Every Picture Tells a Story Don't It?

In the early hours of 27 February 1942, Langley rendezvoused with her anti-submarine screen, the destroyers USS Whipple and USS Edsall.[9] At 11:40, about 75 mi (121 km) south of Tjilatjap, nine Aichi D3A1 "Val" dive bombers[1] of the Japanese 21st and 23rd Naval Air Flotillas[2] attacked her.

The first and second Japanese strikes were unsuccessful, but in the third Langley took five hits and 16 crewmen were killed. The topside burst into flames, steering was impaired, and the ship developed a 10° list to port.[9] 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 in (100 mm) shells and two torpedoes into Langley, to ensure she didn't fall into enemy hands, and she sank.

After being transferred to USS 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 were lost with the Edsall when she was sunk on the same day while responding to the distress calls of Pecos.