Battle of Cape St. George

The Battle of Cape St. George was a naval battle between the United States of America and the Japanese during the Pacific War. It took place on November 26, 1943 in the vicinity of Cape St. George, on Buka Island, which lies north of Bougainville, instead. She was the last naval battle that took place in the Solomon Islands.

Prehistory

The American landing on November 1 in the Empress Elizabeth Bay on Bougainville saw the Japanese as a threat to their base on the Buka Island. They sent a Tokyo Express from Rabaul there to bring 900 men reinforcements to the island. The convoy consisted of the transport destroyers Amagiri, Yugiri and Uzuki and the destroyers Onami and Makinami under the command of Captain Kiyoto Kagawa.

The Americans received the knowledge of this transport, they sent the five destroyers Charles Ausburne, Claxton, Dyson, Converse and Spence contrary, under the command of Captain Arleigh Burke, to intercept them.

The Battle

The Japanese, who had their troops and goods already unloaded, were discovered at 1:40 clock on the way back from the Americans. This allowed Burke at 1:55 clock before he was discovered by the Japanese to launch a torpedo attack. The Onami was hit by several torpedoes and sank immediately. The Makinami she was disabled by a torpedo and then sunk by artillery fire. The rest of the Japanese flotilla tried to escape in different directions. Burke followed the Yuguri and could put their machines at 3:05 clock by shelling out of service. The Japanese ship shot his remaining torpedoes, but met no goal, and was sunk at 3:30 clock by heavy artillery fire. 178 of the crew were rescued by a Japanese submarine.

Result

This battle marked the end of the Tokyo Express and the Japanese resistance in the Solomon Islands.

713817
de