USN
Destroyer

Sunk
March 1, 1942

Ship History

Wartime History
In February, 1942, she and the destroyer USS Whipple, were ordered to rendezous with the carrier USS Langley about 200 miles south of Java. The ships were attacked by nine Japanese bombers which soon reduced the Langley to a blazing wreck that had to be abandoned. The Edsall rescued 117 of her survivors.

Sinking History
Ordered to proceed to Christmas Island to join up with the navy tanker USS Pecos and then proceed to Fremantle, Australia, but not before the Langley's survivors were transferred over to the Pecos. The three ships parted and Whipple set sail for the Cocos Islands to refuel while the Pecos continued on to Fremantle with the Edsall. Underway, the Pecos was attacked and sunk by Val bombers from Japanese carriers in the area. The Whipple, after picking up her distress calls, turned back and rescued 233 survivors.

The Edsall, last seen on March 1, 1942 sailing over the horizon on her way back to Java, was never heard of again. During the war, she was one of four American destroyers were not accounted for, they had simply 'disappeared', or so it was thought at the time.

In fact, she was attacked by Japanese ships that fired more than 1,000 rounds, but only two hit. At 18:24 she received a direct hit from the battleship Hiei and at 18:35 another from the cruiser Tone. Edsall was also attacked by nine D3A Vals from Soryu and eight from Akagi, which hit her with several bombs, leaving her dead in the water by 18:50. She was destroyed by the cruiser Chukuma and sank at 19:00.

Fate of the Crew
In 1952, investigators learned that eight of her crew had been picked up by the Japanese warship Ashigara and deposited on Celebes Island. Investigating the long forgotten POW camp on the island, a group of natives directed the searchers to five graves covered with jungle vegetation. The five graves were opened and five skeletons found, all identified by their ID tags. All five skeletons were of men from the Edsall.

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