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Battle of Cape St. George

 

 
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Battle of Cape St. George
 
 
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The Battle of Cape St. George was a naval battleNaval battle

A naval battle is a battle fought using ships or other waterborne vessels....
 of the Pacific campaignPacific War

The Pacific War was the part of World War II — and preceding conflicts — that occurred in the Pacific Ocean, its...
 of World War IIWorld War II

World War II, or the Second World War, was a worldwide conflict fought between the Allied Powers and the Axis Powers ,...
 fought on November 26, 1943, between Cape St. GeorgeCape St. George

Cape St. George is the southernmost point on the island of New Ireland, Papua New Guinea, at ....
, New IrelandNew Ireland (island)

New Ireland is a large island in Papua New Guinea, approximately 8,650 km? in area....
, and Buka IslandBuka Island

Buka Island is the second largest island in the Papua New Guinean province of Bougainville....
 (now part of the North Solomons Province in Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea or PNG, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupyin...
). It was the last engagement of surface ships in the Solomon Islands campaignSolomon Islands campaign

The Solomon Islands campaign was a major campaign of World War II....
.
BackgroundAmericans had landed troops on BougainvilleBougainville Island

Bougainville is part of Papua New Guinea and is the largest island of the Solomon Islands group....
 on November 1 1943. This posed a threat to the JapanJapan

is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of China, Korea, and Russia, stretching from...
ese base on Buka Island to the west, and 900 Japanese ArmyImperial Japanese Army

# The Imperial Japanese Army was the official ground based armed force of Imperial Japan from 1867 to 1945....
 troops were loaded on the destroyer transports AmagiriJapanese destroyer Amagiri

The Amagiri, one of 20 Fubuki class destroyers, was laid down at the Ishikawajima dockyard at Tokyo, Japan on 28 Novembe...
, YugiriJapanese destroyer Yugiri Summary

Yugiri was a Fubuki-class destroyer of the Imperial Japanese Navy....
, Uzuki and sent together with the destroyers Onami, Makinami under the command of CaptainCaptain

This article concerns the rank and title of Captain....
 Kiyoto KagawaKiyoto Kagawa

, was a rear admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. ...
 to reinforce the garrison.

The United States NavyUnited States Navy

The United States Navy is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations....
 learned of the convoy and sent the five Fletcher-classFletcher class destroyer

The United States Navy commissioned 175 Fletcher-class destroyers between 1942 and 1944....
 destroyers Charles AusburneUSS Charles Ausburne (DD-570)

USS Charles Ausburne, a Fletcher-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Char...
, ClaxtonUSS Claxton (DD-571)

USS Claxton, a Fletcher-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Thomas Claxto...
, DysonUSS Dyson (DD-572)

USS Dyson was a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy to be named for Rear Admiral Charles W....
, ConverseUSS Converse (DD-509) Overview

USS Converse, a Fletcher-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for George A....
, and SpenceFacts About USS Spence (DD-512)

USS Spence was laid down on 18 May 1942 by the Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine; launched on 27 October 1942; sponsored by M...
 under the command of Captain Arleigh BurkeArleigh Burke

Arleigh Albert Burke was an admiral of the United States Navy who distinguished himself during World War II and the Korean W...
 to intercept it.
BattleThe Japanese destroyers landed the 900 troops and supplies, embarked an equivalent number of NavyImperial Japanese Navy

The Imperial Japanese Navy or sometimes referred to as the Combined Fleet was the Navy of Empire of Japan from 1869 un...
 personnel (that the Army troops replaced), and were returning to RabaulRabaul

Rabaul was the capital of East New Britain province, on New Britain Island, Papua New Guinea, until 1994....
 when at about 01:40 they were spotted on radar by the U.S.






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Timeline

1943   World War II: Americans and Japanese fight the naval Battle of Cape St. George between Buka and New Ireland.






Encyclopedia


The Battle of Cape St. George was a naval battleNaval battle

A naval battle is a battle fought using ships or other waterborne vessels....
 of the Pacific campaignPacific War

The Pacific War was the part of World War II — and preceding conflicts — that occurred in the Pacific Ocean, its...
 of World War IIWorld War II

World War II, or the Second World War, was a worldwide conflict fought between the Allied Powers and the Axis Powers ,...
 fought on November 26, 1943, between Cape St. GeorgeCape St. George

Cape St. George is the southernmost point on the island of New Ireland, Papua New Guinea, at ....
, New IrelandNew Ireland (island)

New Ireland is a large island in Papua New Guinea, approximately 8,650 km? in area....
, and Buka IslandBuka Island

Buka Island is the second largest island in the Papua New Guinean province of Bougainville....
 (now part of the North Solomons Province in Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea or PNG, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupyin...
). It was the last engagement of surface ships in the Solomon Islands campaignSolomon Islands campaign

The Solomon Islands campaign was a major campaign of World War II....
.

Background

Americans had landed troops on BougainvilleBougainville Island

Bougainville is part of Papua New Guinea and is the largest island of the Solomon Islands group....
 on November 1 1943. This posed a threat to the JapanJapan

is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of China, Korea, and Russia, stretching from...
ese base on Buka Island to the west, and 900 Japanese ArmyImperial Japanese Army

# The Imperial Japanese Army was the official ground based armed force of Imperial Japan from 1867 to 1945....
 troops were loaded on the destroyer transports AmagiriJapanese destroyer Amagiri

The Amagiri, one of 20 Fubuki class destroyers, was laid down at the Ishikawajima dockyard at Tokyo, Japan on 28 Novembe...
, YugiriJapanese destroyer Yugiri Summary

Yugiri was a Fubuki-class destroyer of the Imperial Japanese Navy....
, Uzuki and sent together with the destroyers Onami, Makinami under the command of CaptainCaptain

This article concerns the rank and title of Captain....
 Kiyoto KagawaKiyoto Kagawa

, was a rear admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. ...
 to reinforce the garrison.

The United States NavyUnited States Navy

The United States Navy is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations....
 learned of the convoy and sent the five Fletcher-classFletcher class destroyer

The United States Navy commissioned 175 Fletcher-class destroyers between 1942 and 1944....
 destroyers Charles AusburneUSS Charles Ausburne (DD-570)

USS Charles Ausburne, a Fletcher-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Char...
, ClaxtonUSS Claxton (DD-571)

USS Claxton, a Fletcher-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Thomas Claxto...
, DysonUSS Dyson (DD-572)

USS Dyson was a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy to be named for Rear Admiral Charles W....
, ConverseUSS Converse (DD-509) Overview

USS Converse, a Fletcher-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for George A....
, and SpenceFacts About USS Spence (DD-512)

USS Spence was laid down on 18 May 1942 by the Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine; launched on 27 October 1942; sponsored by M...
 under the command of Captain Arleigh BurkeArleigh Burke

Arleigh Albert Burke was an admiral of the United States Navy who distinguished himself during World War II and the Korean W...
 to intercept it.

Battle

The Japanese destroyers landed the 900 troops and supplies, embarked an equivalent number of NavyImperial Japanese Navy

The Imperial Japanese Navy or sometimes referred to as the Combined Fleet was the Navy of Empire of Japan from 1869 un...
 personnel (that the Army troops replaced), and were returning to RabaulRabaul

Rabaul was the capital of East New Britain province, on New Britain Island, Papua New Guinea, until 1994....
 when at about 01:40 they were spotted on radar by the U.S. warships. Superior radar allowed the American ships to approach and launch their torpedoes at about 01:55 before the Japanese sighted them. Onami was hit by several torpedoes and sank immediately. Makinami was hit by one torpedo, disabled, and then sunk by gunfire. The transport destroyers fled in different directions; Burke pursued Yugiri and sank her about 03:30.

Aftermath

The battle marked the end of the Tokyo ExpressTokyo Express

Tokyo Express is also a name commonly used by restaurant and automobile businesses and a movie, see external links section...
 and the end of Japanese resistance in the Solomon Islands, and the success of Allied efforts to achieve superiority in night combat using radar. There were no more surface engagements in the Pacific War until the Mariana and Palau Islands campaignMariana and Palau Islands campaign

In the Pacific theater of World War II, the American Marianas Campaign, known as Operation Forager, pushed westward from...
 began with the invasion of SaipanBattle of Saipan

The Battle of Saipan was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on the island of Saipan in the Mariana Isl...
 in June 1944.

External links