America Stunned Japan With The USS Helena Light Cruiser Which Destroyed Japanese Navy in WW2

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In 1943, American amphibious forces were returning from a voyage to Kula Gulf in the Central Solomon Islands. Rear Admiral Walden L. Ainsworth was satisfied with the operation, which was executed under cover of darkness. However, the light cruiser Helena was lost in the inconclusive 1943 sea battle. The American forces were directed to set an ambush by Admiral William Halsey, who warned them of enemy destroyers in Kula Gulf. The American forces were led by seven warships, including Helena, St. Louis, Honolulu, and four destroyers. Japanese Rear Admiral Teruo Akiyama led a flotilla of 10 destroyers for the night’s operation, which was planned to deliver troops and supplies to Vila on the southern coast of Kolombangara. The American task force arrived at the entrance of Kula Gulf shortly after midnight, with bad weather preventing attacks.

American radar detected enemy ships at 1:36 am, but the American sailors were unaware they had been sighted by the enemy almost half an hour earlier. Admiral Akiyama initially planned to proceed with his operation, but changed plans as the American ships moved closer. Ainsworth directed his warships to form a single column and fired on the closest group. The American battle plan was built on radar technology, with the strategy focusing on guns over torpedoes. Japanese naval doctrine relied heavily on torpedoes and limited gunfire. The battle started at 1:57 am, with American ships opening fire at almost the same time. American shells caused damage, but the Japanese flagship Niizuki was out of the battle and would soon sink.

The Japanese counterattack began after the American ships opened fire, with Suzukaze and Tanikaze firing torpedoes and turning sharply to avoid the burning Niizuki. The Americans had a key weakness due to a short supply of flashless gunpowder, especially aboard the light cruiser Helena. The battle continued as underwater missiles sped toward the American ships, with the torpedoes only finding two American hulls. The battle continued as the American ships turned west, but could not locate any Japanese warships. Ainsworth directed two destroyers to thoroughly search the area, but Helena failed to respond. The subsiding battle allowed Ainsworth to focus on the plight of Helena, as the ship had fallen out of formation and failed to answer routine acknowledgments after a turn.

The search of Kula Gulf by Radford led to the discovery of the missing Helena, a warship with a hull number of 50. Admiral Ainsworth directed Nicholas and Radford to search for survivors, with Captain McInerney on Nicholas in charge. The rescue operation was dangerous, as the enemy was thought to have left the gulf. The Japanese ships continued to unload troops and supplies at Vila, causing further clashes. The Japanese destroyer Nagatsuki ran aground, while the destroyer Amagiri found Niizuki survivors. The ensuing clash was brief but fierce, with both sides suffering near misses but no hits. The last American and Japanese warships left Kula Gulf silent, leaving hundreds of Helena and Niizuki survivors stranded in the water.

Admiral Ainsworth predicted a solid victory against the Imperial Japanese Navy in the Battle of Kula Gulf in 1943. However, his conclusions were far from accurate due to the heavy reliance on radar-controlled gunfire and underappreciated Japanese night fighting capabilities. The battle was close to a draw, with the USS Helena being the sole US warship sunk. The Japanese lost two destroyers, Niizuki and Nagatsuki, but were able to deliver 1,600 troops and 90 tons of supplies to Kolombangara. The battle was just one of many sea battles fought in the South Pacific, and American forces continued to advance, while the Japanese Navy continued to lose ships it could not replace. The bravery of the sailors who went to sea in the thin hulled destroyers during the battle speaks volumes about the US Navy’s efforts to meet the Japanese surface fleet.

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