On This Day In History: Naval Battle Of Rennell Island Fought Off Guadalcanal – On Jan 29, 1943

AncientPages.com - On January 29-30, 1943, the naval Battle of Rennell Island was fought off Guadalcanal.

It was the last major naval clash between U.S. and Japanese forces during the Guadalcanal campaign of World War II.

At the beginning of 1943, the Japanese were gathering shipping at Rabaul, Buin, and Java to evacuate their forces from Guadalcanal. Still, the United States assumed this maneuver was a significant Japanese effort to reinforce Rennell Island, located in the southern Solomon Islands.

Although the Japanese were close to defeat on the island, they still had substantial forces in the area, and American reinforcements were still needed.

Accordingly, in late September, a troop convoy was dispatched toward Guadalcanal from the south. It was protected by an escort group provided by cruisers and destroyers from Task Force 18, which included the heavy cruisers Wichita (the flagship), Chicago (CA-29), and Louisville (CA-28), the Cleveland class light cruisers Cleveland, Columbia, and Montpelier and the destroyers Waller (DD-466), Chevalier (DD-451), La Vallette (DD-448) and Edwards (DD-691).

Also, other American ships - like the carrier Enterprise - were in the vicinity to participate in the battle.

The Japanese aircraft involved came from the land-based 701st and 705th Kokutai. They found the American escort ships north of Rennell Island (Mangana, the southernmost of the Solomon Islands, 120 miles to the south of Guadalcanal).

The first attack came on the evening of 29 January. Several Japanese aircraft were shot down, but two crashed into the sea behind the Chicago.

The first hit, at 19.45, stopped three of the cruiser's four drive shafts during the second hit between the number three fireroom and the forward engine room. The Chicago was left dead in the water, although her damage control parties were able to bring her back onto the level.

Soon after this, the Japanese attack ended, and the Japanese did not renew their attack until the afternoon of 30 January.

The Chicago was already 30 miles east of Rennell Island, being towed by the tug Navajo (AT-64) and the destroyer La Vallette (DD-448). When twelve 'Betties' - land-based bombers used by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service -  were detected to the south of New Georgia heading for the damaged cruiser, at 14.45.

A combat air patrol of F4Fs from VF 10 on the USS Enterprise intercepted the Japanese bombers but could only shoot down three of the twelve. Anti-aircraft fire from Task Force 18 claimed seven more, but the remaining two aircraft scored two more torpedo hits on the Chicago.

The La Vallette (DD-448) was also hit by a torpedo, killing 22. This time the damage was too severe to be repaired, and the Chicago had to be abandoned, sinking stern-first at 16.44. As a result, she had to be towed away from the damaged area.

It ended the battle. Although Task Force 18 had been forced to turn back and had suffered the loss of the Chicago, the transport ships reached Guadalcanal safely.

The Japanese successfully evacuated their remaining troops from Guadalcanal by 7 February 1943, leaving it in the hands of the Allies and ending the battle for the island.

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