Did great Britain ever face japan in a naval battle?

Answer 1

Britain's most spectacular sea fight in the Pacific was her participation in the "Battle of the Java Sea" in February 1942. A combined allied cruiser force consisting of the Dutch cruisers JAVA & DE RUYTER; British EXETER; American HOUSTON; and the Australian PERTH. This fleet, labeled the ABDA Striking Force (ABDA-American, British, Dutch, Australian) and their accompanying destroyers faced 13 destroyers and 4 cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). In WWII's only decisive "cruiser" fleet action, all of the allied cruisers were sent to the bottom; with PERTH & HOUSTON going down while making for the Sunda Straits...and EXETER going down while trying for the Indian ocean. Most of the allied cruisers & destroyers had met their fate from "Long Lance" torpedoes cut loose from the cruisers, as unlike some navies, IJN cruisers came equipped with torpedoes. Java Sea was strictly a cruiser fight (with destroyers running about trying to pick-up survivors), no planes (save for some spotting planes) and no submarines (except for some possible reconnaissance subs). Britain's most famous sea fight in the Pacific was her participation in the evolution of naval warfare. On 10 December 1941, for the first time in the history of man, a modern steel battleship (along with an accompanying battlecruiser) manuevering at sea, with all weapons manned and trained for action, took on war planes at sea. This sea battle was strictly a fight between warships and airplanes. Victory went to airpower! Both battleship HMS Prince of Wales, and battlecruiser HMS Repulse still rest today on the bottom of the South China Sea. From 10 December 1941 onward...England & America excepted the fact that battleships NO LONGER ruled the seas; aircraft carriers did!

Answer 2

Twice, once in a declared war, which was World War 2 (Pacific Theater, 1941-1945).

The British bombardment of Kagoshima in 1863 is sometimes called the Anglo-Satsuma War, which ironically led to closer ties between the two opponents.

Following the December 7, 1941 attacks on Pearl Harbor, Malaya, Singapore, and Hong Kong, the UK declared war on Japan on December 8. Britain had already been fighting the other Axis powers, Germany and Italy, since 1939. Germany and Italy declared war on the US on December 11, and this was reciprocated the same day by the US.