Hiyah Zaidi
Published November 28, 2025 12:17pm
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When the USS Edsall sank, it took with it more than 200 servicemen. It was World War II – March 1, 1942 – and the ship was sunk at the hands of the Japanese military. The Edsall was traveling across the Indian Ocean south of Java when it was sunk by dive bombers. 82 years later, the long-lost US warship was located, completely by chance, thanks to the Royal Australian Navy. (Picture: US Embassy Australia)
The USS Edsall was commissioned during World War I, and was stationed in Asia from 1920 until its demise. It was about 300ft in length and was carrying 153 sailors and several dozen army air forces pilots and soldiers when it was attacked. The ship had sustained damage from an earlier onslaught and deemed unfit for combat but was deployed to aid another ship when it encountered Japanese naval forces. (Picture: US Embassy Australia)
Despite being damaged, the USS Edsall dodged attacks for over an hour, as it swerved to avoid the hundreds of fired shells. The Edsall counterattacked with a smokescreen and torpedoes but was eventually overcome by Japanese dive bombers. One official account states that reports from Japanese ships say that the Edsall performed like a ‘Japanese dancing mouse,’ which was a popular pet at the time. (Picture: US Embassy Australia)
Some historians believe that a few people on board survived the sinking but were immediately picked up by enemy forces and later beheaded in a prison camp. Mark Hammond, head of the Royal Australian Navy, said: ‘The USS Edsall served valiantly during World War II, most notably in the early Pacific campaigns. She operated alongside Australian warships protecting our shores, and played a role in sinking the Japanese submarine I124 off Darwin. The joint efforts in engagements such as the Battle of the Coral Sea and the defense of allied territories in the Pacific forged bonds between US and Australian sailors that continue to this day.’ (Picture: US Embassy Australia)
The then-unknown ship was located in late 2023, and experts spent about a year using sonar and underwater robots to explore the find. A team was able to confirm that it was the USS Edsall and not the USS Pillsbury – which was a ship of the same class known to have sunk nearby. The find was officially announced on Veterans Day 2024. It was located largely intact, and is resting upright on the seabed roughly 200 miles east of Christmas Island, south of Java, Indonesia. (Picture: US Embassy Australia)
US Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy said at the time: ‘The Royal Australian Navy recently located and helped identify the USS Edsall, a World-War II, Clemson-class destroyer that was sunk off the coast of Australia in March 1942. Captain Joshua Nix and his crew fought valiantly, evading 1,400 shells from Japanese battleships and cruisers before being attacked by 26 carrier dive bombers, taking only one fatal hit. There were no survivors.’ (Picture: US Embassy Australia)
She added: ‘This is part of our continuing efforts to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice. We will now be able to preserve this important memorial and hope that the families of the heroes who died there will know their loved ones rest in peace. We will tell their stories, learn from their bravery, and be inspired by their sacrifice. We will always remember them.’ (Picture: US Embassy Australia)
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