Adcock, Curtis, CSK

In the early hours of 27 February, 1942 USS Langley (CV-1) rendezvoused with her anti-submarine screen, the destroyers Whipple and Edsall.  Early that morning, a Japanese reconnaissance aircraft located the formation. At 11:40, about 75 miles south of Tjilatjap, the seaplane tender, along with Edsall and Whipple came under attack by sixteen  Mitsubishi G4M "Betty" bombers of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service's Takao Kokūtai, led by Lieutenant Jiro Adachi, flying out of Den Pasar airfield on Bali, and escorted by fifteen A6M Reisen fighters. Rather than dropping all their bombs at once, the Japanese bombers attacked releasing partial salvos. Since they were level bombing from medium altitude, Langley was able to alter helm when the bombs were released and evade the first and second bombing passes, but the bombers altered their tactics on the third pass and bracketed the directions Langley could turn. As a result, Langley took five hits from a mix of 550 and 130 pound bombs as well as three near misses, with 16 crewmen killed. The topside burst into flames, steering was impaired, and the ship developed a 10 degree list to port. Unable to negotiate the narrow mouth of Tjilatjap harbor, Langley went dead in the water, as her engine room flooded. At 13:32, the order to abandon ship was passed. The escorting destroyers fired nine 4-inch shells and two torpedoes into Langley's hull, to ensure she didn't fall into enemy hands, and she sank. After being transferred to Pecos, many of her crew were lost when Pecos was sunk en route to Australia. Thirty-one of the thirty-three pilots assigned to the 13th Pursuit Squadron being transported by Langley were lost with Edsall when she was sunk on the same day while responding to the distress calls of Pecos.
 
No record can be located that states when CSK Adcock was lost - whether during the initial attack and sinking of the Langley or the later sinking of the Pecos. He was not among the crew members who returned. He was listed as missing in action and on October 15, 1945 officially listed as dead by the Navy.

Curtis Adcock was born in 1905 in Alabama, son of William Van and Sallie Adcock. His family lived in Alabama, in Decatur, Morgan county in 1910 where his father worked as an assistant foreman at a stave mill. By 1920 they lived in Pettusville, Limestone county, where his father worked as a blacksmith. Curtis had 3 brothers. Two brothers died as young children.
 
He entered the Navy in 1930, re-enlisting on August 22, 1935 at Nashville, Tennessee. He served aboard USS Black Hawk (AD-9), USS Eliot (DD-398), USS Notro (AE-2) and USS California (BB-4). In 1939 while home on leave, he purchased a farm on the Huntsville Highway, planning on retiring there. He reported aboard USS Langley (CV-1 ) on January 3, 1940 as a Chief Storekeeper.

Service number: 2717259

The information contained in this profile was compiled from various internet sources.