November 1942 (4)

USS New Orleans nears Tulagi with her bow missing

The Battle of Tassafaronga, sometimes referred to as the Fourth Battle of Savo Island or, in Japanese sources, as the Battle of Lunga Point (ルンガ沖夜戦^?), was a nighttime naval battle that took place on November 30, 1942 between United States (US) Navy and Imperial Japanese Navy warships during the Guadalcanal campaign. The battle took place in Ironbottom Sound near the Tassafaronga area on Guadalcanal.

30 November – at 23:14 hours, operators on the USS Fletcher made radar contact with the enemy ship IJN Takanami about 7,000 yards away.  Cmdr, William Cole, of RAdm. Carleton Wright’s destroyer group, radioed for permission to fire.  Four minutes passed before Wright responded with the OK to fire; by then the enemy had escaped to a marginal position, passing the US ships abeam.  Wright also ordered his own cruisers to begin firing.

The Takanami was the closest Japanese vessel to Wright’s column and received most of the American gunfire as she released her full load of 8 torpedoes.  But she had been hit almost immediately, caught fire and within 4 minutes, was incapacitated.  So much attention was given to her, that the rest of Tanaka’s ships were increasing their speed, maneuvering and getting into position to avenge the US attack.

Adm. Tanaka’s flagship, IJN Naganami

Tanaka’s flagship, Naganami, reversed course to starboard, opened fire and set out a smoke screen as the Kawakaze and Suzukaze reversed course.  At 23:23, Suzukaze fired 8 torpedoes in the direction of Wright’s gun flashes, followed shortly after by the 2 other IJN vessels.

Four minutes later, 2 torpedoes slammed into the USS Minneapolis.  One warhead exploded the aviation fuel storage tanks and the other knocked out 3 of the ship’s 4 firerooms.  The bow forward of turret-one folded down at a 70-degree angle and the ship lost power and steering control and 37 men were KIA.

Less than a minute later, a torpedo hit the New Orleans and exploded the forward ammunition magazines and gasoline storage.  The blast severed the ship’s entire bow forward of turret two.  She was forced to reverse course; 183 men were KIA.  Pensacola took a torpedo abreast of the mainmast and flaming oil spread across the main deck and into the interior, killing 125 men and sitting dead in the water.  The last cruiser, Northampton, at 23:48 was hit by 2 of Kawakaze’s torpedoes.  The vessel listed 10 degrees and caught fire; 50 men were KIA.

USS Minneapolis damage

At 23:44, Tanaka ordered his ships to retire from the battle area and cancel rescue operations at the Takanami, due to the American ships proximity.  The surviving crew abandoned ship, but many were killed in the water when the ship exploded.  The Japanese destroyer division commander, Toshio Shimizu and the vessel’s captain, Masami Ogura were two of them.  Out of 244, only 48 of her crew reached Guadalcanal and 19 were captured.

PT boat carries survivors of the Northampton to Tulagi – New Orleans in the background

USS Fletcher and Drayton rescued 773 of the Northampton crew.  The Minneapolis, New Orleans and Pensacola returned to friendly ports for extensive repairs.  The New Orleans returned to action in August, Minneapolis in September and Pensacola in October 1943.

Click on images to enlarge.

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Military Humor – 

Our old buddy – SadSack!!

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Farewell Salutes – 

Matthew Ammerman – Noblesville, IN; US Army, Afghanistan, Sgt.

Doug Baker – AUS; RA Air Force, WWII, PTO, 86 Squadron, F/O, Mustang pilot

Melvin Belson – Hazel Park, MI; US Army Air Corps, WWII 2nd Air Div.

Harry DiCicco – FL; US Army, 169th Artillery/43rd Infantry Div.

Fleming Haley Jr. – WPalm Bch., FL; US Navy, Dental Corps, Lt.

Faith Hinkley – Colorado Springs, CO; US Army, 502nd Military Intelligence Battalion, Iraq, Sgt.

Frank King – Brookhaven, NZ; WWII serv. # 490113, Pvt.

George McArthur – Toronto, CAN; RC Air Force

John Robison – Boise, ID; US Navy, WWII, ETO, and Korea

Robert Robinson – Broad Channel, NY; US Army, WWII

Chester Shaffer – Salem, OR; US Army Air Corps, 187th RCT/11th Airborne Div.

Walter Sisung – Belle Chasse, LA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, HQS/457 Artillery Reg.

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