Religious visit to the USS Houston in Banten Bay

At midnight, February 28, 1942, two Allied warships, the Australian cruiser, HMAS Perth (D29), and the U.S. cruiser, USS Houston (CA-30), fought until the last moment and drowned, while against the Japanese fleet that was troops landed in Banten Bay on the west coast of the island of Java.

In that battle, 693 sailors of the U.S. Navy (U.S. Navy) and the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) fall. That's the closing stages Battle of the Java Sea (Battle of the Java Sea), one of the longest battles in the War of the Pacific Sea. According to military historian Netherlands Center of Military History, Anselm van der Peet, the battle begins in the northern island of Bawean, East Java, on February 27, and ends at the Banten Bay the next day.

After 72 years passed, for the first time, the U.S. Navy with the Navy, and diving to make a pilgrimage to the site of the sinking of the USS Houston, 10-11 June 2014.

Manager Command U.S. Navy Historical Center (NHHC), Alexis Catsambis, who became superintendent dive mission, say, 20 dives conducted joint US-Indonesian team in the carcass of the USS Houston.

Heavy cruisers (heavy cruiser) has important significance for the U.S., because it is the favorite ship of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

"USS Houston has important significance for the history of the American nation. Ship was a ship carrying goodwill of President FD Roosevelt in 1930, was once a command ship (flagship) throughout the U.S. Fleet at the end of 1938, then became the Asian Fleet command ship at headquarters , Manila, Philippines, "said Catsambis.

In addition, for the Indonesian people, the Battle of the Java Sea also reminds archipelago of strategic significance as the main target when the Japanese military operations to control natural resources.

On the other hand, the fighting also be a strategic part of the Allied defenses to defend "Malay Barrier" that connects the Malaya-Singapore and the Dutch East Indies and the Philippine Islands.

According Catsambis, when met here on Monday (06.09.14), which commissioned the ship is diving expedition ship USNS Safeguard helper (T-ARS 50). The ship was accompanied by ships KRI Sultan Taha Syaifuddin belongs to the Navy.

The result of the expedition found video footage and photographs of the USS Houston last condition is found about 20 miles from the western end of Banten Bay at a depth of 40 meters. The position of the USS Houston when she was found in a condition part starboard (right side) lying at the bottom of the Java Sea.

"Found a lot of fishing nets, coral reefs, sea water is turbid and swift, and many suspected explosives. Wreck of the vessel with a length of 182 meters is owned by the U.S. government and well preserved with the cooperation of the Government of Indonesia." Catsambis said.

And recording the results in the analysis and documentation will be used as input to the data collection site sinking ship or aircraft belonging to the U.S. Navy. Worldwide it is estimated there are 17,000 locations sinking ship and aircraft belonging to the U.S. Navy by the number of ships and aircraft reach 3,000 units 17,000 units from the 1800s until the Vietnam War era.

The sinking of the USS Houston so special note for being one single incident sunken ship in the battle with the largest number of casualties.

James D Hornfischer in the book of the Ghost Ship (2006) on the history of the heroic USS Houston said, the crew members who survived were arrested in the town of Serang before being transferred to Batavia for detained at Camp X Bike KNIL Battalion, which is now the Hotel Borobudur complex. Of the concentration camp, they were taken to Changi, Singapore, and many are forced into labor to build railroad lines Thailand-Burma death.

Catsambis welcomed the proposed construction of a memorial to honor the fighting is happening and remind the strategic significance for the people of Indonesian archipelago. According to him, the association of veterans of the USS Houston and the family sailor who survived or died would welcome the conservation efforts that strengthen the relationship between Indonesia and the United States. (IS)