Chapter 13 star seeker

Although the reinforcement operation was largely successful, the Japanese forces in the Munda area were still at a disadvantage compared with the attacking American forces.In order to keep the Munda Airport, the Southeast Fleet decided to continue to transport reinforcements and supplies. On the evening of July 12, the Japanese army sent another transport formation. It was the Ainsworth formation that came to intercept under the order of Halsey, and its team was strengthened and expanded to 3 cruisers and 10 destroyers.In the northeast of Kolombangara Island, the U.S. night reconnaissance plane discovered the escorting Japanese security team, with a total of 1 cruiser and 5 destroyers.

Last time, the number of Japanese ships was superior, but the commander was killed as soon as the battle started, which prevented them from forming the group advantage they should have.This time, it was impossible to join a group. The number advantage was on the side of the American ships. In addition, Ainsworth was the first to activate the night flight warning. Ainsworth had a good chance of winning. In the Kula Bay naval battle, most of the US destroyers watched from the sidelines because they did not have time to launch torpedoes.This time everyone has a long memory. With the roar of the cruiser's "six-inch machine gun", the five vanguard destroyers all fired torpedoes in advance.

However, American ships are not the only ones that are in good condition. Japanese ships are the same. I wonder if they were awakened by curses and intimidation such as "beware of your skin". As soon as the US ship entered its warning zone, it called the police. The U.S. military's radar is naturally stronger than the "electronic dog", but radar is only a means of reconnaissance in the final analysis, and it still needs to rely more on human experience and quality in actual combat.Before the Pacific War, the Japanese army was well prepared in training and other aspects.One of the training courses for pilots is to look for stars in broad daylight.It is impossible for ordinary people to do it, but after practice again and again, Japanese pilots have become experts at finding stars, and they often find more and more stars.Whenever they see a particular star, they quickly memorize its location, then jerk their gaze 90°, then back again, to see if they can find it right away.

Using this extreme method, the Japanese army trained ace pilots, and also trained a group of night combat elites with strong eyesight. Their level was beyond the reach of the US military, which was insufficiently prepared before the war.One minute before the U.S. ship fired, the Japanese observation post spotted the U.S. ship with the naked eye. The commander, Major General Shunji Izaki, ordered to turn on the searchlights and fire torpedoes and naval guns. The preemptive strike that Ainsworth expected turned into an encounter. The light cruiser Shentong, the flagship of the Japanese army, first became an ideal target for the "six-inch machine gun" because it turned on its searchlights.In a very short period of time, the US ship fired 230 shells at it, and the boiler room of the "Shentong" was hit by 10 rounds. The engine room was completely blown up, and it immediately lost its ability to sail.

The five destroyers of the Japanese army also fired all the torpedoes in the launch tubes.The Japanese torpedo fighters, like the lookout posts, had a high level of "either not to fire, or to hit" in night battles. The US cruiser "Linde" was hit by a torpedo and lost its combat capability, and was forced to return to the voyage under the escort of a destroyer.In contrast, the U.S. torpedo soldiers were relatively undertrained and lacked actual combat experience. Most of the torpedoes fired by the vanguard destroyers were wasted. After the Japanese destroyer fired the torpedo, it quickly withdrew from the battle. The US destroyer took advantage of the situation and fired torpedoes at the "Shentong", which was no longer navigable.This is a fixed target that cannot move. If you miss it again, you have to slap yourself in the mouth.A torpedo hit the "Shentong", and the "Shentong" was interrupted in two by the violent explosion, and soon sank to the bottom of the sea. 482 crew members including Major General Izaki sank with the ship.

Ainsworth thought that the night battle was over and the Japanese had fled, but he was wrong. One detail that was overlooked in the Kula Bay naval battle was the departure and return of Japanese destroyers.This is actually a tactical play of the Japanese army in night battles, that is, to temporarily withdraw from the battle, reload the torpedoes and launch a second attack. Five Japanese destroyers returned to the battlefield and brought enough torpedoes. The American ships remaining on the battlefield were caught off guard. One destroyer was sunk, and the other two cruisers were also severely damaged. After emergency repairs, they were able to return to Tulagi port.

Similar to the Kula Bay naval battle, the battle was the battle, and the Japanese army never delayed unloading. 1,200 troops and 20 tons of ammunition were sent to the island.Because the battle area was near Kolombangara Island, the night battle was called the Battle of Kolombangara Island.The U.S. naval battle was no longer a small setback, but a serious defeat. Among the three cruisers that were severely damaged, the "Linde" was not fully repaired until the end of the war, and the other two were able to return to the team after several months of overhaul. From the naval battle of Kula Bay to the naval battle of Kolombangara Island, they were all face-to-face night combat confrontations with real swords and guns. The results proved that although the US Navy's night combat level has made great progress compared with 1942, it must completely catch up. The Japanese Navy must make greater efforts.