October 7, 1943 - Japanese execute approximately 100 American POWs on Wake Island. His vivid, balanced, and detailed narrative includes the Battle of Tassafarounga in November 1942 and Vella … An attempt to rescue some of the Japanese survivors ended in failure. Naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II fought on the night of 6–7 August 1943 in Vella Gulf between Vella Lavella Island and Kolombangara Island in the Solomon Islands of the Southwest Pacific. Commander Rodger Simpson commanded the other three destroyers, which had replaced some of their torpedoes with quad 40mm guns. Battle of Vella Gulf. The Battle of Vella Gulf was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II fought on the night of 6–7 August 1943 in Vella Gulf between Vella Lavella Island and Kolombangara Island in the Solomon Islands of the Southwest Pacific. Hagikaze and Arashi were both hit in fire rooms, while the Kawakaze was hit in one of her magazines and suffered a devastating explosion. Simpson's destroyers now came into action, firing their guns and torpedoes at the stricken Hagikaze and Arashi. Moosbrugger split his destroyers into two columns. The wavy division at top refers to the sea. The Shigure, unburdened by troops, managed to fire eight torpedoes at 23.45, but all eight missed. Moosbrugger's destroyers entered Vella Gulf from the south at ten in the evening of 6 August. Destroyer Squadron 22 After half an hour none of the swimming survivors had been willing to enter captivity and at 2.00am the Americans gave up the attempt. The battle of Vella Gulf ( 6 August 1943) was a clear American victory that crushed one of the last attempts by the 'Tokyo Express' to get reinforcements to the remaining Japanese garrisons in the New Georgia Islands. - Contact Us - Search - Recent - About Us - Subscribe in a reader - Join our Google Group Throughout 1942 the U.S. Navy had taken heavy hits from the Japanese, but by mid-1943 fortunes began to change. The Japanese airfield at Mundaon New Georgia, which the force at Vila was assigned to reinforce, was on the verge of being captured; it would actually fall later that day. At 23.41 he ordered the three ships in his division to fire their torpedoes, and twenty four weapons were soon in the water. The route via Kula Gulf north of Vila was more direct, On 4 August, the day before Munda finally fell, Comdr. He then ordered a ninety degree turn to the right to get out of the way of any incoming Japanese torpedoes. As a demonstration that American destroyers—when equipped with functional torpedoes and free to maneuver independently of larger ships—could deliver a decisive attack, Vella Gulf was immediately seen by both sides as a breakthrough event in the Pacific war: the tactics pioneered in this battle served as a model for the Battles of Empress Augusta Bay, Cape St. George and Surigao Strait to come. Moosbrugger was confident that his destroyers would be more successful now that they had been freed from the need to operate with cruisers. The first time that American destroyers were allowed to operate independently of the American cruiser force during the Pacific campaign. He would take the lead if the Japanese used barges. The Americans used the black backdrop of Kolombangara to hide their ships. The Battle of Vella Gulf begins shortly before midnight, as six destroyers of Task Group 36.2, under Commander Frederick Moosbrugger, attack four Japanese destroyers attempting to bring troops and supplies to Kolombangara, Solomon Islands, in the Vella Gulf… graduate Vella Gulf. The Battle of Vella Gulf. After the Allies secured New Georgia in August, the Japanese withdrew the bulk of their forces to Kolombangara. After checking the southern approaches they turned north and sailed up the gulf. For once the Japanese were caught out. "The Battle History of the Imperial Japanese Navy (1941-1945)" by P. Dull "Chronology of the War at Sea 1939-1945" by J. Rohwer & G. Hummelchen Following the Battle off Horaniu, a staging post had been established at Horaniu on the north coast of Vella Lavella for the evacuation barges. Both were writing about the Battle of Vella Gulf, 6–7 August 1943 when, for the first time, an effective combination of doctrine, planning and execution produced a superb US torpedo attack that surprised the enemy and sank three of his four ships. Only 300 of the 1,800 Japanese sailors and soldiers on the four destroyers survived the battle. Battle of Vella Gulf; Media in category "Battle of Vella Gulf" This category contains only the following file. Moosbrugger was briefed on the possibility that the Japanese had better torpedoes than the Americans (the existence of the Long Lance torpedo, which had twice the range of its American equivalents was still only a rumour to the Americans), and was advised to concentrate on long range gunnery, but his division had practised radar controlled night torpedo attacks and he was determined to stick to that plan. August 6/7, 1943 - Battle of Vella Gulf in the Solomon Islands. Article. The Battle of Vella Gulf would be the first Pacific encounter on American terms. The 'Tokyo Express' didn't attempt to land any more reinforcements and the remaining troops on New Georgia and Kolombangara were left to their own devices, until eventually the survivors were evacuated. Kaju Sugiura. Capt. The Imperial commanders expected that Vila would become the center of their next line of defense. DD Hagikaze (force flagship) (sunk) … Battle of Vella Gulf (August 6-7, 1943) Yet another Japanese destroyer reinforcement group, this time headed for Kolombangara, was intercepted by an American destroyer force near Vella LaVella. The U.S. Navy Task Group 31.2 (TG 31.2) of six d… The Battle of Vella Lavella. As always the Americans overestimated their success, believing that they had also sunk a cruiser, but their real success was impressive enough. She also heard an American reconnaissance aircraft overhead and assumed that her sister ships were being bombed. Japanese Forces. Vella Gulf is named for the Battle of Vella Gulf, a naval engagement in the Solomons campaign of World War II. This battle saw the first independent operation of US Destroyers in the Solomons while trying to interrupt the "Tokio Express" supply runs. On 5 August the vital airfield at Munda on the south-western tip of New Georgia finally fell to the Americans, but there were still Japanese troops elsewhere on that island, and a strong … She is the second ship named for the Battle of Vella Gulf, a naval engagement in the Solomons campaign of World War II, the first being USS Vella Gulf (CVE-111) an escort carrier commissioned in 1945. Russell Crenshaw is one of those few. Vella Lavella (156.66E 7.75S) is the northwesternmost island of the New Georgia group.It is 26 miles (42 km) long and 12 miles (19 km) wide. They were convinced that the nearest American ships would be at the southern end of the gulf. B. Using the lessons from the previous night battles, Cdr. was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II fought on the night of 6–7 August 1943, in Vella Gulf between Vella Lavella Island and Kolombangara Island in the Solomon Islands of the Southwest Pacific. The battle of Kula Gulf (6 July 1943) was an inconclusive naval clash between American and Japanese forces transporting troops to the New Georgia theatre in which both sides lost ships and the Japanese achieved their main aim of landing reinforcements on Kolombangara.Both fleets had come to the area carrying troops. In the resulting Battle of Vella Gulf, fought in the waters northwest of Kolombangara, the American destroyers took the Japanese completely by surprise. View Issue. His riveting account of the savage night battle for the Solomon Islands in early 1943 offers readers a unique insider's perspective from the decks of one of the destroyers that bore the brunt of the struggle. Frederick Moosbrugger, commanding a Task Group of six destroyers, reported to the headquarters of Rear Admiral Theodore S. Wilkinson on Guadalcanal and was informed that the Admiral wished to make a sweep of Vella Gulf with two destroyers and a number of motor torpedo boats, with the object of intercepting and disrupting enemy … DunlapTorp.jpg 740 × 592; 100 KB. US Ships . Jump to navigation Jump to search. The Battle of Vella Gulf occurred in a body of water known as "The Slot" in the Solomon Islands, which is represented by the flaunches in the middle of the shield. Moosbrugger needn't have worried. August 25, 1943 - Allies complete the occupation of New Georgia. September 4, 1943 - Allies recapture Lae-Salamaua, New Guinea. The wavy division at top refers to the sea. ↑ Battle of Vella Gulf, "A little classic of naval warfare", Destroyer History Foundation ↑, Chapter VII: 1945, Official Chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II, Hyperwar ↑ Excerpt from Combat Narrative, Solomons Islands Campaign XI, Kolombangara and Vella Lavella, Office of Naval Intelligence, 1944 The story of how a striking force of American destroyers “derailed” the “Tokyo Express” in one of the most nicely executed and decisive victories of the war. Russell Crenshaw was a gunnery officer on the USS Maury. The Battle of Vella Lavella, fought on 6 October 1943, occurred as a result of a Japanese effort to evacuate a 600-man garrison from the island of that name, in the Solomons. That only left the Shigure. Admiral Aisworth lost one cruiser in the first battle and had three damaged in the second and his division had not yet been rebuilt. On 5 August the vital airfield at Munda on the south-western tip of New Georgia finally fell to the Americans, but there were still Japanese troops elsewhere on that island, and a strong garrison on Kolombangara, the next island to the west. U.S. Navy. From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository. The Battle of Vella Gulf on the night of August 6–7, 1943, was the first in which a surprise torpedo attack by U.S. gave the Americans an overwhelming advantage in the following gun battle, though one Japanese warship was hit by a dud torpedo and escaped. He commanded three torpedo armed destroyers, and would lead the attack if the Japanese sent destroyers themselves. Eight minutes later the Hagikaze, now the target of all eight American destroyers, also exploded. “A perfect American victory” echoed Capt. This was enough to convince her captain to retreat, and he escaped to the north-west. Within a few minutes she rolled over and sank. His flagship, the Shigure, carried no troops, but the Hagikaze, Arashi and Kawakaze carried 900 troops and 50 tons of supplies between them. Part of Destroyer Squadron 10, 3rd Fleet. By Lieutenant V. A. Sherman, U. S. Naval Reserve January 1945. USS Vella Gulf (CG-72) is a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser built for, and in active service with, the United States Navy. After their defeats around Munda on New Georgia and at sea in the Battle of Vella Gulf, the Japanese began evacuating their garrisons in the central Solomons. The three ships carrying passengers were torpedoed and sunk, and the remaining escort ship did not linger to search for survivors. Battle of Vella Gulf. Help - F.A.Q. Capt. Troops from the US and … Vella Gulf (156.86E 7.92S) is located between Kolombangara and Vella Lavella.Battle of Vella Gulf. Tameichi Hara commanding destroyer Shigure, the sole surviving Japanese ship.2. World War II. Battle of Vella Gulf. Pages in category "Battle of Vella Gulf" This category contains only the following page. The Battle of Vella Gulf (ベラ湾夜戦 Berawan yasen?) Vella Lavella, an island located in the Solomon Islands, had been occupied by Japanese forces early during the war in the Pacific. She reloaded her torpedo tubes in 23 minutes and turned back towards the fray, but at 0.10am on 7 August she saw the Arashi's magazines explode. Moosbrugger ordered his ships to turn to 335 degrees so they could close into torpedo range. On the night of 6 August, the Imperial Japanese Navy sent a force of four destroyers under Captain Kaju Sugiura—Hagikaze, Arashi, Shigure, and Kawakaze—carrying about 950 soldiers and their supplies. Kaju Sugiura. Rather than directly assaulting this force, the Allies decided to bypass Kolombangara. The Americans were expecting the Tokyo Express to run on the night of 6-7 August. Japanese captain Tameichi Hara, a destroyer squadron commander who flew his flag on Shigure during the battle. 6-7 August 1943 Contributed by Dan Muir. The Battle of Vella Lavella was fought from 15 August – 6 October 1943 between Japan and the Allied forces from New Zealand and the United States. Both were writing about the Battle of Vella Gulf, 6–7 August 1943 when, for the first time, an effective combination of doctrine, planning and execution produced a superb US torpedo attack that surprised the enemy and sank three of his four ships. Vella Gulf between Vella Lavella and Kolombangara and then to the entrance of the narrow, dangerous Blackett Strait. Commanders . The Battle of Vella Gulf occurred in a body of water known as the "slot" in the Solomon Islands which is represented by the flaunches on either side of the shield. Via ibiblio.org. The three troop carrying destroyers were all hit by American torpedoes. The Japanese were still determined to get reinforcements onto Kolombangara, and despatched four destroyers under Captain Kaju Sugiura to Kolombangara. orders, battle plan, deck logs, war diaries, action reports, track charts and endorsements, Commanders, ships and color photos of the Vella Gulf area, From the Office of Naval Intelligence, 1944. Video Software we use: https://amzn.to/2KpdCQF Ad-free videos. On previous occasions (battle of Kulf Gulf, 6 July 1943 and battle of Kolombangara, 13 July 1943) they had sent a mixed force of cruisers and destroyers to intercept the Japanese, but these battles had been costly draws. USS Vella Gulf (CG-72), homeported in Norfolk, Va.* *The cruiser has been pier-side in Norfolk, Va., undergoing repairs since late February. Moosbrugger soon joined in and by midnight both Japanese ships had stopped firing. On 5 August 1943 Allied intelligence reported preparations for a "Tokyo Express" run to Kolombangara.Admiral Wilkinson ordered the commander of Destroyer Division 12, Commander Frederick Moosbrugger, to take his division plus elements of … The battle of Vella Gulf (6 August 1943) was a clear American victory that crushed one of the last attempts by the 'Tokyo Express' to get reinforcements to the remaining Japanese garrisons in the New Georgia Islands. Moosbugger split his force into two divisions, planning to use DesDiv 12 as a hammer and DesDiv 15 as an anvil in a combined gun and torpedo ambush. Comments. At 23.33 they picked up the Japanese destroyers on radar, ten miles to their north at the northern end of the gulf. - Cookies. There the destroyers offloaded their cargo onto barges for the last leg of the journey to Vila on Kolombangara's southeast extremity. They finally spotted the American destroyers just after they had turned away. 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