After the American victory in the battle of Guadalcanal, operations in the Solomon Islands shifted to the west, where the Japanese maintained a substantial garrison on Kolombangara. On the night of 5 March1943 the Japanese destroyers Murasame and Minegumo, commanded by Lieutenant Commander Yōji Tanegashima took supplies to the Japanese base at Vila, on Kolombangara.
As they withdrew after landing their cargo, the two ships encountered the American Task Force 68 of three cruisers (Montpelier, Cleveland , and Denver) and three destroyers (Conway , Cony , and Waller) commanded by Rear Admiral Aaron S. Merrill, that had been bombarding Japanese positions at Vila.
In a short battle, both Japanese destroyers were sunk with no survivors.
See also
There were several other engagements in Blackett Strait, including one on 2 August1943 in which the American torpedo boat PT_109 was sunk by the Japanese destroyer Amagiri.
References
P. Dull, A Battle History of the Imperial Japanese Navy 1941–1945
External links
Order of battle (http://www.navweaps.com/index-oob/OOB-WWII-Pacific/OOB-WWII-Blackett.htm)
The battle was the last in a series of naval battles during the six-months-long Battle of Guadalcanal.
The battle occurred in the channel between Guadalcanal and Savo Island, and was named after Tassafaronga on Guadalcanal, a landing point for Japanese supplies on Guadalcanal and the destination of the Japanese destroyer squadron involved in this battle.
In the battle, a US cruiser force was badly mauled by a squadron of Japanese destroyers, losing one cruiser sunk and three cruisers so badly damaged that they were all out of the war for more than nine months, while the Japanese lost but one destroyer.
Following up on their victory in the Battle of Kolombangara the Japanese moved troops into Vila, their principal port on Kolombangara, on the nights of July 19, July 22, and August 1 using destroyers as fast transports.
From the battle area, burning oil covered the sea while the smell of gas was so strong it burned the eyes.
The battle was catastrophic for the Japanese, both materially and psychologically.
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