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Battle of Kolombangara
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Battle of Kolombangara
The Battle of Kolombangara (Japanese: コロンバンガラ島沖海戦) (also known as the Second Battle of Kula Gulf) was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on the night of 12/13 July 1943, off the northeastern coast of Kolombangara in the Solomon Islands. The battle took place during the early stages of the New Georgia campaign when an Imperial Japanese Navy force, carrying reinforcements south to Vila, Solomon Islands, was intercepted by a task force of U.S. and New Zealand light cruisers and destroyers. In the ensuing action, the Japanese sank one Allied destroyer and damaged three cruisers. They were also able to successfully land 1,200 ground troops on the western coast of Kolombangara but lost one light cruiser sunk in the process.
The Allied campaign in New Georgia had begun on 30 June 1943 as part of their advance through the central Solomon Islands towards Rabaul under the guise of Operation Cartwheel. In the initial phase of the operation, Rendova had been captured to provide a staging point for U.S. forces assigned to capture the Japanese airfield at Munda Point, which was one of the campaign's key objectives. On 2 July, troops of the U.S. 43rd Infantry Division landed on New Georgia to attack Munda, while three days later a battalion of Marine Raiders and two U.S. Army battalions were landed at Rice Anchorage on New Georgia's northern shore to seize Bairoko.
In response to the Allied landings, the Japanese sought to reinforce New Georgia to shore up the southern flank to their base around Rabaul. On the night of 12 July a Japanese "Tokyo Express" naval reinforcement force made a run down "The Slot" from Rabaul to land troops at Vila on Kolombangara by way of the Kula Gulf. This force was commanded by Rear Admiral (少将 shōshō) Shunji Isaki and consisted of the light cruiser Jintsū, the destroyers Mikazuki, Yukikaze, Hamakaze, Kiyonami and Yūgure, as well as the destroyer transports Satsuki, Minazuki, Yūnagi, and Matsukaze. These four ships carried 1,200 ground troops which were to be landed on Kolombangara as part of efforts to reinforce area in response to the Allied landings in New Georgia. The Japanese ships of Isaki's force had been drawn from several different numbered elements, but the core was formed by Destroyer Squadron 2.
The movement of Japanese ships was detected by Allied coastwatchers and reported. In response, Admiral William Halsey ordered a naval task force to intercept the Japanese ships. The Allied naval force, designated Task Force 18, was commanded by Rear Admiral Walden L. Ainsworth. It consisted of two United States Navy light cruisers, USS Honolulu and St. Louis and the Royal New Zealand Navy light cruiser HMNZS Leander, and the destroyers USS Nicholas, O'Bannon, Taylor, Jenkins, Radford, Ralph Talbot, Buchanan, Maury, Woodworth, and Gwin.
In battle these Allied vessels deployed in a single column with five destroyers in the van followed by the light cruisers and then by five destroyers in the rear. Each group of five destroyers formed a squadron. The first of these, designated Destroyer Squadron 21, was commanded by Captain Francis X. McInerney. The second destroyer squadron was Captain Thomas J. Ryan's Destroyer Squadron 12; it had only recently been assigned to Ainworth's task force, as had the New Zealand cruiser which had been assigned to Ainsworth's force following the loss of USS Helena during the Battle of Kula Gulf on 6 July. Together, the three cruisers were grouped together as Cruiser Division 9. Ainsworth's mission was to prevent Japanese troops and supplies from landing as part of efforts to stem the flow of reinforcements towards Munda.
The U.S. task force sailed from its base around Tulagi at 17:00 on 12 July, amidst clear skies and calm seas. Passing Savo Island, Ainsworth steered a course along the west coast of Santa Isabel Island, hoping to use it to hide his force from Japanese reconnaissance aircraft. His plan for the attack was to use the first squadron of five destroyers that formed his vanguard to fire torpedoes while his cruisers maneuvered into a position to use their main guns. After laying down a heavy barrage, the cruisers would maneuver again to avoid return torpedoes from the Japanese destroyers. Having gone to general quarters due to concerns about being spotted in the bright moonlight of the clear night sky, around midnight the U.S. task force altered course towards Visu Visu. They then increased their speed following reports from Allied reconnaissance aircraft that had spotted Isaki's force about 26 miles (42 km) away. Hamstrung by their slowest ship, Leander, Ainsworth's task group was only able to make 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph) while Isaki's force was cruising at about 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph).
As the skies began to grow overcast at 01:00 on 13 July, the Allied ships established radar contact about 20 mi (17 nmi; 32 km) east of the northern tip of Kolombangara at 7°50′S 157°21′E / 7.833°S 157.350°E. Ainsworth assumed he had a complete surprise as the Japanese lacked radar, but in reality the Japanese had been aware of the Allied force for almost two hours. Despite not possessing radar, the Japanese ships could detect the electro-magnetic impulses of the Allied radar systems, and from this the Japanese crews were able to gain an accurate plot of Ainsworth's dispositions. After sighting the Japanese force at 01:03, the U.S. destroyers of McInerney's squadron increased speed to engage the Japanese force with their torpedoes while the cruisers turned to deploy their main batteries and engage to starboard. Unknown to Ainsworth, the Japanese destroyers had already launched Long Lance torpedoes, which had a longer range than the Allied torpedoes. After firing their salvoes between 01:08 and 01:14, the Japanese destroyers turned away to regroup.
The first U.S. torpedoes hit the water about a minute after their Japanese counterparts, with Nicholas engaging Jintsū at a range of just under 10,000 yards (9,100 m). Jintsū turned on her searchlight and engaged the Allied ships but was subjected to concentrated Allied fire from a range of around 9,000 yards (8,200 m), with 2,630 rounds being fired under the direction of spotting aircraft overhead. After minor corrections to their fall of shot, the Japanese cruiser was heavily damaged. After losing steerage around 01:17, Jintsū came to a dead stop, was reduced to a wreck, broken in two by several torpedo hits, and sank at about 01:45, with the loss of nearly her entire crew including Isaki. On the Allied side, Leander was hit by a shell from Jintsū. The damage was light but severed radio communications. Several Japanese torpedoes were spotted, and the Allied ships began evasive action. These counter-maneuvers were hampered by faulty communications and thick gunsmoke that reduced visibility. Consequently, several ships turned wide to avoid collisions, including Leander which was struck by one of the Japanese torpedoes. Severely damaged, the New Zealand cruiser retired from the battle escorted by Radford and Jenkins. Her damage was so severe that she took no further part in the war.
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Battle of Kolombangara
The Battle of Kolombangara (Japanese: コロンバンガラ島沖海戦) (also known as the Second Battle of Kula Gulf) was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on the night of 12/13 July 1943, off the northeastern coast of Kolombangara in the Solomon Islands. The battle took place during the early stages of the New Georgia campaign when an Imperial Japanese Navy force, carrying reinforcements south to Vila, Solomon Islands, was intercepted by a task force of U.S. and New Zealand light cruisers and destroyers. In the ensuing action, the Japanese sank one Allied destroyer and damaged three cruisers. They were also able to successfully land 1,200 ground troops on the western coast of Kolombangara but lost one light cruiser sunk in the process.
The Allied campaign in New Georgia had begun on 30 June 1943 as part of their advance through the central Solomon Islands towards Rabaul under the guise of Operation Cartwheel. In the initial phase of the operation, Rendova had been captured to provide a staging point for U.S. forces assigned to capture the Japanese airfield at Munda Point, which was one of the campaign's key objectives. On 2 July, troops of the U.S. 43rd Infantry Division landed on New Georgia to attack Munda, while three days later a battalion of Marine Raiders and two U.S. Army battalions were landed at Rice Anchorage on New Georgia's northern shore to seize Bairoko.
In response to the Allied landings, the Japanese sought to reinforce New Georgia to shore up the southern flank to their base around Rabaul. On the night of 12 July a Japanese "Tokyo Express" naval reinforcement force made a run down "The Slot" from Rabaul to land troops at Vila on Kolombangara by way of the Kula Gulf. This force was commanded by Rear Admiral (少将 shōshō) Shunji Isaki and consisted of the light cruiser Jintsū, the destroyers Mikazuki, Yukikaze, Hamakaze, Kiyonami and Yūgure, as well as the destroyer transports Satsuki, Minazuki, Yūnagi, and Matsukaze. These four ships carried 1,200 ground troops which were to be landed on Kolombangara as part of efforts to reinforce area in response to the Allied landings in New Georgia. The Japanese ships of Isaki's force had been drawn from several different numbered elements, but the core was formed by Destroyer Squadron 2.
The movement of Japanese ships was detected by Allied coastwatchers and reported. In response, Admiral William Halsey ordered a naval task force to intercept the Japanese ships. The Allied naval force, designated Task Force 18, was commanded by Rear Admiral Walden L. Ainsworth. It consisted of two United States Navy light cruisers, USS Honolulu and St. Louis and the Royal New Zealand Navy light cruiser HMNZS Leander, and the destroyers USS Nicholas, O'Bannon, Taylor, Jenkins, Radford, Ralph Talbot, Buchanan, Maury, Woodworth, and Gwin.
In battle these Allied vessels deployed in a single column with five destroyers in the van followed by the light cruisers and then by five destroyers in the rear. Each group of five destroyers formed a squadron. The first of these, designated Destroyer Squadron 21, was commanded by Captain Francis X. McInerney. The second destroyer squadron was Captain Thomas J. Ryan's Destroyer Squadron 12; it had only recently been assigned to Ainworth's task force, as had the New Zealand cruiser which had been assigned to Ainsworth's force following the loss of USS Helena during the Battle of Kula Gulf on 6 July. Together, the three cruisers were grouped together as Cruiser Division 9. Ainsworth's mission was to prevent Japanese troops and supplies from landing as part of efforts to stem the flow of reinforcements towards Munda.
The U.S. task force sailed from its base around Tulagi at 17:00 on 12 July, amidst clear skies and calm seas. Passing Savo Island, Ainsworth steered a course along the west coast of Santa Isabel Island, hoping to use it to hide his force from Japanese reconnaissance aircraft. His plan for the attack was to use the first squadron of five destroyers that formed his vanguard to fire torpedoes while his cruisers maneuvered into a position to use their main guns. After laying down a heavy barrage, the cruisers would maneuver again to avoid return torpedoes from the Japanese destroyers. Having gone to general quarters due to concerns about being spotted in the bright moonlight of the clear night sky, around midnight the U.S. task force altered course towards Visu Visu. They then increased their speed following reports from Allied reconnaissance aircraft that had spotted Isaki's force about 26 miles (42 km) away. Hamstrung by their slowest ship, Leander, Ainsworth's task group was only able to make 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph) while Isaki's force was cruising at about 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph).
As the skies began to grow overcast at 01:00 on 13 July, the Allied ships established radar contact about 20 mi (17 nmi; 32 km) east of the northern tip of Kolombangara at 7°50′S 157°21′E / 7.833°S 157.350°E. Ainsworth assumed he had a complete surprise as the Japanese lacked radar, but in reality the Japanese had been aware of the Allied force for almost two hours. Despite not possessing radar, the Japanese ships could detect the electro-magnetic impulses of the Allied radar systems, and from this the Japanese crews were able to gain an accurate plot of Ainsworth's dispositions. After sighting the Japanese force at 01:03, the U.S. destroyers of McInerney's squadron increased speed to engage the Japanese force with their torpedoes while the cruisers turned to deploy their main batteries and engage to starboard. Unknown to Ainsworth, the Japanese destroyers had already launched Long Lance torpedoes, which had a longer range than the Allied torpedoes. After firing their salvoes between 01:08 and 01:14, the Japanese destroyers turned away to regroup.
The first U.S. torpedoes hit the water about a minute after their Japanese counterparts, with Nicholas engaging Jintsū at a range of just under 10,000 yards (9,100 m). Jintsū turned on her searchlight and engaged the Allied ships but was subjected to concentrated Allied fire from a range of around 9,000 yards (8,200 m), with 2,630 rounds being fired under the direction of spotting aircraft overhead. After minor corrections to their fall of shot, the Japanese cruiser was heavily damaged. After losing steerage around 01:17, Jintsū came to a dead stop, was reduced to a wreck, broken in two by several torpedo hits, and sank at about 01:45, with the loss of nearly her entire crew including Isaki. On the Allied side, Leander was hit by a shell from Jintsū. The damage was light but severed radio communications. Several Japanese torpedoes were spotted, and the Allied ships began evasive action. These counter-maneuvers were hampered by faulty communications and thick gunsmoke that reduced visibility. Consequently, several ships turned wide to avoid collisions, including Leander which was struck by one of the Japanese torpedoes. Severely damaged, the New Zealand cruiser retired from the battle escorted by Radford and Jenkins. Her damage was so severe that she took no further part in the war.
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