Filmmaterial des amerikanischen Zerstörers USS Edsall, der am 1. März 1942 von japanischen Schiffen angegriffen wird.

At 1550 hours (USN/local time) the Japanese task force spotted a single „light cruiser“ about 16 miles (26 km) behind the force, approximately 250 miles (400 km) south southeast of Christmas Island; this was in fact Edsall. The destroyer was perhaps no more than 38–54 kilometres (24–34 mi) from the last reported position of Pecos and probably attempting to get to her stricken comrades. At about 1603 hours she was seen from the Japanese heavy cruiser Chikuma, and within five minutes the cruiser opened fire with her 8-inch (203 mm) guns. Fifteen minutes later the battleships of Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa’s Sentai 3/1 (Hiei and Kirishima) opened fire with their main battery of 14-inch (356 mm) guns at extreme range (30,000 yards, 27,000 m). All shots missed as the destroyer conducted evasive maneuvers that ranged from flank speed, about 26 knots (48 km/h; 30 mph), to full stop, with radical turns and intermittent smoke-screens. Edsall also disrupted the Japanese by counter-attacking with her torpedoes and 4-inch guns. She signalled that she had been surprised by two enemy battleships; this was copied by the Dutch merchant ship Siantar more than 99 miles (160 km) away. The skill shown by Edsall in dodging extensive shelling during an extended engagement reportedly led some of the Japanese naval personnel involved to refer to the American vessel as „the dancing mouse“.[2]

USS Edsall sinking
The Japanese surface vessels (2 cruisers, 2 battleships) fired 1,335 shells at Edsall that afternoon, with no more than one or two hits, which failed to stop the destroyer. Vice Admiral Nagumo ordered airstrikes: 26 Type 99 dive bombers (Aichi D3A) (kanbaku) in three groups (chutai) took off from the carriers Kaga (8), Hiryū (9), and Sōryū (9). The dive bombers were led by Lieutenants Ogawa, Kobayashi, and Koite respectively. Their 250 kg (550 lb) bombs immobilised Edsall with one hit and one miss near enough to do damage.
At 17:22 the Japanese ships resumed firing on the destroyer. A Japanese cameraman, probably on the cruiser Tone, filmed about 90 seconds of her destruction. (A single frame from this film was culled for use as a propaganda photo later, misidentified as „the British destroyer HMS Pope“.) Finally, at 17:31 hrs (19:01 IJN/Tokyo time) Edsall rolled onto her side, „showing her red bottom“ according to an officer aboard the Hiei, and sank amid clouds of steam and smoke in 18,000 feet (5,500 m) of water some 200 miles (320 km) east of Christmas Island.[3] The Japanese report after action described the sinking of Edsall as a fiasco. The Imperial Japanese Navy revised rules of engagement for battleships and cruisers against destroyers.

Amazing footage, I’ve never seen this film before. I wish the cameraman was a bit steadier, but it’s understandable considering how much the ship was moving and being under fire.