USS Pillsbury (DD-227) - Fate

Fate

A few days later Pillsbury met her end. There are no US logs or battle reports giving the details of the action in which Pillsbury, Asheville (PG-21) and Edsall (DD-219) were sunk, and their fates were mysterious until after the war when Japanese logs could be examined. A powerful force of Japanese ships was operating to the south of Java to prevent the escape of Allied ships from that area. The Japanese force consisted of four battleships, five cruisers of Cruiser Division 4, the aircraft carrier Sōryū and the destroyers of Destroyer Squadron 4.

Edsall was sunk in the Battle of the Java Sea on 1 March 1942. 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 Aichi D3A dive bombers from Sōryū 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 Chikuma and sank at 19:00 with 5-8 survivors. The remains of 5 executed sailors from the Edsall were recovered in Indonesia in 1952.

In a night surface action on 2 March 1942 Pillsbury was overtaken by two Japanese cruisers of Cruiser Division 4. She was engaged by Takao and Atago, and at 21:02 sank with the loss of all hands.

Asheville, slowed by engine troubles, was caught at 09:06 on 3 March by the destroyers Arashi and Nowaki and sunk after a 30-minute battle. One crew member was rescued from the water, but died later in a prisoner of war camp.

All three sinkings took place approximately 200 miles east of Christmas Island. After sinking the three U.S. ships, the Japanese forces retired from the scene.

Pillsbury received two battle stars for World War II service.