Action south of Java
Pillsbury and the remnants of the Asiatic Fleet were fighting a holding action, staging out of Balikpapan and Tjilatjap, ports in the Netherlands East Indies when they encountered a powerful Japanese force operating to the south of Java. ... The Japanese force consisted of four battleships, five cruisers, aircraft carrier Soryu and the destroyers of Destroyer Squadron 4. In a night surface action, Pillsbury and Asheville were sunk by teamwork firing of three cruisers and two destroyers in Bali Strait, Netherlands East Indies. ... No survivors were picked up by the Japanese warships.
