The Battle of Kolombangara was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on the night of 12 July, 1943 – 13 July, 1943 off Kolombangara in the Solomon Islands.

A Japanese force, commanded by Rear Admiral Shunji Izaki and comprising the light cruiser Jintsu , the destroyers Mikazuki , Yukikaze, Hamakaze , Kiyonami and Yugure and the destroyer transports Satsuki , Minazuki , Yunagi , and Matsukaze , made a run to land reinforcements on Vila on the night of 12 July 1943.

An Allied force, commanded by Rear Admiral Walden Lee Ainsworth and comprising the light cruisers USS Honolulu, USS St. Louis and HMNZS Leander, and the destroyers Nicholas, O’Bannon , Taylor, Jenkins, USS Radford , Ralph Talbot, Buchanan, Maury, Woodworth and Gwin , were deployed in a single column with five destroyers in the van followed by the cruisers and five destroyers in the rear.

At 01:00 on 13 July the Allied ships established radar contact about twenty miles (30 km) east of the northern tip of Kolombangara. Ainsworth assumed he had complete surprise but the Japanese had been aware of the Allied force for almost two hours. The destroyers increased speed to engage the Japanese force while the cruisers turned to deploy their main batteries but the Japanese destroyers had already launched torpedoes and turned away. Jintsu engaged the Allied ships but all American fire was concentrated on the largest ship and she was reduced to a wreck while Leander was struck by a torpedo and, severely damaged, retired from the battle escorted by Radford and Jenkins. Jintsu was finally broken in two by torpedo hits and sank at about 01:45, with the loss of nearly the entire crew, including Admiral Izaki.

Ainsworth pursued the Japanese destroyers but both St. Louis and Honolulu were struck by torpedoes and damaged while Gwin was struck amidships and scuttled at 09:30 the next morning. Honolulu and St. Louis were out of action for several months while Leander was under repair for a year and never returned to action.

Except for Jintsu the Japanese force escaped damage and the transport destroyers successfully landed 1,200 men on Vila. In every respect, this battle was a major defeat for the Allies.

Reference

• Samuel Eliot Morison, Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier (Little, Brown, 1950) pp. 180-191

External links

• Description by Vincent O'Hara