Battle of Cape St. George
Template:Short description Template:Infobox military conflict Template:Campaignbox Bougainville {{#invoke:Military navigation|main |name = {{safesubst:#if: | |{{safesubst:#if:[[Solomon Islands campaign|Template:Allow wrap]] |Campaignbox Solomons |}} }} |state = |border = |title = {{safesubst:#if:[[Solomon Islands campaign|Template:Allow wrap]]|[[Solomon Islands campaign|Template:Allow wrap]]|Campaignbox Solomons}} |bodyclass = |listclass = hlist |list1 = ;Southern Solomons
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The Battle of Cape St. George was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II fought on 25 November 1943, between Cape St. George, New Ireland, and Buka Island (now part of the North Solomons Province in Papua New Guinea). It was the last engagement of surface ships in the Solomon Islands campaign. During the engagement, a force of five US Navy destroyers led by Captain Arleigh Burke intercepted a similar sized Japanese force that was withdrawing from Buka towards Rabaul, having landed reinforcements on the island. In the ensuing fight, three Japanese destroyers were sunk and one was damaged, with no losses amongst the US forces.
Background
The Americans had landed Marines from the 3rd Marine Division around Cape Torokina on Bougainville Island on 1 November 1943.<ref>Morison, Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, p. 296.</ref> Judging the landings a ruse, and that the real Allied objective was the airfields around Buka Island to the north of Bougainville, the Japanese delayed launching a concerted counterattack on Cape Torokina, and instead determined to reinforce Buka.<ref>Costello, The Pacific War 1941–1945, p. 425.</ref> As a result, 920 Japanese Army troops were embarked on the destroyers Template:Ship, Template:Ship and Template:Ship under the command of Captain Katsumori Yamashiro and were sent to reinforce the garrison, escorted by the destroyers Template:Ship and Template:Ship under the command of Captain Kiyoto Kagawa. The convoy was spotted by reconnaissance aircraft,<ref>Costello, The Pacific War 1941–1945, p. 426.</ref><ref name="o'hara">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and the United States Navy sent Captain Arleigh Burke's Destroyer Squadron 23, composed of Destroyer Division 45 (Template:USS, Template:USS, and Template:USS), under Burke's direct command, and Destroyer Division 46 (Template:USS and Template:USS), under Commander Bernard Austin to intercept it. Meanwhile, nine PT boats under Commander Henry Farrow moved into the Buka Passage to engage the Japanese if Burke's force was unable to make contact.<ref>Morison, Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, pp. 353–354.</ref>
Battle
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The Japanese battle plan divided their force into two columns,<ref name=Tuohy239>Tuohy, America's Fighting Admirals, p. 239.</ref> with the three transport destroyers trailing the two escort destroyers.<ref>Jones, Destroyer Squadron 23: Combat Exploits of Arleigh Burke's Gallant Force, pp. 248–249.</ref> The American battle plan also divided their force into two columns using tactics devised by Burke and first employed successfully by Commander Frederick Moosbrugger at the Battle of Vella Gulf the previous August. One column would make a torpedo attack while the other took up a supporting position ready to open gunfire as soon as the first column's torpedo attack struck home.<ref name="Morison, p. 355">Morison, Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, p. 355.</ref>
The Japanese destroyers landed the 920 troops and supplies and embarked 700 Navy aviation personnel being withdrawn because Allied bombing had rendered the airfield at Buka non-operational.<ref name="o'hara"/><ref>Morison, Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, p. 353.</ref> The Japanese force was returning to Rabaul when Farrow's PT boats spotted four of the Japanese ships on their radar on 25 November 1943 just after midnight; however, the PT boats mistook the Japanese vessels for friendly forces and moved closer to shore. Two of the Japanese ships subsequently attacked the PT boats, firing on them and attempting to ram PT-318. They failed to score any hits, though, while one of the PT boats, PT-64, fired a torpedo which missed its target.<ref>Morison, Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, p. 354.</ref> Afterwards, the Japanese destroyers steamed west towards Cape St. George.<ref name=rickard/>
Around 01:41, Kagawa's two screening destroyers were picked up by radar by Burke's destroyers, which had moved into position between Cape St. George and Buka,<ref name=rickard/> with Dyson making contact first.<ref name="o'hara"/><ref name="Morison, p. 355"/> Poor visibility prevented the Japanese from spotting the American ships in turn. Burke elected to use his own division for the torpedo attack. Superior radar allowed the American ships to approach within Template:Convert and launch their torpedoes at about 01:55 before the Japanese sighted them. Onami was hit by several torpedoes and sank immediately with all hands, including Kagawa. Makinami was hit by one torpedo and disabled.<ref name=Morison356>Morison, Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, p. 356.</ref>
Burke's force established radar contact with the rest of the Japanese force at Template:Convert soon after launching their torpedoes and turned to pursue; Yamashiro's three transport destroyers fled north, pursued by Burke's division, while Converse and Spence from Austin's division finished off the disabled Makinami with torpedoes and gunfire. During the chase, torpedoes fired by Japanese destroyers exploded in the wakes of the American destroyers. Burke's three destroyers steadily gained on the three heavily laden Japanese destroyers, opening fire around 02:22, scoring several hits. Uzuki was hit by one dud shell and escaped without significant damage. Amagiri escaped untouched. Around 02:25, the Japanese ships split up and fled in different directions. Burke chose to pursue Yugiri with his entire force and sank her at about 03:28 after a fierce engagement.<ref>Morison, Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, pp. 356–357.</ref>
Aftermath
By 03:45, Burke’s and Austin's divisions had linked up, continuing to push north to pursue the withdrawing Japanese ships.<ref name="o'hara"/> Burke subsequently called off the attempt at 04:04, low on fuel and ammunition and needing to withdraw before daylight, when Japanese aircraft would likely begin operations to search for them. In the event, the only aircraft the US ships spotted once daylight came were friendly AirSols P-38 Lightnings.<ref>Morison, Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, p. 358.</ref>
The battle represented a significant victory for the Americans and was later described as an "almost perfect action," for which Burke was awarded a Navy Cross.<ref name=Tuohy239/> It was the final surface engagement of the Solomon Islands campaign<ref name="o'hara"/> and the last such action in the wider Pacific for nine months.<ref>Costello, The Pacific War 1941–1945, p. 427.</ref> Although the Japanese were able to land their troops and withdraw their supporting personnel, they lost three destroyers sunk and one damaged, without inflicting any losses on the American force.<ref name=rickard>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Amongst the Japanese crews, a total of 647 were killed.<ref name=makina/><ref name=onami/> A total of 279 survivors from Yugiri were rescued by the Japanese submarine Template:Jsub<ref name=Morison353/><ref>Template:Usurped</ref><ref name=combinedfleetI177>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and 11 by the Template:Jsub.<ref name=combinedfleetI177/>
Namesake
The U.S. Navy Template:Sclass guided-missile cruiser Template:USS, in commission since 1993, was named for this battle.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Notes
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- Citations
References
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External links
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- Campaignbox templates
- Conflicts in 1943
- Pacific Ocean theater of World War II
- Autonomous Region of Bougainville
- 1943 in Papua New Guinea
- 1943 in the Solomon Islands
- Territory of New Guinea
- Battles and operations of World War II involving Papua New Guinea
- Battles and operations of World War II involving the Solomon Islands
- World War II naval operations and battles of the Pacific theatre
- Naval battles of World War II involving Japan
- Naval battles of World War II involving the United States
- November 1943 in Oceania
- Japan–United States military relations
- Battles of World War II involving the United States