Battle of Empress Augusta Bay

Encyclopedia : B : BA : BAT : Battle of Empress Augusta Bay

Solomon Islands campaign
Guadalcanal – Savo I. – Eastern Solomons – Cape Esperance – Santa Cruz Is. – Naval Guadalcanal – Tassafaronga – Rennell I. – Blackett Strait – Operation Cartwheel – New Georgia – Kula Gulf – Kolombangara – Vella Gulf – Horaniu – Vella Lavella – Naval Vella Lavella – Treasury Is. – Choiseul – Empress Augusta Bay – Cape St. George – Green Is. – 2nd Rabaul – Bougainville

Solomon Islands campaign
Guadalcanal – Savo I. – Eastern Solomons – Cape Esperance – Santa Cruz Is. – Naval Guadalcanal – Tassafaronga – Rennell I. – Blackett Strait – Operation Cartwheel – New Georgia – Kula Gulf – Kolombangara – Vella Gulf – Horaniu – Vella Lavella – Naval Vella Lavella – Treasury Is. – Choiseul – Empress Augusta Bay – Cape St. George – Green Is. – 2nd Rabaul – Bougainville

The Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, also known as the Battle of Gazelle Bay and Operation Cherry Blossom was a land and naval battle in the Pacific campaign of World War II fought on the night of 1-2 November, 1943 on Bougainville, an island in the Solomon Islands group, but part of the Territory of New Guinea. The battle was part of a broader Allied strategy aimed at isolating and surrounding the major Japanese base at Rabaul. The intention was to establish a beachhead on Bougainville, within which an airfield would be built.

Allied diversionary operations commenced on the night of 27–28 October, when the US Marine Corps 2nd Parachute Battalion made an amphibious landing on Choiseul and the New Zealand Army's 8th Brigade, together with US Navy Seabees made an unopposed landing on the Treasury Islands.

On 1 November 1943 the US 3rd Marine Division landed at Empress Augusta Bay. The bay had been chosen because it was at the outer limit of Allied fighter plane range, and because the numerically-superior Japanese 17th Area Army was concentrated at other, more strategic sites in the north and the south. The Marines were backed by a force of four light cruisers and eight destroyers: Montpelier, Cleveland, Columbia, and Denver, Charles Ausburne, Dyson, Stanly, Claxton, Spence, Thatcher, Converse, and Foote, commanded by Rear Admiral Aaron S. "Tip" Merrill.

Contents

1 Naval battle
2 Land operations
3 References

3.1 Books
3.2 External links
3.3 Notes

Naval battle

The Japanese responded with air attacks from Rabaul and by dispatching a powerful naval force from Rabaul commanded by Admiral Sentaro Omori: heavy cruisers Myoko and Haguro, light cruisers Agano and Sendai, and destroyers Shigure, Samidare, Shiratsuyu, Naganami, Hatsukaze, and Wakasuki.

The Americans evacuated most of their landing craft and troop transports and lay in wait. They made radar contact at 02:30 on 2 November 1943 and Merrill dispatched his destroyers forward for a torpedo attack, after which his cruisers would open fire from a safe distance. The destroyers were seen by the Japanese, who dodged the torpedoes, but their evasive manoeuvres threw them out of formation.

At around 02:50 the American cruisers opened fire, quickly disabling Sendai. The destroyer Samidare launched a torpedo attack but in doing so collided with Shiratsuyu. Myoko collided with the destroyer Hatsukaze, slicing off her bows. The Japanese deficiency in radar meant that they a great deal of difficulty finding the American cruisers, but at 03:13 they made contact and opened fire.

Merrill turned away under cover of smoke, and Omori, believing that he had sunk a heavy cruiser, considered that he had done enough and turned away to the east. The damaged Sendai and Hatsukaze were found and sunk by gunfire.

During the following days both cruisers Birmingham and Denver were damaged by Japanese air attacks and forced to withdraw south for repairs.

Land operations

References

Books

External links

Notes

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