Battle of Kolombangara
Encyclopedia
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 Kolombangara
in the Solomon Islands
.
" reinforcement force—commanded by Sho-sho (Rear Admiral) Shunji Izaki and comprising the light cruiser
, the destroyer
s , , , and and the destroyer transports , , , and —made a run down "The Slot
" from the upper Solomons to land troops at Vila on Kolombangara by way of Kula Gulf
on the night of 12 July 1943.
An Allied
force—commanded by Rear Admiral Walden L. Ainsworth
and comprising the United States Navy
light cruisers and and Royal New Zealand Navy
light cruiser , and the destroyers , , , , , , , , , and —were deployed in a single column with five destroyers in the van followed by the light cruisers and then by five destroyers in the rear.
The U.S. had landed troops of the 37th Infantry Division on New Georgia
to attack Munda
the week before and had just placed Marine Raiders
ashore at Rice Anchorage on New Georgia's northern shore to seize Bairoko
. Admiral Ainsworth's mission was to protect the north shore beachhead
from attack by the "Tokyo Express" and if possible to prevent Imperial reinforcements from landing.
at 7°50′S 157°21′E. Ainsworth assumed he had complete surprise, but the Japanese had been aware of the Allied force for almost two hours. The destroyers increased speed to engage the Japanese force while the cruisers turned to deploy their main batteries, but the Imperial destroyers had already launched torpedo
es and turned away. Jintsu engaged the Allied ships, but all Allied fire was concentrated on the largest ship. Jintsu was reduced to a wreck while Leander was struck by a torpedo and, severely damaged, retired from the battle escorted by Radford and Jenkins. Jintsu was finally broken in two by torpedo hits and sank at about 01:45, with the loss of nearly her entire crew, including Sho-sho Izaki.
Ainsworth pursued the Imperial destroyers, but both St. Louis and Honolulu were struck by torpedoes and damaged, while Gwin was struck amidships and scuttled at 09:30 the next morning.
Except for Jintsu, the Japanese force escaped damage, and the transport destroyers successfully landed 1,200 men at Vila. The Emperor's men had won a tactical victory, but of the action the naval historian Samuel Eliot Morison
wrote: "A string of such victories added up to defeat."
Though at a severe cost, Ainsworth also accomplished his mission of preventing an attack on the Marines, and combined with the earlier Battle of Kula Gulf
, successfully deterred the Japanese from future use of Kula Gulf in reinforcing Munda. After the Battle of Kolombangara, the Japanese chose to use Vella Gulf
, Blackett Strait
, and the more constricted passage at Wana Wana, resulting in a series of nightly attacks by U.S. destroyers and PT boat
s against their reinforcement efforts.
Naval battle
A naval battle is a battle fought using boats, ships or other waterborne vessels. Most naval battles have occurred at sea, but a few have taken place on lakes or rivers. The earliest recorded naval battle took place in 1210 BC near Cyprus...
of the Pacific campaign
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, fought on the night of 12/13 July 1943, off Kolombangara
Kolombangara
Kolombangara is an island in the New Georgia Islands group of the Solomon Islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean...
in the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
.
Background
A Japanese "Tokyo ExpressTokyo Express
The Tokyo Express was the name given by Allied forces to the use of Imperial Japanese Navy ships at night to deliver personnel, supplies, and equipment to Japanese forces operating in and around New Guinea and the Solomon Islands during the Pacific campaign of World War II...
" reinforcement force—commanded by Sho-sho (Rear Admiral) Shunji Izaki and comprising the light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
, the destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s , , , and and the destroyer transports , , , and —made a run down "The Slot
New Georgia Sound
New Georgia Sound is the body of water that runs approximately through the middle of the Solomon Islands. The Sound is bounded by Choiseul Island, Santa Isabel Island, and Florida Island to the north, and by Vella Lavella, Kolombangara, New Georgia, and the Russell Islands to the south...
" from the upper Solomons to land troops at Vila on Kolombangara by way of Kula Gulf
Kula Gulf
Kula Gulf is a waterway in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. It lies between the islands of Kolombangara to the west, Arundel Island to the southwest, and New Georgia to the south and east. To the north, it opens into New Georgia Sound...
on the night of 12 July 1943.
An Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
force—commanded by Rear Admiral Walden L. Ainsworth
Walden L. Ainsworth
Walden Lee "Pug" Ainsworth was an admiral of the United States Navy. For his role in commanding destroyer and cruiser task forces in the Pacific during World War II, he was awarded the Navy Cross, the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, and the Legion of Merit.-Early life and career:Ainsworth was...
and comprising the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
light cruisers and and Royal New Zealand Navy
Royal New Zealand Navy
The Royal New Zealand Navy is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force...
light cruiser , and the destroyers , , , , , , , , , and —were deployed in a single column with five destroyers in the van followed by the light cruisers and then by five destroyers in the rear.
The U.S. had landed troops of the 37th Infantry Division on New Georgia
New Georgia
New Georgia is the largest island of the Western Province of the Solomon Islands.-Geography:This island is located in the New Georgia Group, an archipelago including most of the other larger islands in the province...
to attack Munda
Munda (Solomon Islands)
Munda is the largest settlement on the island of New Georgia in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands, and consists of a number of villages...
the week before and had just placed Marine Raiders
Marine Raiders
The Marine Raiders were elite units established by the United States Marine Corps during World War II to conduct amphibious light infantry warfare, particularly in landing in rubber boats and operating behind the lines...
ashore at Rice Anchorage on New Georgia's northern shore to seize Bairoko
Bairoko Harbor
Bairoko Harbor is situated along the northwestern shore of the island of New Georgia in the Solomon Islands.During World War II Japan used Bairoko Harbor to resupply its forces at Munda Point, an airstrip situated along the south coast of New Georgia...
. Admiral Ainsworth's mission was to protect the north shore beachhead
Beachhead
Beachhead is a military term used to describe the line created when a unit reaches a beach, and begins to defend that area of beach, while other reinforcements help out, until a unit large enough to begin advancing has arrived. It is sometimes used interchangeably with Bridgehead and Lodgement...
from attack by the "Tokyo Express" and if possible to prevent Imperial reinforcements from landing.
Battle
At 01:00 on 13 July, the Allied ships established radar contact about 20 mi (17.4 nmi; 32.2 km) east of the northern tip of KolombangaraKolombangara
Kolombangara is an island in the New Georgia Islands group of the Solomon Islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean...
at 7°50′S 157°21′E. Ainsworth assumed he had complete surprise, but the Japanese had been aware of the Allied force for almost two hours. The destroyers increased speed to engage the Japanese force while the cruisers turned to deploy their main batteries, but the Imperial destroyers had already launched torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
es and turned away. Jintsu engaged the Allied ships, but all Allied fire was concentrated on the largest ship. Jintsu was reduced to a wreck while Leander was struck by a torpedo and, severely damaged, retired from the battle escorted by Radford and Jenkins. Jintsu was finally broken in two by torpedo hits and sank at about 01:45, with the loss of nearly her entire crew, including Sho-sho Izaki.
Ainsworth pursued the Imperial destroyers, but both St. Louis and Honolulu were struck by torpedoes and damaged, while Gwin was struck amidships and scuttled at 09:30 the next morning.
Aftermath
Honolulu and St. Louis were out of action for several months, while Leander was under repair for a year and never returned to action during World War II.Except for Jintsu, the Japanese force escaped damage, and the transport destroyers successfully landed 1,200 men at Vila. The Emperor's men had won a tactical victory, but of the action the naval historian Samuel Eliot Morison
Samuel Eliot Morison
Samuel Eliot Morison, Rear Admiral, United States Naval Reserve was an American historian noted for his works of maritime history that were both authoritative and highly readable. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1912, and taught history at the university for 40 years...
wrote: "A string of such victories added up to defeat."
Though at a severe cost, Ainsworth also accomplished his mission of preventing an attack on the Marines, and combined with the earlier Battle of Kula Gulf
Battle of Kula Gulf
The naval Battle of Kula Gulf took place in the early hours of 6 July 1943 during World War II and was between United States and Japanese ships off the coast of Kolombangara in the Solomon Islands.-Background:...
, successfully deterred the Japanese from future use of Kula Gulf in reinforcing Munda. After the Battle of Kolombangara, the Japanese chose to use Vella Gulf
Vella Gulf
Vella Gulf is a waterway in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. It lies between the islands of Vella Lavella to the northwest, Kolombangara to the southeast, and Ghizo to the south...
, Blackett Strait
Blackett Strait
Blackett Strait is a waterway in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. It lies between the islands of Kolombangara to the north, and Arundel Island to the south...
, and the more constricted passage at Wana Wana, resulting in a series of nightly attacks by U.S. destroyers and PT boat
PT boat
PT Boats were a variety of motor torpedo boat , a small, fast vessel used by the United States Navy in World War II to attack larger surface ships. The PT boat squadrons were nicknamed "the mosquito fleet". The Japanese called them "Devil Boats".The original pre–World War I torpedo boats were...
s against their reinforcement efforts.