite book |last=Grove |first=Eric |title=Sea Battles in Close Up: World War 2 |edition=U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation Advisory Council |volume=2 |year=1993 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |isbn=1-55750-758-9 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/seabattlesinclos00grov}}
*{{cite book|last1=Lacroix|first1=Eric|last2=Wells II|first2=Linton |title=Japanese Cruisers of the Pacific War|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|date=1997|isbn=0-87021-311-3 |name-list-style=amp |authorlink2=Linton Wells II}}
* {{cite book |last=Lenton |first=H. T. |author-link=Henry Trevor Lenton |title=British & Empire Warships of the Second World War |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |year=1998 |isbn=1-55750-048-7}}
* {{cite book |last1=Raven |first1=Alan |last2=Roberts |first2=John |title=British Cruisers of World War Two |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |year=1980 |isbn=0-87021-922-7 |name-list-style=amp}}
* {{cite book |last=Rohwer |first=Jürgen |title=Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |year=2005 |edition=Third Revised |isbn=1-59114-119-2 |author-link=Jürgen Rohwer}}
* {{cite book |last1=Shores |first1=Christopher |last2=Cull |first2=Brian |last3=Izawa |first3=Yasuho |title=Bloody Shambles: Volume One: The Drift to War to the Fall of Singapore |year=1992 |publisher=Grub Street |location=London |isbn=0-948817-50-X |name-list-style=amp}}
* {{cite book |last1=Shores |first1=Christopher |last2=Cull |first2=Brian |last3=Izawa |first3=Yasuho |title=Bloody Shambles: Volume Two: The Defence of Sumatra to the Fall of Burma |year=1993 |publisher=Grub Street |location=London| isbn=0-948817-67-4 |name-list-style=amp}}
*{{cite book |last=Stephen |first=Martin |title=Sea Battles in Close-Up: World War 2 |year=1988 |volume=1 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |isbn=0-87021-556-6 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/seabattlesinclos00mart}}
* {{cite book |last=Whitley |first=M. J. |title=Cruisers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia |publisher=Cassell |location=London |year=1995 |isbn=1-86019-874-0 |author-link=Michael J. Whitley}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book |last1=Johns |first1=W. E |last2=Kelly |first2=R. A. |title=No Surrender: The Story of William E. Johns, D.S.M., Chief Ordnance Artificer, and How He Survived After the Eventual Sinking of H.M.S. ''Exeter'' in the Java Sea in March 1942 |date=1989 |publisher=W.H. Allen |location=London |isbn=1-85227-151-5 |name-list-style=amp}}
*{{cite book |last1=Poole |first1=S. L. |title=Cruiser: A History of British Cruisers from 1889 to 1960 |date=1970 |publisher=Hale |location=London |isbn=0-7091-1344-7}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|HMS Exeter (68)}}
*{{cite web |url=http://www.cofepow.org.uk/pages/ships_exeter.htm |title=HMS ''Exeter'': The Final Days |website=COFEPOW}}
*{{cite magazine |url=https://www.tracesofwar.com/thewarillustrated/225/now-it-can-be-told-how-hms-exeter-fought-her-last-battle.asp |title=How H.M.S. ''Exeter'' Fought Her Last Battle |magazine=[[The War Illustrated]] |date=1 February 1946 |volume=9 |number=225 |page=621 |via=Traces of War.com}}
*{{cite web |url=http://www.robin-brooks.com/special-ships/marine-paintings-hms-exeter-1931–1942.shtml |title=Photos of ''Exeter''{{'}}s wreck |website=Robin-Brooks.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200213024114/http://www.robin-brooks.com/special-ships/marine-paintings-hms-exeter-1931–1942.shtml |archive-date=13 February 2020 }}
*{{cite web |url=http://www.world-war.co.uk/index.php3 |title=WWII Cruisers |website=World-war.co.uk}}
*{{cite web |url=http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/1186.html |title=HMS ''Exeter'' |website=Uboat.net}}

{{York class cruiser}}
{{March 1942 shipwrecks}}

{{coord|5|00|S|111|00|E|source:kolossus-cawiki|display=title}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Exeter (68)}}
[[Category:York-class cruisers]]
[[Category:Ships built in Plymouth, Devon]]
[[Category:1929 ships]]
[[Category:World War II cruisers of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Battle of the River Plate]]
[[Category:World War II shipwrecks in the Java Sea]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in March 1942]]

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HMS Walney (Y04) (edit)
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HNLMS Banckert (1929) (edit)
HNLMS Eland Dubois (1936) (edit)
HNLMS Evertsen (1926) (edit)
HNLMS Gouden Leeuw (edit)
HNLMS Jan van Amstel (1936) (edit)
HNLMS K X (edit)
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Kongō Maru (1934) (edit)
MV British Prudence (edit)
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MV Koolama (1937) (edit)
MV San Demetrio (edit)
MV Tenyo Maru (1935) (edit)
RMS Lady Nelson (edit)
SS Arabutan (edit)
SS Auby (edit)
SS China Maru (1920) (edit)
SS E.M. Clark (edit)
SS Equipoise (edit)
SS Hertford (edit)
SS Irish Willow (1917) (edit)
SS Panay (edit)
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SS Takao Maru (1927) (edit)
SS Tolten (edit)
SS Uniwaleco (edit)
SS Van Waerwijck (edit)
Soviet cruiser Komintern (edit)
Soviet destroyer Smyshlyony (1940) (edit)
USAT Don Esteban (edit)
USS Asheville (PG-21) (edit)
USS Atik (edit)
USS Drum (SS-228) (edit)
USS Edsall (DD-219) (edit)
USS Gato (SS-212) (edit)
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USS Perch (SS-176) (edit)
USS Pillsbury (DD-227) (edit)
USS Pope (DD-225) (edit)
USS Sargo (SS-188) (edit)
USS Stewart (DD-224) (edit)
USS Texan (edit)
Yokohama Maru (1912) (edit)
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