Navy Department Communique No. 65

APRIL 3, 1942

The Navy Department issued the following communiqué today:

Southwest Pacific.
1. The United States aircraft tender Langley, the naval tanker Pecos and the destroyer Peary were sunk by the enemy in the vicinity of Northern Australia and in waters south of Java in late February an March.
2 A number of survivors from these ships were rescued and reached port safely. The next of kin of all personnel lost in the Pecos have notified. The next of kin of those lost in the Langley and Peary already have been notified or will be notified as soon as information available.
3. Official reports from Tokyo claimed the sinking of the Langley, least three times during the first month of the war, during which period the Langley was not damaged. She was sunk after a prolonged attack by the enemy south of Java in late February. Except for about a dozen men, all Langley personnel survived the attack and were transferred to the Pecos which was itself sunk a few days later.
4. The Pecos, a small tanker, employed in supplying fuel to units of our fleet in the Far East, was sunk in early March.
5. The Peary, a World War destroyer which received minor damage in the Japanese bombing attacks on Cavite immediately after the outbreak of the war, was sunk in the harbor at Darwin about February 19th.  The Peary had participated in many of the offensive actions of our destroyers in the Far East. Observers who witnessed the last engagement of the Peary described the conduct of her crew as beyond all praise. Gun crews remained at their battle stations continuing the fire until they were forced by rising water to leave their stations. No officer or man left the ship until it sank under him. A number of survivors were later rescued.
6. War conditions in the Southwest Pacific have greatly complicated and delayed reports of casualties, and the public is urged to refrain from initiating individual inquiries regarding casualties. The next of kin of all casualties are always notified by telegram as soon as possible.
7. There is nothing to report from other areas.