Bass Strait

Passed through Bass Strait (between Australia and Tasmania) into the Tasman Sea early this afternoon. Heard after dinner tonight of the probable tragic fate of Hank Harris and John Riley – part of it from the ex skipper of the USS Stewart (which turned over in the Surabaya dry docks just after we left). Harris was detailed to the Pillsbury (Riley’s DD). The Pillsbury, with only one or two torpedoes, was among the destroyers detailed to the task of stopping reinforcements from landing at Bali. The old Pillsbury let fly with all she had at a Jap cruiser, which responded by setting her afire. She then turned on the Jap and rammed her, with all of her old machine guns ablaze. Both ships are supposed to have sunk. What a tragic, glorious, and yet wasteful end for all that top-notch fighting crew cursed with some of the worlds most dilapidated equipment.

It certainly is a crime to throw away all these experienced and acclimated crews. They themselves all realized their inevitable end, forgotten by the Navy, struggling to make their ancient equipment last just one more run, they were just pawns on the chessboard full of queens. They, above all, have performed the greatest deeds of valor of this war.