HIJMS Yudachi and USS Atlanta: Naval Battle for Guadalcanal (4)

Despite having been the first to spot the enemy ships, Yudachi delayed in opening fire. Commander Kiyoshi quickly maneuvered among the American fleet at first unwilling to fire, because he wasn’t sure which ships were friendly and which were the enemy. The indecision only lasted a moment. Yudachi, while in the middle of the US formation, let loose her torpedoes and began exchanging gun fire at point blank range. It’s possible that her torpedoes were responsible for hits to the cruiser Portland and the Juneau (Atlanta’s sister ship).

The USS San Francisco, having finished off Akatsuki, now retrained her guns on another destroyer. The Atlanta drifted between San Francisco and her intended target. Eighteen 8-inch shells from the San Francisco’s main battery, from two salvoes, slammed into the Atlanta’s superstructure killing Admiral Scott and most of staff. Powerless and with fires erupting throughout the ship, the Atlanta drifted away from the battle.

Yudachi had been on a harrowing flight through the American fleet, but it was soon to come to an end. At 0226 hours, Yudachi lit off her recognition lights, possibly to ward off friendly fire. Whatever the rationale, it made Yudachi a spectacular target and it several US warships took advantage of it.

The battle had been raging for less than fifteen minutes; both the Atlanta and Yudachi were crippled. Admiral Scott had been killed by friendly fire on Atlanta, and Admiral Callaghan was dead from hits to San Francisco. Of the remainder of the US task force only the destroyer O’Bannon and the cruiser Helena remained relatively unscathed. Captain Hoover, commander of the Helena, ordered all warships still under power to withdraw, very few could comply.

Admiral Abe’s flagship, the battleship Hiei, was a veritable torch, though not yet mortally wounded. Only the destroyers Akatsuki and the Yudachi were out of the fight for the Japanese. Despite this, Admiral Abe ordered his fleet to withdraw, fearing that his ships would be vulnerable to air attack if he delayed.

The crew of Yudachi was taken off by the Samidare at around 0400. With no one left aboard Yudachi, a twisted burning wreck, drifted in the battle zone. The USS Portland finished her off after day break, sending her to the bottom of the sound.

The crew of the USS Atlanta fought valiantly to save their ship, however Captain Jenkins ship was already dead. In his after action report he indicates that both of the boiler rooms and one engine room were completely flooded, six turrets and the steering gear were inoperative, and the bridge structure was completely destroyed. Eighteen hours after the battle ended, the USS Atlanta slipped beneath the waves.

In the course of the next day the battleship Hiei was sunk by aircraft from Henderson field on Guadalcanal. The Kirishima was lost that night to the guns of the battleship USS Washington. The Japanese had lost their best chance to destroy Henderson field, due to the bravery of a badly out gunned American naval force.

In November of 1942 the 26 members of the Yudachi crew lost their lives in a vain attempt to dislodge the US hold on Guadalcanal. The crew of the Atlanta succeeded in their mission to protect US Marines holding the island, but that success would cost them their ship and 179 of their comrades. Today the remains of HIJMS Yudachi and the USS Atlanta lie less than 10 miles apart, upright, on the floor of Iron Bottom Sound. The guns of both vessels face outboard, ready for action, but will forever remain silent.

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