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In the Battle of Tassafaronga, New Orleans steamed in line astern of Minneapolis. When Minneapolis was hit by Japanese torpedoes and slowed, New Orleans swerved out of line and took a torpedo which removed her bow back to turret number 1. As the bow passed down the side of the cruiser, it punched additional holes the length of the ship. A temporary bow was fashioned of coconut logs, enabling the cruiser to reach Australia for repairs. This ensign was flown by New Orleans during the battle.
The "Little Beavers":
In two battles, just more than a year apart, one American showed that the United States Navy could beat the Japanese at their type of warfare: night surface engagements. Capt Arleigh Burke, commander of Destroyer Squadron 23, the famous "Little Beavers," used destroyers aggressively and took the battle to the enemy.
Battle of Empress Augusta Bay -- 2 November 1942:
In an attempt to block the Tokyo Express, the nighttime transport of troops to Guadalcanal, four American cruisers and eight destroyers met an almost equal force of Japanese.
Arleigh Burke's famous "Little Beavers" attacked first with torpedoes, all of which missed. The battle became confused. Two Japanese heavy cruisers collided, adding to their losses of one cruiser and one destroyer. Two American cruisers and one destroyer were damaged. The Americans would return to fight again.
Arleigh A. Burke (1901-1906) USNA 1923:
One of the most noted commanders of the Twentieth Century, Burke's career spanned both World War II and the Cold War. As the commander of Destroyer Squadron 23, the "Little Beavers," Burke led his destroyers in 22 engagements against the enemy. He spent much of the war as chief of staff to Admiral Mitscher on board carriers. After the war, Burke served in the Pentagon and was instrumental in fighting service unification. He was a principal negotiator in ending the fighting in Korea. Admiral Burke's career culminated as Chief of Naval Operations, a position he held longer than any other person.
Battle of Cape St. George -- 25 November 1943:
In what has been called the "almost perfect surface action," Burke's five destroyers met five enemy destroyers in the Battle of Cape St. George on 25 November 1943. Using radar, the Little Beavers closed to 5,500 years [sic -- presumably "yards"] before loosing torpedoes. As the torpedoes hit, the Americans opened up with their 5-inch guns. Three Japanese ships were sunk and one was damaged.
Naval Battle of Guadalcanal -- 12-14 November 1942:
Determined to take back Guadalcanal at any cost, Admiral Yamamoto ordered Rear Adm Raizo Tanaka to escort an additional 11,000 troops to the island. Battleships Hiei and Kirishima led the way.
United States cruisers and destroyers, commanded by Rear Adm Daniel J. Callaghan, had a brief but fierce encounter off Lunga Point with the Japanese. American losses included the light cruiser Atlanta, and the destroyers Barton, Cushing, and Laffey. Japan's losses included two destroyers, and the battleship Hiei.
The Naval Battle for Guadalcanal continued with another push up the "Slot" by Japanese transports. Planes from Enterprise and B-17s from the island of Espiritu Santo hit them throughout the day.
On the night of 13 November, two new American battleships arrived: Washington and South Dakota. The duel at sea continued. South Dakota was damaged, but Washington's radar-aimed guns concentrated on Kirishima. The Japanese battleship was so damaged that she was scuttled, along with a destroyer.
Battle of Taasafaronga -- 30 November 1942:
Yet another effort to resupply Japanese troops led to a naval battle just off the coast of Guadalcanal. The Navy task force of heavy cruisers, a light cruiser, and six destroyers clashed with eight Japanese destroyers.
The superiority of Japan's "Long Lance" torpedoes, which removed the bow of the heavy cruiser Minneapolis, made the battle a tactical victory for the Imperial Navy.
Americans sent the Japanese destroyer Takanami to the bottom, but gunfire and "Long Lance" torpedoes badly damaged nearly every American combatant and sank Northhampton.
In April 1943, naval intelligence intercepted a message outlining an inspection tour of the Solomon Islands by Admiral Yamamoto. Admiral Nimitz gave the go ahead to shoot down the Japanese commander. On 18 April , 16 Army P-38 "Lightnings" from Guadalcanal shot down a pair of Japanese transport planes. One carried Admiral Yamamoto to his death.
Replaceable Losses:
After a year of hard fighting, the epic struggle for the Solomon Islands came to an end; the Allies would be one step closer to Japan. The campaign saw almost equal numbers of American and Japanese losses in ships and aircraft. But, where the Japanese struggled to replace their losses, the United States could return two or three ships and aircraft for each one they lost, eventually overwhelming the Imperial Navy in numbers and quality. Although the war in the Pacific would last another two years, the Solomons campaign showed the futility of the Japanese struggle. |