Battle of Empress Augusta Bay
Haguro (front) under attack at Rabaul on 2 November 1943, showing damage received at Empress Augusta Bay that morning.
Conflict: World War II, Pacific War
Date: 1 – 2 November 1943
Location: Bougainville, New Guinea
Outcome: Allied victory
Combatants
United States; New Zealand; Australia	Japan
Commanders
Aaron S. Merrill (sea); Allen H. Turnage (land)	Sentaro Omori (sea); Harukichi Hyakutake (land)
Strength
20,000 infantry; 4 cruisers, 8 destroyers	40,000 infantry; 4 cruisers, 6 destroyers
Casualties
? killed; 1 destroyer damaged	? killed; 1 cruiser sunk, 1 damaged; 1 destroyer sunk, 1 damaged
Solomon Islands campaign Guadalcanal – Savo I. – Eastern Solomons – Cape Esperance – Santa Cruz Is. – Naval Guadalcanal – Tassafaronga – Rennell I. – Blackett Strait – Operation Cartwheel – New Georgia – Kula Gulf – Kolombangara – Vella Gulf – Horaniu – Vella Lavella – Naval Vella Lavella – Treasury Is. – Choiseul – Empress Augusta Bay – Cape St. George – Green Is. – Bougainville

The Battle of Empress Augusta Bay was a land and naval battle in the Pacific campaign of World War II fought on the night of 1-2 November, 1943 on Bougainville, an island in the Solomon Islands group, but part of the Territory of New Guinea. The battle was part of a broader Allied strategy aimed at isolating and surrounding the major Japanese base at Rabaul. The intention was to establish a beachhead on Bougainville, within which an airfield would be built. Japanese cruiser Haguro under attack at Rabaul, 2 November 1943 Downloaded from [1] File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Haguro (羽黒) was the last of the four-member Myoko class of heavy cruiser of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... Space Radar Image of Rabaul Volcano Rabaul was the capital of East New Britain province, on New Britain Island, Papua New Guinea until 1994. ... November 2 is the 306th day of the year (307th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 59 days remaining. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) is a common year starting on Friday. ... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrination, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atom bomb. ... US landings in the Pacific, 1942–1945 The Pacific War occurred in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in Asia. ... (Redirected from 1 November) November 1 is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 60 days remaining. ... November 2 is the 306th day of the year (307th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 59 days remaining. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) is a common year starting on Friday. ... This article is about the island; Bougainville is also the name of a commune in the Somme département of France. ... The Battle of Guadalcanal was one of the most important battles of World War II. The assault on the Japanese-occupied island of Guadalcanal by the Allied navies and 16,000 United States troops on 7 August 1942, was the first offensive by US land forces in the Pacific Campaign. ... The Battle of Savo Island was a naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II, fought on August 9, 1942, between cruiser squadrons of the Imperial Japanese Navy and the Allied naval forces. ... Battle of the Eastern Solomons Conflict World War II, Pacific War Date August 24, 1942 – August 25, 1942 Place North of Santa Isabel, United States Japan Commanders William Halsey, Jr. ... Battle of Cape Esperance Conflict World War II, Pacific War Date October 11, 1942 – October 12, 1942 Place Off Cape Esperance, Guadalcanal Result Allied victory The Battle of Cape Esperance, originally known as the Second Battle of Savo Island, was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War... Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands Conflict World War II, Pacific War Date October 25, 1942 – October 27, 1942 Place Santa Cruz Islands, United States Japan Commanders William Halsey, Jr. ... The naval Battle of Guadalcanal took place on 13 - 15 November 1942 and was of one of a series of naval battles that took place between Allied and Japanese forces during the months-long Battle of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. ... The Battle of Tassafaronga was a naval battle fought between United States and Japanese forces on 30 November 1942. ... Battle of Rennell Island Conflict World War II, Pacific War Date 29 January 1943 – 30 January 1943 Place Rennell Island, Solomon Islands Result Japanese victory The Battle of Rennell Island was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II fought on 29 January – 30 January 1943 between... Battle of Blackett Strait Conflict World War II, Pacific War Date 6 March 1943 Place Blackett Strait, Solomon Islands Result American victory The Battle of Blackett Strait was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on 6 March 1943 in the Blackett Strait, between Kolombangara... The eastern part of the Territory of New Guinea, and the northern Solomon Islands; the area in which Operation Cartwheel took place, from June 1943. ... The battle of New Georgia was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II. It was part of Operation Cartwheel, and was fought in the New Georgia group of islands in the central Solomon Islands from 10 June 1943 to August 25, 1943 between forces of Japan and... The Battle of Kula Gulf was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought in the early hours of 6 July 1943, between United States and Japanese ships off the coast of Kolombangara in the Solomon Islands. ... Battle of Kolombangara Conflict World War II, Pacific War Date 12 July 1943 – 13 July 1943 Place Kolombangara in the United States New Zealand Japan Commanders Walden Lee Ainsworth Shunji Izaki Strength 3 light cruisers, 10 destroyers 1 light cruiser, 5 destroyers Casualties 3 light cruisers damaged, 1 destroyer sunk... The Battle of Vella Gulf was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II fought on the night of August 6, 1943 – August 7, 1943 between the islands of Vella Lavella and Kolombangara in the Solomon Islands. ... Battle off Horaniu Conflict World War II, Pacific War Date August 17, 1943 – August 18, 1943 Place Near Vella Lavella in the Solomon Islands Result Japanese strategic victory The Battle off Horaniu was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II fought on the night of August... Battle of Vella Lavella Conflict World War II, Pacific War Date October 7, 1943 Place Vella Lavella in the Solomon Islands Result Japanese victory The Battle of Vella Lavella was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II fought on the night of October 6, 1943 near... Battle of Cape St. ... The Battle of Bougainville was fought, in part, by the men of the 164th Infantry Regiment. ... The French battleship Orient burns, 1 August 1798, during the Battle of the Nile A naval battle is a battle fought using ships or other waterborne vessels. ... US landings in the Pacific, 1942–1945 The Pacific War occurred in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in Asia. ... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrination, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atom bomb. ... (Redirected from 1 November) November 1 is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 60 days remaining. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) is a common year starting on Friday. ... This article is about the island; Bougainville is also the name of a commune in the Somme département of France. ... Space Radar Image of Rabaul Volcano Rabaul was the capital of East New Britain province, on New Britain Island, Papua New Guinea until 1994. ... A beachhead is a military term used to describe the line created when a unit (by sea) reaches a beach, and begins to defend that area of beach, while other reinforcements (hopefully) help out, until a unit large enough to begin advancing has arrived. ...

Allied diversionary operations commenced on the night of 27–28 October, when the US Marine Corps 2nd Parachute Battalion made an amphibious landing on Choiseul and the New Zealand Army's 8th Brigade, together with US Navy Seabees made an unopposed landing on the Treasury Islands. October 28 is the 301st day of the year (302nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 64 days remaining. ... United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is the second smallest of the five branches of the United States armed forces, with 170,000 active and 40,000 reserve Marines as of 2002. ... Choiseul can refer to: Etienne Francois, Duke of Choiseul Choiseul, Haute-Marne, a commune in the Haute-Marne département in France Choiseul province, Solomon Islands, a province of the Solomon Islands Choiseul, Saint Lucia This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share... // Structure of the New Zealand Army The New Zealand Army (or NZ Army) is the land armed force of the New Zealand military and comprises around 4,500 regular personnel and 2,500 non-regulars and civilians. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... The official motto of the Seabees, the United States Navy Construction Battalions, is Construimus, Batuimus—We Build, We Fight. ... Treasury Islands (7° 20′60″S, 155° 34′0″E) are a small group of islands a few kilometers to the south of Bougainville and 24 kilometers from the Shortland Islands. ...

On 1 November 1943 the US 3rd Marine Division landed at Empress Augusta Bay. The bay had been chosen because it was at the outer limit of Allied fighter plane range and the numerically-superior Japanese 17th Area Army was concentrated at other, more strategic sites. The Marines were backed by a force of four light cruisers and eight destroyers: Montpelier, Cleveland, Columbia, and Denver, Charles Ausburne, Dyson, Stanly, Claxton, Spence, Thatcher, Converse, and Foote, commanded by Rear Admiral Aaron S. Merrill. November 1 is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 60 days remaining. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) is a common year starting on Friday. ... The U.S. 3rd Marine Division is a unit of the United States Marine Corps, one of three active divisions. ... A light cruiser is a warship that is not so large and powerful as a regular (or heavy) cruiser, but still larger than ships like destroyers. ... USS Lassen, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet or battle group and defend them against smaller, short-range attackers (originally torpedo boats, later submarines and aircraft). ... The second USS Montpelier (CL-57) was laid down 2 December 1940 by New York Shipbuilding Corp. ... The second USS Cleveland (CL-55) of the United States Navy was a light cruiser, the lead ship of the Cleveland class and active in both the Mediterranean and Pacific theaters of World War II. Cleveland was launched 1 November 1941 by New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey, sponsored... The sixth USS Columbia (CL-56) was a light cruiser of the United States Navy, launched 17 December 1941 by New York Shipbuilding Corp. ... The second USS Denver (CL-58) was launched 4 April 1942 by New York Shipbuilding Corp. ... USS Charles Ausburne (DD-570), a Fletcher-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Charles L. Ausburne, a sailor in World War I who was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross. ... USS Dyson (DD-572) was a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy to be named for Rear Admiral Charles W. Dyson (1861–1930). ... USS Stanly (DD-478), a Fletcher-class destroyer, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Rear Admiral Fabius Stanly (1815–1882). ... USS Claxton (DD-571) was launched 1 April 1942 by Consolidated Steel Corporation, Orange, Texas; sponsored by Mrs. ... USS Spence (DD-512) was laid down on 18 May 1942 by the Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine; launched on 27 October 1942; sponsored by Mrs. ... USS Thatcher (DD-514), a Fletcher-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Rear Admiral Henry K. Thatcher (1806–1880). ... USS Converse (DD-509), a Fletcher-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for George A. Converse (1844–1909). ... USS Foote (DD-511), a Fletcher-class destroyer, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for Rear Admiral Andrew Hull Foote (1806–1863), who served during the Civil War. ...

Naval battle

The Japanese responded by dispatching a powerful naval force from Rabaul commanded by Admiral Sentaro Omori: heavy cruisers Myoko and Haguro, light cruisers Agano and Sendai, and destroyers Shigure, Samidare, Shiratsuyu, Naganami, Hatsukaze, and Wakasuki. Space Radar Image of Rabaul Volcano Rabaul was the capital of East New Britain province, on New Britain Island, Papua New Guinea until 1994. ... Myoko (妙高) was the name-ship of the 4-member Myoko class of heavy cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy—the other ships of the class being the Nachi, Ashigara, and Haguro. ... Haguro (羽黒) was the last of the four-member Myoko class of heavy cruiser of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... The Agano was the lead ship of its class of four light cruisers which served with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. // Description Range: 6300 nm at 18 knots Main armament: six 6 inch (50 calibers) guns (100 pound shell; 600 pound broadside; 23,000 yard range; rate...

The Americans evacuated most of their landing craft and troop transports and lay in wait. They made radar contact at 02:30 on 2 November 1943 and Merrill dispatched his destroyers forward for a torpedo attack, after which his cruisers would open fire from a safe distance. The destroyers were seen by the Japanese, who dodged the torpedoes, but their evasive manoeuvres threw them out of formation. November 2 is the 306th day of the year (307th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 59 days remaining. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) is a common year starting on Friday. ...

At around 02:50 the American cruisers opened fire, quickly disabling Sendai. The destroyer Samidare launched a torpedo attack but in doing so collided with Shiratsuyu. Myoko collided with the destroyer Hatsukaze, slicing off her bows. The Japanese deficiency in radar meant that they a great deal of difficulty finding the American cruisers, but at 03:13 they made contact and opened fire. Myoko (妙高) was the name-ship of the 4-member Myoko class of heavy cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy—the other ships of the class being the Nachi, Ashigara, and Haguro. ...

Merrill turned away under cover of smoke, and Omori, believing that he had sunk a heavy cruiser, considered that he had done enough and turned away to the east. The damaged Sendai and Hatsukaze were found and sunk by gunfire.

Land operations

External links

• Description by Vincent O'Hara
• Order of battle
• JO1 Lorraine Ramsdell (US Navy Reserve), "The Battle of Bougainville"