Battle of Cape Esperance
11 October 1942 at 2200 hours
Rear Admiral Norman Scott was on the bridge of his flagship San Francisco peering ahead into a very dark night. The moon had already set and there were squalls aplenty to aid in blinding the sailorman.
Airel reconnaissance had reported the presence of several destroyers and two cruiser sized ships coming south down the Slot. But Scott was sure there that there would be other IJN ships about and he had kept Task Force 64 further east in an effort to not be surprised by them. Scott’s force was north of Savo Island and crossing its face from east to west roughly on a heading of 230 degrees at 20 knots. There was a staggered line of squalls to his north.
Task Force 64 was arrayed in a column with a division (Farenholt, Ducan & Laffey) of DesRon 12 in the lead and followed by the cruiser division (San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Boise & Helena) that was trailed by a second division (Buchanan & McCalla) of DesRon 12.
The wind was a Force 5 southeasterly at 20 knots. The moon was new and the sky cloudy. Smoke, if he needed it would not last long. Scott had launched the TF’s FPs an hour or more ago. He might get some information from them but he was more concerned to not have them aboard during a fight.
Farenholt reported a radar contact at 20,000 yards on a heading of 135 degrees at 2230 hours. San Francisco’s radar also had the contact. For some reason known only to Scott the report confused him (I rolled 11). The bright side here was that Scott was too confused to do anything at the moment (I rolled 7) and so did nothing. At this point, reports of radar contact on the same bearing were received from Boise and Helena with their superior SG radar. The rest of the TF with SC radar had not seen anything yet. Task Force 64 trundled on into the dark.
2236 hours Now Duncan, Laffey and McCalla chimed in with radar contact reports on heading 135 degrees but the range had closed within 16,000 yards. Scott, who was normally faster than this remained irresolute (that dam 11).
2242 hours The range had come down to under 12,000 yards and the destroyers were requesting to fire star shell. Scott might have been uncertain but the destroyers weren’t and they fired star shell (10) at the suspected IJN formation (I rolled a 9). Farenholt illuminated a destroyer with 1 star shell (the other was a dud) to the port of a cruiser column. Duncan illuminated the lead cruiser in the column with one star shell (1 dud). Laffey illuminated a second cruiser (1 dud). Buchanan illuminated a third cruiser (1 dud). And McCalla got both of her star shell to illuminated a destroyer to the starboard of the cruiser column.
2245 Hours All hell broke loose as the Japanese accelerated and turned 90 degrees to starboard to open up their arcs.
The Japanese opened up on DesRon 12 (4 point turn up 1 modifier). The now leading DD fired at McCalla and missed. The leading cruiser fired at Buchanan and missed (saved by the up shift). The second cruiser fired at Laffey and missed (saved by that mod). The last cruiser fired at Ducan and missed. The now trailing DD fired at Farenholt and missed.
San Francisco (unengaged & illumination) fired at the last cruiser and hit her twice. The cruiser (later Identified as Furutaka) showed the flash of hits on her hull and a fore turret. Her fire slackened by a third at least. Salt Lake City took on the second cruiser (same mods) and hit her 5 times. That caused an EDR fire. The second cruiser (later identified at Kinugasa) took a hit amidships that may have damaged her FP facilities as it started a major fire that illuminated her. She also took a hit near a fore turret and her fire slackened. But three of the hits seemed to be in her hull and she staggered a bit. Boise and Helena both fired rapidly at the leading cruiser (unengaged, illuminated & multiple batteries). Boise hit her 4 times and Helena hit her once. That caused an EDR fire. The cruiser (later identified at Aoba) suffered what appeared to be a magazine hit but only reduced her fire by a third. However, she took a hit amidships that apparently damaged her FP facilities as it started a major fire. There was another hit amidships that started a second major fire. The next two hits were in the hull and seemed to slow her noticeably.
Buchanan fired star shell (2) at the leading DD illuminating her (1 dud). Duncan fired star shell (2) at the trailing cruiser and illuminated her (1 dud). Farenholt fired star shell (2) at the trailing DD and illuminated her (1dud).
2248 hours The Japanese second cruiser put her fire out and stilled slowed to 14 knots. The lead Japanese cruiser did not seem to repair and she remained on fire.
Scott watching closely (apparently his confusion was gone) figured the IJN had not achieved a torpedo solution but ordered a two point turn together to star board to close the range a bit.
The Japanese continued on their 90-degree heading.
The lead IJN DD fired at McCalla and missed her. McCalla fired back rapidly and hit her once. The IJN DD appeared to lose a fore gun mount. Boise and Helena fired rapidly at leading cruiser (same mods) and hit her 4 times causing another EDR fire. The cruiser shined brightly in the night, all aglow so to speak, but not from her guns which were silenced. But not before she returned fire at Helena, hitting her twice. Helena lost her fore turret and took an engine hit that slowed her to 21 knots. Salt Lake City fired at the second illuminated cruiser and hit her thrice causing another EDR fire. The cruiser lost all her guns and took a hit to the hull that slowed her and lowered her in the water. The cruiser’s return fire was ineffective. San Francisco fired at the last cruiser and hit her 4 times causing an EDR fire. The cruiser lost all her guns and took a[WC1] n hit amidships that must have damaged her FP facilities as it set a major fire. In addition, she took a hit to her hull. The cruiser fired back and hit San Francisco twice. San Francisco suffered a hit to her FP facilities that started a minor fire and a hit to hull that slowed her to 29 knots. Laffey fired rapidly at the trailing DD and hit her twice. The DD suffered a hit aft that set a minor fire and another hit to the hull. The DD fired back and hit Laffey once in the engines slowing her to 23 knots.
The American cans continued to fir star shell at any ship not illuminated by fires and illuminated the trailing DD (3 duds). The Japanese appeared to be rethinking the engagement but time would tell.
2251 hours. Everybody was repairing it seemed. But only the lead IJN cruiser appeared to succeed, she put out her fire. Laffey repaired her engine. San Francisco failed to put her minor fire out and took minor hull damage from it. Helena repaired her engine hit.
The Japanese turned together due north and retired under smoke (it appears their morale failed). Scott thinking that torps were probably in the water turned TF 64 due south together under smoke.
2300 hours Scott reassessed and concluded that he had just engaged a different force then one Ariel reconnaissance had reported. The number of cruisers was about right but they had been short several destroyers. Scott did the math and wondered if a supply run was in progress. Scott reformed the column and headed south into the Sound.
2330 hours Farenholt’s radar operator was getting good (rolled a 1) and picked up a radar contact some 30,000 yards to the south off Tassafronga Point. Scott turned TF 64 to a heading of 345 degrees figuring that his arcs would open up as he got closer. Scott had TF 64 at 29 knots.
2345 hours Scott was inside 12,000 yards and ordered his DDs to fire star shell at the 6 radar contacts he had. Half the star shells worked and illuminated 5 destroyers.
2348 hours. The Japanese destroyers fired at the USN DDs. The second hit Buchanan once, knocking out her fore gun. The rest missed. San Francisco fired at the fourth DD (illuminated and unengaged, but at DD) and hit her twice. The 4th DD took a hit in her stern that set a minor fire and the second hit her hull. Salt Lake City fired (same mods) at the third DD and hit her twice. The 3rd DD took two hits amidships that seemed to slow her. Boise fired at the second DD rapidly (unengaged & illuminated) and hit her 7 times causing 2 EDR fires. The DD took 4 hits amidships and seemed to slow. She also lost her fore gun mount, a hit to her stern that set a minor fire and another amidships that started a major fire. Helena fired rapidly (same mods) at the lead DD and hit her thrice causing an EDR fire. She lost her fore gun mount and took two hits amidships that made her seem lower in the water.
The USN cans continued to fire star shell at the 6 DDs, illuminating DDs 1, 2 & 3 (the rest were duds).
2351 hours. The 1st IJN DD may have repaired but she did not put out her fire and remained illuminated. The second DD put out her major fire but remained illuminated. The third DD failed to repair and seemed unable to accelerate fully. The 4th DD put her fire out. The IJN DDs accelerated to 22 knots and turned together to port to try and evade contact. Scott continued and the range closed to 10,000 yards. The IJN DDs fired at the American cans and missed. San Francisco fired at last DD and missed. Salt Lake City fired at the 5th DD and hit her twice. The 5th DD lost her fore gun mount and took a hit amidships that started a major fire. Boise fired at the 4th DD rapidly and hit her 10 times causing 3 EDR fires. The 4th DD took 2 hits astern that caused 2 minor fires. She also took three hits amidships that caused 2 major fires. Then there were the 4 hits to her hull amidships that not only slowed her but seemed to drive her lower in the water and she also took a hit in the stern that caused her to circle to starboard. Helena fired rapidly at the 3rd DD and hit her twice. The 3rd DD lost a gun mount and took a hull hit.
2354 hours The circling DD failed to repair her rudder and apparently did so badly that you could hear her captain cursing across the Sound. The other DDs were past TF 64 now and running north under smoke. That is when TF64 acquired the two Avs at anchor off Tassafronga Point and pasted them. The first (later identified as Nisshin) took nine 8-inch hits and the second (later identified Chitose) also took nine 8-inch hits. The first also took seven 6-inch hits. While the second also took seven six-inch hits. The first AV sank outright. The second suffered 3 major cargo fires, 3 minor cargo fires and 5 hits to the hull including a bulkhead. She failed to repair and sank a few minutes later. TF 64 also sank the circling Murakumo.
2400 hours Task Force 64 limped home happily.
Next day. The Catus Airforce had fun and the IJN had a blast. The three cruisers were crawling along under 15 knots and were easy torpedo and dive bomb targets. All three were sunk taking Rear Admiral Goto with them.
WMC
