Battle of Kolombangara
| date | July 12. bis 13. July 1943 |
|---|---|
| place | off Kolombangara , Pacific |
| output | Japanese victory |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
| Commander | |
| Troop strength | |
| 3 light cruisers, 10 destroyers |
1 light cruiser , 5 destroyers , 4 transport destroyers |
| losses | |
|
3 light cruisers damaged, |
1 light cruiser sunk |
The Battle of Kolombangara was a naval battle between the Japanese and American and New Zealand navies during World War II . It took place on the night of July 12th to 13th, 1943, off Kolombangara in the Solomon Islands .
prehistory
On the night of July 12, 1943, the Japanese tried to bring reinforcement troops to Vila on the south coast of Kolombangara. The convoy, under the command of Rear Admiral Shunji Izaki , consisted of the light cruiser Jintsū , the destroyers Mikazuki , Yukikaze , Kiyonami and Yugure, and the transport destroyers Satsuki, Minazuki, Yunagi and Matsukaze.
The American forces, under the command of Rear Admiral Walden Lee Ainsworth, consisted of the light cruisers USS Honolulu , USS St. Louis and HMNZS Leander and the destroyers USS Nicholas , USS O'Bannon , USS Taylor , USS Jenkins , USS Radford , USS Ralph Talbot , USS Buchanan , USS Maury , USS Woodworth, and USS Gwin . They ran in a line with five destroyers as the vanguard, followed by the cruisers and five destroyers at the end.
The battle
At 1 a.m. on July 13, the Allied ships had radar contact for the first time about 30 kilometers east of the northern tip of Kolombangara. Ainsworth believed he had the surprise effect on his side, but the Japanese knew two hours in advance because they were using a receiver that could receive the electrical impulses from American radar before they came within range.
The American destroyers increased their speed to attack the Japanese while the cruisers turned to use all of their main guns. But the Japanese had already shot down torpedoes and, with the exception of the Jintsū , drove away. This attacked the Allied ships and was shot down by the concentrated fire of the Americans. The Leander was hit by a torpedo and badly damaged. She withdrew from the battle, accompanied by the Redford and the Jenkins . The Jintsū was hit by torpedoes, broke in two and sank at 1:45 a.m. with almost the entire crew and Admiral Izaki.
Instead of ending the battle and returning victorious, Admiral Ainsworth tried to pursue the Japanese destroyers. At 01:56 a.m., the Honolulu had radar contact with a group of ships. Since Ainsworth was not sure where the detached destroyers were, it took him a few minutes to determine their position.
In the meantime, however, the Japanese destroyers had shot down their torpedoes. Ainsworth gave the order to turn and open fire. Before the order could be carried out, the St. Louis was hit by a torpedo on the bow, and so was the Honolulu . The Gwin received a hit amidships and was sunk at 09:30 the next morning. The Ralph Talbot was the only American ship in this part of the battle that could actively intervene in the battle. But it was only enough to shoot a few untargeted torpedoes at the fleeing Japanese.
Result
_on_20_July_1943,_after_she_was_torpedoed_in_the_Battle_of_Kolombangara_(80-G-259422).jpg)
_at_Tulagi,_after_she_was_torpedoed_in_the_Battle_of_Kolombangara,_20_July_1943_(80-G-259410).jpg)
With the exception of the Jintsū , which attracted American fire as a result of their attack, all Japanese ships escaped, and the transport destroyers landed 1,200 men of the Japanese army at Vila as planned . The American cruisers Honolulu and St. Louis were out of action for several months. The repair of the Leander took a year; it was no longer used.