In February 1942 the Van Nes had to escort the troop transport ship the Sloet van de Beele from Billiton to Java. Ten days before the Battle of the Java Sea, on 17 February 1942, the Van Nes was hit by aircraft of the Japanese carrier Ryujo, midship, causing it to break and sink in two parts. 68 men were killed, including Commander Charles Albertus Lagaaij, the youngest commander in the Royal Netherlands Navy. The troop transport ship the Sloet van de Beele was also sunk.

The Van Nes was an Admiral class destroyer. It was built at Burgerhout's Machinefabriek en Scheepswerf NV in Rotterdam in 1930.

• Dimensions: 98 x 9.53 x 2.97 m
• Propulsion: engine, 2 x Parsons geared steam turbines, 3 x Yarrow type boilers, dual shaft, 2 propellers

Armament

• 4 × 120 mm (4.7 in) rifles (4x1)
• 2 × 75 mm (3.0 in) AA rifles (1 rifle in 2^nd group)
• 4 × 40 mm (1.6 in) AA rifles (2nd group only), 4 × 0.5 in (13 mm) machine guns, 6 × 533 mm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes (2x3)

• Münching, L.L. (1978).
  Koninklijke Marine in de 2e wereldoorlog, p.25.
  Alkmaar.