Battle Experience Solomon Islands Actions
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BATTLE EXPERIENCE SOLOMON ISLANDS ACTIONS NOVEMBER 1942 UNITED STATES FLEET HEADQUARTERS OF THE COMMANDER II CHIEF SECRET UNITED STATES FLEET HurouAllTDtS er Tllt CoMJ.C.urntJI DI CKT~ NAVY (1tpARTM.£NT, WASHINGTON_ 0 C March 25, 1943 These Bulletins on "Batt.le Experience" during the first year of the \\ar are issued for the general information of officers. They are planned to promulgate reliable information concerning ac-tual War experience. Any adverse comment made, is not intended to reflect criticism on any individual but to assist officers in appreci ating the best line of act.ion in many circumstances. It is inevitable that there would be considerable delay if complete analysis were made before issue to the Fleet. Comrr.ents that are made in these bulletins represent those expressions of opinion from re sponsible sources that were available at the time the particular opera tion unde~ discussion was completed. Studies are continuing Lo the end that divergent views may te r·econci led and colllpl ete analysis made. Encounters with the enemy discussed in these Bulletins, are pre sented in their chronoloe;ical order. It will be apparent that "lessons learned" during the earlier part of the war were put to good advantage in subsequent engagements. Air combat actions, anti-submar111e experiences, submarine patrol experiences, and technical gunnery experiences are covered in variou1 Cominch Information Bulletins issued during the past year. These include Bulletins Nos. 15 to 21, inclusive; FT? 212 and FTP 213. :1aterial contained in these Bulletins was drawn largely from War Ciaries, and Battle heports of various Commanders and ships. These Lulletins are SEC!i.ET and shall be safeguarded in accordance •·i th Lhe provisions of Article 76, U.S. Navy Regulations, 1920. They should be widely circulated among commissioned personnel. "nen no longer required they shall be destroyed by burning. No report of destruction need Le submitted. Transmission by registered mail within the continental limits of the United Stat.es is authorized. ~ R . S . 2U.':ARDS , Chief of Staff. SECRET TABLE OF COlTTE::N':'S c::.~ PTEJ1 XXVII Solomon Islands, Reinforcing of Guadalcar.al , Period 8 - 15 Hove::nber , 1942 •••••••• . 27- 1 Ci::..PTE.R XXVIII Solomon Islands, Cruiser Night Action, 12 - 13 Uovenber, 1942 . 28- 1 r:; APTER XXIX Air A~tacks by Task Force 16 in Cooperation with r.:arine Air l"nits Eased on Guadalcanal , 13 - 14 november , 1942 • • •••••••• 29- 1 C::A PI' :::..:n X.XX Solomon Islands, Battleship Night Action, 14 - 15 ~;ovenber , 1942 • . 30- 1 III Fro:nul··atinc Letter • . I ~able of Contents , III List of Effective Papes • I V Chapter X.XVII • , 27-1 t o 27- 25 inclusiv e Chanter .\.XVIII 28- 1 to 28- 5 inclusiv e , 28- 5a, 28- 6 to 28- 17 incl usl ve, 28-l7u , 28 - l 7b, 20- 18 to 28- 53 inclusive, 28- 53a, 28- 53b, 28- v3c , 28- 54 to 28- 59 inclusiv e , 20- 59a, 2P - 59b, 28- 59c, 28- 50 to 2u- "3 inclus.i.ve c:rnp tor X.:~IX 29- 1 to 29-13 i n clusiv e c:.apter 30-1 to 30-35 i nclusi v e , 30- 35a, 30- 36, 30- 37, 30- 38, 30- 30a, 30 - 3~ , 30- 40 , 30- 40a, 30-41, 30- 42 . A'.)::J::'!DA '.:'C CP.J\P'.:'2:1S AI, XX , A.XVIII , & XXX 0:-' C ;:n;'::H SECR3'I' I' fl' ATION BULLETIUS Nos. 2 , 3 , A~D 4 . Tl1e proper deslcnation for the ba ttles o f Savo i s as f o llows= Chapter XI First Battle o: Savo - ~igh t o f 8 -9 Auru st 1942 . Ghapter XX Second 3attle of Savo - Ni eht of 11-12 Oct. 1 942. Third 13attle of Savo - 1 1 -15 Nove:-1be r 19 42 .:;Lap tor XX.VI II Cruiser l:ir,ht Action - 12- 1 3 November 1942. Ghap tor X.X.X Battleship 1acht Action - H-l5 ;;ove:-:ber 194:: . SSCRET CHAPTER XXVII SOLOMON ISLANOO, REINFORCING OF GUADALCANAL PERIOD 8 - 15 NOVEMBER, 1942. The operations in the Guadalcanal Area during the peri od 8-15 November consisted in our reinforcing the positions held with troops and supplies and preventing the Japanese from reinforcing and supplying their positions. In addition to covering the transports en route to Guadalcanal, during their unloading and retirement from surface, air and sub marine attack, our Task Forces' operations were divided into three principal phases: (a) Night engagement 12-13 November (T.F. 67.4.) (b) Air attacks by 1'ask Force 16 (ENTERPRISE) in cooperation with Marine Air Force based on Henderson Field 13-14 November. (c) Night engagement 14-15 November (T.F. 64) The ships composing these Task Forces were: TASK FORCE 67.4 TASK FORCE 16 TA§K FORCE 64 SAN FRANCISCO ENTERPRISE WASHINGTON PORTLAND NORTHAMPTON SOUTH DAKOTA ATLANTA PENSACOLA PRESTON JUNEAU SAN DIEGO GWIN HELENA MORRIS BENHAM CUSHING HUGHES WALKE LAFFEY RUSSELL STERETT CLARK O'BANNON ANDERSON AARON WARD BARTON MONSSEN FLETCHER During the day of November 13 after the night action of 12-13 November, U.S. aircraft, (Navy and Marines), made continuous attacks on damaged Japanese ships which remained in the area. During the late afternoon a large formation ~f at least twelve enemy transports, under heavy Naval 3scort, headed toward Guadalcanal from the Bougainville Area. As a preliminary to the proposed landing, an enemy surface force bombarded our positions at Guadalcanal shortly after midnight on the morning of November 14. Later in the morn ing, as the transport group drew near to Guadalcanal, it 27-1 SZCRET was struck heavily by our air forces and at least eight of the transports were sunk. The remaining transports con tinued toward Guadalcanal. During the night of November 14-15, U.S. Naval surface units again engaged Japanese surface units in the Guadal canal Area. On the morning of November 15, four enemy cargo trans ports were found beached at Tassafaronga, about seven and one half miles west of our positions on Guadalcanal. These transports were attacked by air, artillery and naval gun fire and were destroyed. On the morning of November 15J our patrol aircraft re ported the Japanese forces withdrawing to the northward. No further action took place. During the engagements described above the Japanese suffered the following losses and damage: One battleship sunk. Several destroyers sunk. Eight transports sunk. O!le battleship damaged. Several destroyers damaged. Two light cruisers and six destroyers were the U.S. Naval vessels reported sunk in the actions which were fought on November 13, 14 and 15. The Commander Amphibious Force, South Pacific, who was S.O.P.A., in the Guadalcanal Area during this period, made the following report summarizing the operations for the period 8-15 November: 11 The enemy during the last half of October succeeded in interrupting, to g great extent, the logistic supply to our forces in Guadalcanal and Tulagi; and succeeded in landing additional troops. As a counter to this forward push of the enemy, a comprehensive plan was dra'WI'l up for expediting the movement of supplies and reinforcements to Guadalcanal, and for diso~ganizing enemy operations. The operations described herein, a part of this larger plan, involved the movement to Guadalcanal of two groups of transports supported by strong combatant forces. The first group was scheduled to arrive on November 11th, and the second on November 12th. 27-2 SSC.RET The ZEILIN, LIBRA, and BETELGEUSE, had on board the First Marine Aviation Engineer Battalion, Marine replace ment troops, .Marine Air V~ing ONE ground personnel, and aviation engineering and operating material, ammunition and food. These ships, with an escort consisting of the ATLANTA, AARON WARD, FLETCHER, LARDNER, and the McCALLA, the whole under command of Rear Admiral Norman Scott, con stituted Task Group 62.4. This group was under the oper ational control of Commander Amphibious Force, South Pacific. The McCAWLEY, PRESIDENT JACKSON, PRESIDENT ADA1f>, and CRESCENT CITY, (Task Group 67.1), were loaded with the Army 182nd Reinforced Regiment (less one infantry battalion); a Marine 155mm. Howitzer battery; 1300 officers and men of the Fourth Marine Replacement Battalion; casuals; 372 Naval personnel as reinforcements for the Naval Local Defense Force; and considerable ammunition reserves for the troops in Guadalcanal. Cover for this convoy was provided by Task Group 67.4, under Rear Admiral D.J. Callaghan, consisting initially of the SAN FRANCISCO, PENSACOLA, PORTLAND, HELENA, JUNEAU, O'BANNON, BARTON, MONSSEN, SHAW, LAFFEY, BUCHANAN, GWIN, STERETT, PRESTON, and CUSHING. The units listed in this paragraph were organized into temporary Task Force 67, directly commanded by Rear Admiral R. K. Turner in the McCAWLEY. On arrival of this force at Guadalcanal it was intended to merge Task Group 62.4 with Task Force 67. An essential feature of the plan was the employment of the considerable surface combatant forces listed in the preceding paragraph. There were two chief purposes in assigning a stropg combatant force to accompany the trans ports; first, to provide adequate protection for the Guadal canal reinforcements against the expanding eneny operations: and second, to make an offensive strike against enemy surface forces which might be encountered, or which might be drawn to Guadalcanal to attack our transports. As the situation developed, the offensive purpose turned out to have the major importance. Task Group 62.4 departed from Espiritu Santo on November 9th and, passing by the north of San Cristobal Island, arrfved at Guadalcanal on the morning of November 11th, 1942. The route north of San Cristobal was chosen in order to evade discovery by the long-range enemy air scouts based in the BuL region; and to avoid a cluster of submarines further wes ward.