The Battle of Blackett Strait was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on 6 March 1943 in the Blackett Strait, between Kolombangara Island and Arundel Island in the Solomon Islands.

After the American victory in the battle of Guadalcanal, operations in the Solomon Islands shifted to the west, where the Japanese maintained a substantial garrison on Kolombangara. On the night of 5 March 1943 the Japanese destroyers Murasame and Minegumo, commanded by Lieutenant Commander Yōji Tanegashima took supplies to the Japanese base at Vila, on Kolombangara.

As they withdrew after landing their cargo, the two ships encountered the American Task Force 68 of three cruisers (Montpelier, Cleveland , and Denver) and three destroyers (Conway , Cony , and Waller) commanded by Rear Admiral Aaron S. Merrill , that had been bombarding Japanese positions at Vila.

In a short battle, both Japanese destroyers were sunk with no survivors.

See also

• There were several other engagements in Blackett Strait, including one on 2 August 1943 in which the American torpedo boat PT-109 was sunk by the Japanese destroyer Amagiri.

References

• P. Dull, A Battle History of the Imperial Japanese Navy 1941–1945

External links

• Order of battle