Word: java
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Dates: during 1940-1949
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...Good Friday, the Navy Department had a somber message to interpose: three more U.S. warships had been sunk in the month-old battle off Java (see p. 25). On Easter Sunday the Christian nation went heavily to its churches, celebrated the resurrection of Jesus, who had died to save the world. Death and the war, whatever its right name might be, hung heavy over the country...
Tokyo fears, and Chungking hopes, that long-range U.S. bombers may soon attack Japan from South China. Flying Fortresses, such as those evacuated from Java to Australia, could easily bomb the great Jap base on Formosa, 300 miles southeast of the Chinese airdrome at Lishui. With flights no longer than Fortresses have made in other battle areas, bombers from Lishui and Chuhsien could reach Kobe or Kyoto in Japan itself...
...dashing attempt of the U.S. Navy to turn the tide in the Battle of Java became public property at last. The U.S.S. Langley, hulking old aircraft tender, was bombed and sunk Feb. 27. She was knocked out by Japanese land-based bombers as she approached Java with a cargo of U.S. fighting planes that might have won the battle and preserved the key of the Indies for the Allies. More than half of the survivors who were picked up by destroyers and transferred to the naval oiler Pecos, were lost two days later when the oiler was sunk...
...story, as it was finally told, the Navy had nothing to be ashamed, much of high courage to remember. To bolster Java's defenses, the old Langley (born the collier Jupiter 29 years ago, transformed into the first U.S. carrier, finally reduced to a drudge's job) was loaded with fighters...
...almost made it. Then, near Java one morning, a single Jap reconnaissance plane circled her, took a look, streaked for home. Bright signal flags fluttered from the Langley's halyards, and her windburned skipper, Commander Robert Perche McConnell, set himself for the worst. It came just before noon...