On January 10 1942, the Japanese landed an invasion force on the island of Tarakan in the Dutch East Indies. The Dutch possesed a small but efficient fleet in those waters, but it was not sufficient to protect the many important ports and bases.

The minelayer Prins van Oranje, was the only vessel available at Tarakan. She acknowledged and presumably carried out the orders of the Netherlands Naval Command but nothing more was heard of her.

In the night of 12 January 1942, the Japanese Patrol boat No.38 and destroyer Yamakaze, while operating in the Tarakan invasion force, sank the escaping Dutch minelayer Prins van Oranje, northeast of Tarakan with heavy loss of life.

Built: Bouw: De Maas - Internationale Scheepsbouw Mij. Rotterdam , 1931
Motor: triple expansion engines, dual shaft
Armament: 2x 40mm guns, 2x 75mm guns, 2x .50cal machine guns, 150 mines.

• L.L. von Münching, (1978).
  Schepen van de koninklijke marine in de 2e wereldoorlog. p 68.
  De Alk b.v. Alkmaar.
• IJN Yamakaze: Tabular Record of Movement.
  combined fleet.
  Combined fleet over Yamakaze.
• Wilco Vermeer.
  De slag om Tarakan.
• Site lijst met slachtoffers KNIL WW II.
• oorlogsgravenstichting.nl.
• Nederlandse mijnenleggers.