Battle of Vella Gulf

After the victory in the battle of Kolombangara, the Japanese made three more Tokyo Express runs to Vila unmolested. The last, involved the sinking of JFK’s PT-109. The Japanese planned for the night of August 6-7 to make another run with 900 troops and 55 tons of supplies. The Force would be led by Captain Sugiura with the destroyers Hagikaze, Arashi, Shigure, and Kawakaze. The mission was to follow the same plan as the August 1 run. Instead of using the normal procedure for these types of runs (if you could call it official procedure), Sugiura decided that the lead ship would also carry troops and supplies, preventing the option of a destroyer being used solely as a warship.

RADM Wilkinson received information on the 5th of the Japanese movements in the area and TF31.2 under Captain Frederick Moosbrugger was sent to intercept it. Moosbrugger’s force consisted of the destroyers Dunlap, Craven, Maury, Lang, Sterett, and Stack split into two groups, A-1 (consisting of the former three ships) and A-2 (the latter). Before setting out to find the Japanese, Moosbrugger held a conference with the six destroyer captains to explain his plans for the battle. The Americans where learning from past mistakes.

At around 2330 the Japanese entered Vella Gulf from the north. TF 32.1 was moving NE and at 2333 Dunlap followed by Craven reported radar contact. Division A-1 moved to make a torpedo attack while A-2 moved to cross the “T” of the Japanese column. Moosbrugger ordered all port side fish to be fired at 2341 with the range at around 6300 yards. Shortly after, a lookout onboard Shigure reported White waves. The Japanese knew they had been surprised by the Americans and knew the danger they where in but it was too late. In fact all four destroyers reported PT boats attacking them.

Shigure was the only Japanese ship in the column that got off a return salvo. As the torpedoes where fired from there tubes the three destroyers ahead of Shigure (due to the condition of her boiler, she was the slowest and was having trouble keeping up) where all hit by the American spread. Three hit Arashi in the engine room. As she was engulfed by flames she was hit by a fourth. Behind Arashi, Kawakaze was turning to stb when one torpedo struck her in the magazine creating an inferno along the forward half of the ship. Hagikaze was hit twice in the fire room, leaving her dead in the water and ablaze. Shigure had her rudder holed but lucky for her it was a dud. Shigure turned to starboard as she combed the spread causing two more torpedoes to pass within 20 yards of her. She continued her turn and retired north to reload her tubes, while making smoke to mask the ship.

At 2344 division A-2 being led by Commander Rodger Simpson capped the “T” and opened fire. The unfortunate victim of all three US destroyers was Kawakaze. She didn’t last very long and rolled over and sank at 2352. Some sources credit Stack with this sinking as she fired a torpedo spread at Kawakaze as the force opened up with guns. Division A-2 opened up with gunfire after the torpedoes had been expended. Arashi and Hagikaze returned fire with no effect.

Around midnight Moosbrugger turned his force northwest to intercept any reinforcement the Japanese had but none were forthcoming. Arashi and Hagikaze’s guns had gone silent while Shigure was moving back south after reloading torpedoes. At 0010 Arashi suffered a catastrophic explosion in her magazine. The sound of the explosion led Tameichi Hara to believe the force was under air attack and decided to retreat giving the order at 0015.

Division A-2 fired one last spread at the remaining Japanese ship on radar (Shigure was within range but did not show up) with two fish from each ship. Three explosions where heard and Hagikaze quickly slipped beneath the waves. A-2 would stay in the area searching for survivors. Many where found but the Japanese had decided death was more honorable than surrender and all refused a line.

The battle was an astounding success for the US. For the first time in 18 months a destroyer force was able to take offensive action, and defeat the Japanese in a night torpedo action. However it must be pointed out that the Americans had a few changes to their torpedoes before the engagement. First the use of Torpex in the warhead along with a flashless powder and flash shields on the tubes. The action turned out to be decisive as the Japanese quickly decided the island of Kolombangara was not possible to hold and began plans to evacuate. The Japanese lost three ships and over 1200 men while not a single Japanese shell hit a single American ship.