Battle of the Komandorski Islands
Encyclopedia
The Battle of the Komandorski Islands was one of the most unusual engagements of World War II
. It was a naval battle
which took place on 27 March 1943 in the North Pacific area of the Pacific Ocean, near the Soviet Komandorski Islands
.
to their foothold on the Aleutian Islands off the coast of Alaska, U.S. Navy
ships commanded by Rear Admiral
Charles McMorris
were dispatched to intercept. The U.S. fleet consisted of the heavy cruiser
, the old light cruiser
and the destroyer
s , , and .
Unknown to the Americans, the Japanese had chosen to escort their convoy with two heavy cruisers, two light cruisers, and four destroyers commanded by Vice Admiral
Boshiro Hosogaya
. On the morning of 27 March, the Japanese convoy was intercepted by the U.S. picket line and combat ensued. Because of the remote location of the battle and chance encounter on open ocean, neither fleet had air or submarine assistance, making this one of the few engagements exclusively between surface ship
s in the Pacific Theater
and one of the last pure gunnery duels in naval history
.
Although the Imperial cruisers outnumbered the U.S. group by two to one, the engagement was tactically inconclusive. Both sides suffered damage, with the U.S. force not being as badly damaged by the superior firepower of the Japanese as could have been the case. When the Japanese force was poised for victory, Admiral Hosogaya—not realizing the heavy damage his ships had inflicted on Salt Lake City, and fearing American air forces were en route—chose to retire without delivering a knockout blow. Withdrawal led to a strategic defeat for the Japanese because it ended their attempts to resupply their Aleutian garrisons by surface, leaving only submarines for resupply runs.
Hosogaya was retired from service after the battle.
As the range closed, Bailey opened fire on Nachi at a range of 14000 yd (12,801.6 m) and then switched to a light cruiser. Coghlan opened fire on Nachi at a range of 18000 yd (16,459.2 m).
Salt Lake City fired 806 armor-piercing projectiles and then 26 high-capacity shells after the supply of armor-piercing ammunition was exhausted. Powder and shells were manhandled aft from the forward magazines to keep the after guns firing. Salt Lake City′s rudder stops were carried away, limiting her to 10° course changes.
, Commander, Task Group 16.6 - CAPT Bertram J. Rodgers (F
) - CAPT Theodore Waldschmidt
Destroyer Squadron 14 - CAPT Ralph Riggs - CMDR Benjamin Tompkins - LCDR John Atkeson (F) - CMDR Anthony Rorschach - LCDR Peter Horn
, Commander, Fifth Fleet (Northern Force)
Cruiser Division One:
Destroyer Division 21:
D Convoy - RADM Tomoichi Mori, Commander, Destroyer Squadron One
Destroyer Division Six:
2nd Escort Force
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It was a naval battle
Naval battle
A naval battle is a battle fought using boats, ships or other waterborne vessels. Most naval battles have occurred at sea, but a few have taken place on lakes or rivers. The earliest recorded naval battle took place in 1210 BC near Cyprus...
which took place on 27 March 1943 in the North Pacific area of the Pacific Ocean, near the Soviet Komandorski Islands
Komandorski Islands
Commander Islands or Komandorski Islands are a group of treeless Russian islands located east of the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian Far East, in the Bering Sea...
.
Background
When the United States became aware of Imperial plans to send a supply convoyConvoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
to their foothold on the Aleutian Islands off the coast of Alaska, U.S. Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
ships commanded by Rear Admiral
Rear admiral (United States)
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. The uniformed services of the United States are unique in having two grades of rear admirals.- Rear admiral :...
Charles McMorris
Charles McMorris
Charles "Soc" Horatio McMorris was an American rear admiral during World War II, most notably commanding forces at the Battle of the Komandorski Islands and Aleutian Islands.-Biography:...
were dispatched to intercept. The U.S. fleet consisted of the heavy cruiser
Heavy cruiser
The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range, high speed and an armament of naval guns roughly 203mm calibre . The heavy cruiser can be seen as a lineage of ship design from 1915 until 1945, although the term 'heavy cruiser' only came into formal use in 1930...
, the old light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
and the destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s , , and .
Unknown to the Americans, the Japanese had chosen to escort their convoy with two heavy cruisers, two light cruisers, and four destroyers commanded by Vice Admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
Boshiro Hosogaya
Boshiro Hosogaya
, was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.-Biography:Hosogaya was born to a farming family in Nozawa, Nagano prefecture in 1888. He graduated from the 36th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1908. He was ranked 16th in a class of 191 cadets. As a midshipman, he...
. On the morning of 27 March, the Japanese convoy was intercepted by the U.S. picket line and combat ensued. Because of the remote location of the battle and chance encounter on open ocean, neither fleet had air or submarine assistance, making this one of the few engagements exclusively between surface ship
Surface ship
A surface ship is any type of naval ship that is confined to the surface of the sea. The term is primarily used to mean any modern vessel type that is not a submarine; although a "surface ship" may range in size from a cutter to an aircraft carrier, the weapons and tactics have some commonality,...
s in the Pacific Theater
Pacific Theater of Operations
The Pacific Theater of Operations was the World War II area of military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it, a geographic scope that reflected the operational and administrative command structures of the American forces during that period...
and one of the last pure gunnery duels in naval history
Naval history
Naval history is the area of military history concerning war at sea and the subject is also a sub-discipline of the broad field of maritime history....
.
Although the Imperial cruisers outnumbered the U.S. group by two to one, the engagement was tactically inconclusive. Both sides suffered damage, with the U.S. force not being as badly damaged by the superior firepower of the Japanese as could have been the case. When the Japanese force was poised for victory, Admiral Hosogaya—not realizing the heavy damage his ships had inflicted on Salt Lake City, and fearing American air forces were en route—chose to retire without delivering a knockout blow. Withdrawal led to a strategic defeat for the Japanese because it ended their attempts to resupply their Aleutian garrisons by surface, leaving only submarines for resupply runs.
Hosogaya was retired from service after the battle.
Battle
- 0600: The United States ships were formed in a scouting line at six-mile intervals zig-zagging at 15 knots on base course 020°.
- 0730: Lead ships Coghlan and Richmond made radarRadarRadar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
contact with the two trailing Japanese transports and a destroyer on course 080° at 13 kn (15.8 mph; 25.5 km/h). A navigating officer on one of the transports visually observed the American force minutes later. - 0740: The Americans changed course to 080° and the rear ships increased speed to operate as a compact group. Five radar contacts were counted.
- 0755: The Japanese turned northward to course 340° and the Americans came to course 000° to follow.
- 0811: The Americans visually identified the radar contacts as two transports, two light cruisers, and a destroyer.
- 0820: The Americans sighted the masts of four more Japanese ships on the horizon.
- 0835: The Americans identified the masts as two heavy cruisers and two destroyers and turned to course 240°.
- 0838: The Japanese transports swerved off to the northwest.
- 0839: The Americans increased speed to 25 kn (30.4 mph; 49 km/h).
- 0840: Nachi opened fire on Richmond at a range of 20000 yd (18,288 m). The second and third salvos were straddles.
- 0841: Richmond opened fire on Nachi. The third salvo was a straddle.
- 0842: Salt Lake City opened fire on Nachi at a range of 21000 yd (19,202.4 m). The second salvo was a straddle.
As the range closed, Bailey opened fire on Nachi at a range of 14000 yd (12,801.6 m) and then switched to a light cruiser. Coghlan opened fire on Nachi at a range of 18000 yd (16,459.2 m).
- 0845: Nachi launched eight torpedoes. All missed.
- 0850: One of Richmond′s 6 in (152.4 mm) shells hit the starboard side of Nachi′s signal bridge, killing 11 and wounding 21. Another shell hit Nachi′s mainmast and severed the flagship radio communication.
- 0852: One of Richmond′s 6-inch shells hit Nachi′s torpedo compartment. Another of Richmond′s 6-inch shells hit Nachi′s control room, killing two and wounding five. Nachi dropped back after losing electrical power to ammunition hoists and gun mounts.
- 0903: Richmond ceased firing. Salt Lake City continued firing from stern turrets.
- 0910: Salt Lake City was hit by an 8 in (203.2 mm) projectile fired by Maya. The starboard observation plane caught fire and was jettisoned.
- 0920: Salt Lake City was hit by an 8-inch projectile fired by Maya. Two men were killed.
- 1010: Salt Lake City was hit by an 8-inch projectile fired by Maya.
- 1059: Salt Lake City was hit by an 8-inch projectile fired by Maya.
- 1103: Salt Lake City was hit by an 8-inch projectile fired by Maya. Salt Lake City transferred water to correct a list caused by flooding.
- 1152: Salt Lake City was hit by an 8-inch projectile fired by Maya.
- 1153: Salt water entered a fuel tank in use and extinguished Salt Lake City′s boiler fires.
- 1154: Salt Lake City slowed to a stop. Bailey, Coghlan and Monaghan approached the Japanese cruisers for a torpedo attack while Richmond and Dale made smoke to shield Salt Lake City.
- 1203: Salt Lake City restarted boilers and increased speed to 15 knots.
- 1213: Salt Lake City increased speed to 22 kn (26.8 mph; 43.1 km/h).
- 1225: Bailey launched five torpedoes at 9500 yd (8,686.8 m). All missed. Bailey was hit twice by 8-inch shells and came to a stop with five dead. Coghlan was hit once.
- 1230: Japanese ships retired westward. Neither Coghlan nor Monaghan launched torpedoes.
Salt Lake City fired 806 armor-piercing projectiles and then 26 high-capacity shells after the supply of armor-piercing ammunition was exhausted. Powder and shells were manhandled aft from the forward magazines to keep the after guns firing. Salt Lake City′s rudder stops were carried away, limiting her to 10° course changes.
United States Navy
Task Group 16.6 - RADM Charles McMorrisCharles McMorris
Charles "Soc" Horatio McMorris was an American rear admiral during World War II, most notably commanding forces at the Battle of the Komandorski Islands and Aleutian Islands.-Biography:...
, Commander, Task Group 16.6 - CAPT Bertram J. Rodgers (F
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
) - CAPT Theodore Waldschmidt
Destroyer Squadron 14 - CAPT Ralph Riggs - CMDR Benjamin Tompkins - LCDR John Atkeson (F) - CMDR Anthony Rorschach - LCDR Peter Horn
Imperial Japanese Navy
Northern Force - VADM Boshiro HosogayaBoshiro Hosogaya
, was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.-Biography:Hosogaya was born to a farming family in Nozawa, Nagano prefecture in 1888. He graduated from the 36th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1908. He was ranked 16th in a class of 191 cadets. As a midshipman, he...
, Commander, Fifth Fleet (Northern Force)
Cruiser Division One:
- CA - CAPT Akira Sone (F)
- CA - CAPT Takeji Matsumato
- CL - CAPT Zensuke Kanome
Destroyer Division 21:
- DD
- DD
D Convoy - RADM Tomoichi Mori, Commander, Destroyer Squadron One
- CL - CAPT Shiro Shibuya (F)
Destroyer Division Six:
- DD
- DD
- Transport Asaka Maru
- Transport Sakito Maru
2nd Escort Force
- DD (not engaged in the battle)
- Transport Sanko Maru