On 13 July 1943, seventy years ago today, a Japanese "Tokyo Express" troop reinforcement force of one light cruiser and five destroyers under the command of Rear Admiral Shunji Isaki won a tactical victory over an Allied force of three light cruisers and 10 destroyers under the command of Rear Admiral Walden Ainsworth in the battle of Kolombangara, in the Solomon Islands. The Japanese lost 482 lives, their cruiser sunk with nearly its whole complement, including Admiral Isaki, and one destroyer sunk. The Allies lost 89 lives, one destroyer sunk, and all three cruisers heavily damaged and out of action, two for several months and one never returning to action during the war. The Japanese were able to land 1,200 combat troops at their base on Kolombangara, but the Allied force had prevented an attack on the U.S. Marines on the island.
Posted on: Sat, 13 Jul 2013 22:04:59 +0000
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