Torpedo damage - 2nd battle of Kula Gulf - Kolombangara Island
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Torpedo damage - 2nd battle of Kula Gulf - Kolombangara Island |
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Updated -- 12/29/08 Battle of Kolombangara: July 13, 1943 by Vincent P. O'Hara Admiral Ainsworth believed he had inflicted severe damage on the Japanese at Kula Gulf and he was commendably eager to inflict more. The opportunity to do so came quickly enough. The American campaign to take Vila was not going well. Morrison called it the "most unintelligently waged land campaign of the Pacific war." Japanese reinforcements might have been enough to tip the balance and reinforcements were on the way. A "Tokyo Express" was scheduled for the 0100 night of July 12-13. The Japanese force, commanded by Rear Admiral Izaki, consisted of a support group of one light cruiser and five destroyers and a transport group of four destroyer transports. These were: Support Group - light cruiser Jintsu, destroyers Mikazuki, Yukikaze, Hamakaze, Kiyonami and Yugure and Transport Group - destroyer transports Satsuki, Minazuki, Yunagi, and Matsukaze. Ainsworth had been reinforced for this battle. He had light cruisers Honolulu, HMNZS Leander, and St. Louis; Destroyer Squadron 21 with Nicholas, O’Bannon, Taylor, Jenkins, and Radford; and Destroyer Squadron 12 with Ralph Talbot, Buchanan, Maury, Woodworth and Gwin. Destroyer Squadron 12 with six vessels had been added to Ainsworth force, along with the Leander, to offset the attrition his force had suffered in its frequent forays up the Slot. These last minute additions had never operated with Ainsworth before. That a smaller, well-integrated group was more effective than a larger slap-together force was a lesson the Americans were a long time learning. "Black Cat" PBY Catalina aircraft spotted the Japanese at 0036 at a distance of 26 miles. The Allies established radar contact at 0100 and visual contact three minutes later. Ainsworth’s had deployed his task force in a single column with five destroyers in the van followed by the cruisers and five destroyers in the rear. At this time the Allied force was heading west about twenty miles east of the northern tip of Kolombangara. The Japanese Support Group, also in a single column, was proceeding southeast about 12 miles off Kolombangara. Ainsworth was again complacently assuming he had complete surprise. In fact, Admiral Izaki had been aware of the Allied force for almost two hours. The Japanese had invented a useful device that sensed a radar’s electric impulse, apparently at a range greater than the radar itself was able to function. Izaki was able to use this device in its first operational test to accurately plot the approach of the Allied task force. At 0106 Ainsworth turned the cruisers 30E right to unmask their main batteries while ordering the lead destroyers to increase speed. The van destroyers began launching torpedoes at 0110 at a range of 10,000 yards. The Japanese beat them to the mark by two minutes, launching torpedoes between 0108 and 0114. Izaki then turned his column almost directly north. Jintsu snapped on her searchlight as the torpedoes got underway and opened fire. Honolulu closed to 10,000 yards and the Allied cruisers replied at 0112. The Allies had spotting aircraft overhead as well as radar direction. As usual, all fire was concentrated on the largest ship. In eighteen minutes between 0112 and 0130 Jintsu was the unfortunate target of 2,630 6" and 353 5" shells. She was dead in the water by 0117 when she was hit by an American torpedo. At 0117 Ainsworth ordered a turn to the south. Leander turned wide and caught a torpedo at 0122, suffering severe damage. Given the number of torpedoes fired by the Japanese, the Allies were fortunate she was the only ship hit during this portion of the battle. Leander retired from the battle, working up to 10 knots, escorted by Radford and Jenkins. Mikazuki apparently stayed by Jintsu to assist her while the other four destroyers sped north, then northwest, passing through a rain squall along the way. By 0136 they had finished reloading their torpedo tubes and turned back to the southeast, ready for more action. At 0131 Ainsworth dispatched Nicholas, O’Bannon and Taylor to chase them. They didn’t make it very far, sending more torpedoes into the two burning halves of Jintsu at 0138 and finishing her off. They were about 20,000 yards west of the main American force at this time. Ainsworth had a decision to make. As usual, he believed he had done very well, sinking between three and six ships and probably crippling the balance. Rather than turn for home as the fortunate victor in a sharp action, he elected to bend a course northwest at 30 knots and finish off the imaginary cripples. At 0156 Honolulu’s radar picked up a group of ships at a range of 23,000 yards. Unfortunately, Ainsworth was not clear where his three detached destroyers were. He spent several minutes trying to determine their location. At 0205 he had the unknown ships illuminated with star shell and observed they were turning away as if they had just fired torpedoes. They had. The radar detection device on Yukikaze had alerted them to the presence of the American ships by 0157. Ainsworth ordered a 60E turn to port to unmask guns and ordered open fire, but, at 0208 before this order could be obeyed, St. Louis was struck by a torpedo in her bow. Honolulu dodged several others, but was hit in the same place at 0211, and by a dud in her stern. At 0214, Gwin took one amidships and exploded. Ralph Talbot was the only American vessel to take any action during this portion of the battle, ineffectively sending torpedoes after the fleeing Japanese at 0213. Gwin was scuttled at 0930 the next morning. Honolulu and St. Louis were out of action for several months, returning to Pearl Harbor for new bows, and then to Mare Island for refitting and replacement of their anti-air armament. Leander had to go all the way to Boston and was under repair for a year. She never returned to action. Except for Jintsu, the Japanese force completely escaped damage. The Transport Group successfully landed 1,200 men on Vila. In every respect, this battle was a major defeat for the Allies. Battle of Kolombangara or Second Kula Gulf. Cruisers: HONOLULU , ST. LOUIS, and LEANDER Destroyers: O’BANNON, NICHOLAS, RADFORD , JENKINS, TAYLOR, GWIN, FARENHOLT, MAURY, BUCHANAN and the RALPH TALBOT. (Task Force 18 plus Others from the task Group) Time: 0109 Date: July 13, 1943 0042 Surface contact of six ships at 40,000 yards one "Cruiser" and "five" Cans 0102 Radar Data: range 22,000, speed 16 Knots. 0105 Enemy ships now in sight off port Bow 0106 Range on four Stack Cruiser 20,000 Yards, Bearing 030 degrees. 0109 Our Destroyers now Launching Torpedo attacks 0111 Open fire to Starboard 0112 Enemy Cruiser Returning fire and Using Searchlights. 0113 Enemy Searchlight knocked Out. 0114 Enemy ship Exploded. several Fires on Jap Ships 0115 Ship on fire off starboard bow. 0117 Heavy Underwater ex[;explosion Felt. 0118 Reverse course 180 degrees 0119 One more target left at 10,000 yards dead ahead. 0120 Open fire on Port. enemy ship Returning Fire 0122 Target range 12,000 Yards. 0123 Heavy Under water explosion felt. 0124 Target speed now one and one half knots . 0125 HONOLULU has shifted to rapid fire: 0127 All radar out of commission. 0128 No 1 radar back in commission. 0129 Cease Fire 0134 LEANDER has received Torpedo hit forward destroyers standing by 0138 Radar No. 2 back in commission. 0140 Our course 000 degrees, speed 27 Knots. 0141 Our Tin "Cans" are all illuminating the remaining Jap Ship. 0145 Enemy ship still firing Back. 0146 Target speed now zero. 0147 LEANDER now seems to be Dead in the Water 0149 Three New Targets, Bearing 310 degrees, 11,000 Yards 0150 LEANDER reports she can make 10 knots. 0155 Heavy Underwater explosion and a Jarring Felt. 0l56 ST. LOUIS has taken a Torpedo up Forward 0159 Course 330 degrees 0202 HONOLULU has contact at 14,000 Yards. 0205 HONOLULU opens fire off port Bow. HONOLULU has taken a torpedo hit also. 0209 The Torpedo hit us at Frame 11. 0212 Torpedo Wake off starboard quarter. 0223 Our speed now 7 knots. 0234 HONOLULU making same speed as ST. LOUIS. 0235 ST. LOUIS down by head two Feet. 0300 Speed now 16 Knots. 0325 Surface target on Screen, 315 degrees , at 9000 Yards. 0328 Air contact , 175 degrees, 7 miles 0400 Report from bridge that all three cruisers have been hit. GWIN and BUCHANAN have been damaged, and Ralph Talbot is towing GWIN. 0435 Tug being sent for LEANDER 0525 At this speed ,16 knots we will make Tulagi at 1600 0538 Unidentified planes closing in 0600 Reports say we sank all targets one cruiser and five destroyers. 0604 Planes coming in at 295 degrees 0615 Planes are ours nine groups reported forty miles away. 0700 Several pieces of the Torpedo have been found on the ship, one weighting about forty pounds 0715 Set Condition II, LEANDER and "Cans" out of sight. 1500 Observed T.F. 19 headed for New Georgia Island. 1600 Moored to piling along beach in Tulagi Harbor. July 14 Underway for ESPIRITU at 0600. speed almost 13 knots. Escorting "Cans" are WOODWORTH, FARENHOLT, BUCHANAN and Ralph Talbot had air and Submarine Emergency. Got sub, maybe. July 16 Arrived in ESPIRITU Santo, and moored along side the Vestal. Unloaded fuel and ammo. Ship is damaged back to Frame 23. Vestal will do repair work as far as practicable, as the New Dry Dock is not yet ready for work. Our bow is welded closed . July 28 Captain Campbell received the Navy Cross, for the first Battle of Kula Gulf, from task Force Commander, Adm. Ainsworth. .Adm. Ainsworth received one a few days ago From Admiral Halley. Shifted Berth from Vestal to Tappahanook. Aug. 1 Underway for the States At 0800, with the Chenango, a converted Carrier, a tanker (No 73) and three old Cans. Our speed is fifteen knots we have the Flag Personnel and transfers Aboard. Aug. 3 Crossed International Date Meridian, which will Cause us to have two Tuesdays this Week. Aug. 4 The carrier refueled the three "Cans". Aug. 7 Crossed the Equator at 0400 at the 161 Long. Aug. 8 Refueled from the Chenango at 0900. At 1700 left the Chenango and one "CAN"and headed for Pearl Harbor. Aug. 10 The MILOMI has engine trouble and is left behind. now Only the ST. LOUIS and the Hopkins Proceed Northeast at 15 Knots. Aug. 12 Refueled the Hopkins and Gave her Supplies. Aug. 13 Same two Ships, course Northeast, speed 13 Knots. Aug. 17 Arrived in San Francisco. Aug. 18 Moved up to Mare Island Navy Yard, and Began 21 days Leave. Sept.. 9 Leave Expired Oct. 31 Left Mare Island for the Solomons. |