"Researchers to seek DNA in USS Houston trumpet" Topic

"The USS Houston, a heavy cruiser that was President Franklin D. Roosevelt's favorite ship, was the flagship of the U.S. Navy's Asiatic Fleet not once but twice. FDR visited it no fewer than four times, logging thousands of miles of travel on board. It was even retrofitted with special elevators and handrails for the President's disability. The Galloping Ghost of the Java Coast, as the USS Houston was known, saw its last action in a battle against a Japanese invasion fleet of 12 ships the night of February 28th, early morning March 1st, 1942. It was already hobbled from a previous action and was heading to safety in Australia alongside the HMAS Perth when it stumbled on the Japanese ships in the Sunda Strait, which separates the islands of Java and Sumatra and the Java Sea from the Indian Ocean.

The Japanese fleet was in the process of landing troops on Java's Banten Bay when the Houston and Perth walked in on them. Hopelessly outgunned and outmanned, the Perth went down first in the wee hours of March 1st. Then the Japanese ships trained all their firepower on the Houston. Finally three torpedoes struck it at once and the cruiser sank taking 650 sailors and Marines down with her, among them 11 members of its 18-man swing band. Its 368 survivors were taken prisoner by the Japanese…"

Full article and video here
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Amicalement
Armand

Very cool article, Armand. I think Houston was one of the most beautiful warships the U.S. Navy has ever possessed.

Not only were they outnumbered and out gunned, they were almost out of ammo. I believe Houston and Perth had only had about 100 rounds of main battery ammo apiece.