either Pillsbury or the destroyer in the opposite column. This caused the Japanese destroyer to swing to starboard. The spotter then observed three hits from Pillsbury one on the bridge, one amidships and one on the fantail. After this hit, the Japanese ship was in flames and ceased firing. At this time Pillsbury and were detached from the strike force and sent to Tjilatjap. After the action around Bali, the ships had few torpedoes and badly needed an overhaul. Fate A few days later Pillsbury was sunk. There are no US logs or battle reports giving the details of the actions in which Pillsbury, and were lost and their fates were unknown until Japanese logs were examined after the war. A force of Japanese ships was operating to the south of Java to prevent the escape of Allied ships from the area. The force consisted of four battleships, five cruisers of Cruiser Division 4, the aircraft carriers , , and and the destroyers of Destroyer Squadron 4. Edsall was sunk in the Indian Ocean on 2 March 1942, south of Java. At 18:24 she received a direct hit from the battleship and at 18:35 another from the cruiser . Edsall was also attacked by nine Aichi D3A dive bombers from Sōryū and eight from , which hit her with several bombs, leaving her dead in the water by 18:50. She was destroyed by the cruiser 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 and , 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 and and sunk. One crew member was rescued from the water but died in a prisoner of war camp. All three sinkings took place approximately 200 miles east of Christmas Island. Pillsbury received two battle stars for World War II service. References External links USS Pillsbury (DD 227) Movement records for Takao, Atago and Tone from combinedfleet.com Clemson-class destroyers World War II destroyers of the United States Ships built by William Cramp & Sons World War II shipwrecks in the Philippine Sea 1920 ships Warships lost in combat with all hands Maritime