November 1942 (1)

IJN ship Kirishima and Takao enroute to Guadalcanal

Throughout November, the US forces put constant pressure on the Japanese.  After Adm. Halsey’s “pep talk”, the PT boats, out of Tulagi, stepped up their action against the Tokyo Express that brought reinforcements and supplies every night to the island.  On 7 November, aircraft from Henderson Field bombed and damaged 2 enemy destroyers.

11 November, the HYPO cryptanalysts uncovered the plans for yet another massive Japanese effort to reinforce Guadalcanal on the 13th.  [HYPO = He’eia, Hawaii, radio tower, Fleet Radio Unit Pacific under OP – 20 G Naval Intelligence, Washington,D.C.]

Taken during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, Nov. 1942

12 November – a Japanese convoy of transport ships carrying 1,300 men and supported by 11 destroyers were on course for the island as Adm. Tanaka’s 18 warships bombarded Henderson Field.  Enemy carriers in the Solomon area were giving support, when RAdm. Callaghan moved in by radar to intercept.  He failed to order his 8 destroyers far enough ahead of Adm. Scott [on the light cruiser Atlanta] with the Portland, Helena and Juneau.  Then, as  the two forces met between Guadalcanal and Savo Island, there were a series of maneuvering errors.  The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal became very bloody within minutes.

The Japanese had 2 cruisers sunk and the destroyer Yudachi.  The enemy destroyer Akatsuki lay dead in the water and the battleship Hiei was later crippled.  Adm. Callaghan was killed as the Kirishima crashed into the San Francisco broadside and killed everyone on the bridge.  A torpedo sliced the destroyer Barton in half, Laffey, Cushing and Aaron Ward lay crippled in the water.  The Juneau was hit by the Japanese submarine I-26 and erupted.

Aerial view for Henderson Field

With the US loss of one cruiser and four destroyers, almost every vessel in this action was damaged.  [The Five Sullivan Brothers of Waterloo, Iowa died during this battle; a more complete story will follow.]

Japanese Adm. Abe would receive no commendations from his superiors for his tactical success due to his failure to carry out his assigned mission to destroy Henderson Field.  He was ordered to have the cruiser Kurishima tow the Hiei, but Abe had already sent the cruiser out to fend off air attacks.  By this time, aircraft from the Enterprise and B-17s from Espiritu Santo had arrived and utterly destroyed the Hiei on the 14th.  Abe abandoned ship to the Yukase and Adm. Yamamoto deemed him unworthy of any further commands.

SeaBees at Henderson Field

No US warships were available to stop the bombardment of Henderson Field from Adm. Mikawa’s 3 heavy cruisers.  The frantic efforts of the PT boats were no match for the 1,000 8″ rounds being fired.  Had the enemy used 14″ shells, the end result might have been drastically different.  However, the SeaBees hustled throughout the night to put the field back together well enough by morning for the Marine Avengers to take off.

Click on images to enlarge.

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Military Humor – via Sad Sack – 

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Farewell Salutes – 

William Beckman III – WRiviera Bch, FL; US Army, Vietnam, Army Intel Corps

Roy Bounds – AUS; AIF # NX69844, WWII, Australia Pioneer Battalion

John Ellis Jr. – Frankfort, MI; US Army, WWII, PTO

Harry Gates – Palm Bch Gardens, FL; US Coast Guard, WWII

James Hitter – Post Falls, ID; US Air Force/USANG, LtCol. (Ret. 37 years)

Robert Kranich – Strasburg, VA; US Army, Colonel (Ret.)

John Rhodes – Northland, NZ; RNZ Air Force # 442744, WWII

Louis Self – Salem, OR ; US Army, Sgt. (Ret. 21 years)

Franklin Smith – Lake Worth, FL; US Army, Korea

Michael Winney – Glendale, AZ; US Army, WWII

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Personal note – Sometimes it takes me a while to get back to everyone’s site, [yesterday for example, I was out of town visiting my mother-in-law – it takes time to catch up], but reading your posts is as important to me as putting in  my own.  I ask you all to be patient and I will be there.  I’ve noticed lately that I have been losing followers and I sincerely hope it is NOT because they feel neglected.

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