Air Attack Near Christmas Island
In early 1942, Pecos headed for Surabaja, Java where she fueled Allied ships. Departing after a Japanese air raid had made that base untenable, Tjilatjap then became the oiler's base. Underway in late February en route to India she rendezvoused with Whipple and Edsall to take Langley survivors when enemy land based planes attacked the three ships. After fighting off the raiders, the US ships steamed south out of range and completed the transfer 1 March. ... Japanese aircraft from carrier Soryu attacked Pecos andstruck again an hour later. Finally at midafternoon, a third strike sent theveteran oiler to the bottom. Whipple raced to the scene and rescued 232 survivors. Pecos suffered 172 fatalities during the attack
