Japanese BBs at Guadalcanal
January 2nd, 2009 From
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>Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 22:24:36 -0400 (EDT)
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>To: mahan@microwrks.com
>From: rickt@cris.com (Eric Bergerud)
>Subject: Re: Japanese BBs at Guadalcanal
>Precendence: bulk
>Sender: mahan-owner@microworks.net
>
> >
> >Umm … Eric? Are you on Mahan? 🙂
> >
>Yup: that be me ok.
> >
> >Hmmm … I know there were night battles on two of those nights, but
> > what was the third?
>
>On the 14th Japanese cruisers came in and bombarded Henderson: like other
>Japanese naval bombardments (with the exception of the devestating blow in
>mid-October) it did little damage. The cruiser force, under the redoubtable
>Adm Mikawa, was caught on the way back by a force from Henderson which
>damaged a couple of ships. Slowed, a “shuttle bomb” strike force from
>Enterprise found the cruisers sunk CA Kinugasa, damaged CA Chokai, CA Maya,
>CL Isuzu and DD Michishio: a very bad day for the IJN. Ironically the most
>significant naval bombardment of the campaign was not done by IJN BBs or our
>heavy ships but by a two DD element (DD Aaron Ward & Lardner) under Captain
>Tobin which bombarded a Japanese ammunition dump near Cape Esperance and
>destroyed a goodly portion of the artillery, mortar and mg ammunition that
>was to support the Sendai Division. Although Frank says little about this
>incident, Morrison quotes a Japanese officer describing it as “the most
>fatal reason for further failures.” Captain Hara describes the incident has
>being a catastrophe for Japan. I know for a fact that the Sendai made its
>October attacks on a logistic shoestring. I’m convinced.
>
> >”much of the prewar American fleet” is a bit overstated … unless Eric
> > is referring to the fleet at Guadalcanal, not the entire American
> > ship inventory, which I’m assuming he meant to say.
>
>Yes, perhaps a bit of poetic license. I did mean the ships available for use
>at Guadalcanal. But, if you look at look at the list of ships sunk from Dec
>7-Jan 1, 1943, I think you can see why USN leaders were in anguish by
>November of 1942. The Fletchers (just arriving in November) and the
>Cleveland’s (January 43 and succeeding months) must have looked like the
>”Cavalry” coming to the rescue. After Tassafaronga with Sara and NCarolina
>still under repair, the US Pacific fleet had pretty well shot its bolt. No
>wonder Halsey didn’t want a general engagement in 1943.
>
> >Incidentally, I read in the U.S. Air Force’s(!) official history that
> > even though it was mortally wounded, IJN “fast battleship”/battle-
> > cruiser HIEI was still bombarding Henderson Field on the morning after
> > the first big battle. Thus, its sinking became an urgent matter.
> >
>Hiei was not bombarding Henderson: I don’t think it ever did. They switched
>to AP rounds when it became obvious that a surface engagment was nearly
>certain on Friday the 13th. Hiei was still firing, although slowly. Aaron
>Ward, one the floating wrecks off the coast of Savo was stradled by Hiei at
>first light. Fortunately for the AWard, Marine aviators attacked Hiei at the
>same time and shut it up.
> >
> >
>Eric Bergerud, 531 Kains Ave, Albany CA 94706, 510-525-0930