The
Battle of the Komandorski Islands was one of the most unusual engagements of
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It was a
naval battleA 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
Komandorski IslandsCommander 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...
.
When the United States became aware of Japanese plans to send a supply
convoyA convoy is a group of vehicles 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 convoys have been used for hundreds...
to garrisons on the
Aleutian IslandsThe Aleutian Islands are a chain of more than 300 small volcanic islands forming part of the Aleutian Arc in the Northern Pacific Ocean, occupying an area of 6,821 sq mi and extending about westward from the Alaska Peninsula toward the Kamchatka Peninsula...
,
U.S. NavyThe United States Navy is the sea branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. As of 31 December 2008, the U.S. Navy had about 331,682 personnel on active duty and 124,000 in the Navy Reserve. It operates 283 ships in active service and more than...
ships commanded by Rear Admiral
Charles McMorrisCharles "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....
were dispatched to intercept. The U.S. fleet consisted of the
heavy cruiserThe 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...
Salt Lake CityUSS Salt Lake City of the United States Navy was a Pensacola-class heavy cruiser sometimes known as "Swayback Maru". She had the distinction of having taken part in more engagements than any other ship in the fleet...
, the old
light cruiserA light cruiser is a warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armoured cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armour in the same way as an armoured cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
RichmondUSS Richmond was an Omaha-class light cruiser of the United States Navy. She was the third Navy ship named for the city of Richmond, Virginia....
and the
destroyerIn 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, short-range but powerful attackers .Before World War II, destroyers were light vessels without the endurance...
s
CoghlanUSS Coghlan was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the second ship named for Joseph Bulloch Coghlan....
,
BaileyUSS Bailey was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the third ship named for Admiral Theodorus Bailey....
,
DaleThe fourth USS Dale was Farragut-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Richard Dale....
and
MonaghanUSS Monaghan was the last ship built of the Farragut class destroyers. She was named for Ensign John R. Monaghan.The Monaghan was laid down 21 November 1933 at Boston Navy Yard, and launched 9 January 1935. She was sponsored by Miss Mary F. Monaghan, niece of Ensign Monaghan and commissioned 19...
.
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, 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 shipA 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 TheatreThe 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 between major combatants in American
naval historyNaval 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....
.
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 RADAR
Radar is an object detection system that uses electromagnetic waves to identify the range, altitude, direction, or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as aircraft, ships, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The term RADAR was coined in 1941 as an acronym for RAdio Detection And...
contact with the two trailing Japanese transports and a destroyer on course 080 at 13 knots. 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 knots.
- 0840: Nachi opened fire on Richmond at a range of 20000 yards. 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 yards. The second salvo was a straddle.
As the range closed,
Bailey opened fire on
Nachi at a range of 14000 yards and then switched to a light cruiser.
Coghlan opened fire on
Nachi at a range of 18000 yards.
- 0845: Nachi launched eight torpedoes. All missed.
- 0850: One of Richmonds 6-inch shells hits the starboard side of Nachis signal bridge killing 11 and wounding 21. Another shell hit Nachis mainmast and severed the flagship radio communication.
- 0852: One of Richmonds 6-inch shells hit Nachis torpedo compartment. Another of Richmonds 6-inch shells hit Nachis 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-inch 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 Citys 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 knots.
- 1225: Bailey launched five torpedoes at 9500 yards. 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 Citys rudder stops were carried away, limiting her to 10 degree course changes.
Outcome
Although the Japanese 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 hurt 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.
United States NavyThe United States Navy is the sea branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. As of 31 December 2008, the U.S. Navy had about 331,682 personnel on active duty and 124,000 in the Navy Reserve. It operates 283 ships in active service and more than...
Task Group 16.6 - RADM
Charles McMorrisCharles "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....
, Commander, Task Group 16.6
- Salt Lake City
USS Salt Lake City of the United States Navy was a Pensacola-class heavy cruiser sometimes known as "Swayback Maru". She had the distinction of having taken part in more engagements than any other ship in the fleet...
- CAPT Bertram J. Rodgers (F)
- Richmond
USS Richmond was an Omaha-class light cruiser of the United States Navy. She was the third Navy ship named for the city of Richmond, Virginia....
- CAPT Theodore Waldschmidt
Destroyer Squadron 14 - CAPT Ralph Riggs
- Coghlan
USS Coghlan was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the second ship named for Joseph Bulloch Coghlan....
- CMDR Benjamin Tompkins
- Bailey
USS Bailey was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the third ship named for Admiral Theodorus Bailey....
- LT CMDR John Atkeson (F)
- Dale
The fourth USS Dale was Farragut-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Richard Dale....
- CMDR Anthony Rorschach
- Monaghan
USS Monaghan was the last ship built of the Farragut class destroyers. She was named for Ensign John R. Monaghan.The Monaghan was laid down 21 November 1933 at Boston Navy Yard, and launched 9 January 1935. She was sponsored by Miss Mary F. Monaghan, niece of Ensign Monaghan and commissioned 19...
- LT CMDR Peter Horn
Imperial Japanese NavyThe Imperial Japanese Navy , literally Navy of the Empire of Greater Japan was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
Northern Force - VADM
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...
, Commander, Fifth Fleet (Northern Force)
Cruiser Division One:
- CA Nachi
was the second of the four-member Myōkō class of heavy cruiser of the Imperial Japanese Navy—the other ships of the class being Myōkō, Ashigara, and Haguro. She was named after a mountain in Wakayama Prefecture....
- CAPT Akira Sone (F)
- CA Maya
Maya was one of four Takao-class heavy cruisers, designed to be an improvement over the previous Myōkō-class design. These ships were fast, powerful and heavily armed, with enough firepower to hold their own against any cruiser in any other navy in the world...
- CAPT Takeji Matsumato
- CL Tama
was the second of the five light cruisers in , which served with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. It was named after the Tama River in Kantō region of Japan.-Background:...
- CAPT Zensuke Kanome
Destroyer Division 21:
- DD Wakaba
was the third of six destroyers, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy under the Circle One Program . Three were laid down in JFY 1931 and the next three in JFY 1933...
- DD Hatsushimo
was the fourth of six destroyers, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy under the Circle One Program . Three were laid down in JFY 1931 and the next three in JFY 1933...
D Convoy - RADM Tomoichi Mori, Commander, Destroyer Squadron One
- CL Abukuma
was a Nagara-class light cruiser in the Imperial Japanese Navy, named after the Abukuma River in the Tōhoku region of Japan.-Background:Abukuma was the sixth vessel completed in the Nagara-class of light cruisers, and like other vessels of her class, she was intended for use as the flagship of a...
- CAPT Shiro Shibuya (F)
Destroyer Division Six:
- DD Ikazuchi
was the twenty-third destroyer, or the third , built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the inter-war period. When introduced into services, these ships were the most powerful destroyers in the world....
- DD Inazuma
was the twenty-fourth destroyers, or the fourth of , built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the inter-war period. When introduced into services, these ships were the most powerful destroyers in the world....
- Transport Asaka Maru *
- Transport Sakito Maru *
2nd Escort Force
- DD Usugumo *
- Transport Sanko Maru *
- = not engaged in the battle
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