The two Allied warships, cruisers HMAS Perth and USS Houston, after escaping from the Battle of the Java Sea, were seeking safe passage through Sunda Strait, when they encountered an enemy invasion fleet of 80 vessels. HMAS Perth and USS Houston, though surrounded, fought valiantly until out of ammunition and severely damaged, were sunk within 20 minutes of one another in the early hours of 1st March 1942. In the battle there were heavy losses from Perth with 350 naval personnel, out of the ship's original complement of 681 crew, losing their lives. Four died ashore and another 106 died in captivity leaving only 214 personnel to be repatriated to Australia after enduring more than three years of privation and suffering as prisoners of war. Similarly the Houston suffered severe loss of life in the part she played in this one sided battle. Of her crew, numbering 1065 on board at the commencement of the battle, just 368 survived the tragic sinking to become prisoners of war with only 288 surviving the horrors of the infamous Burma Railway.