Battle of Kula Gulf
USS Helena and St. Louis in action at Kula Gulf, seen from Honolulu
Conflict: World War II, Pacific War
Date: 6 July 1943
Place: Kolombangara, Solomon Islands
Outcome: Inconclusive
Combatants
United States	Japan
Commanders
Walden L. Ainsworth	Teruo Akiyama
Strength
3 cruisers, 4 destroyers	10 destroyers
Casualties
1 cruiser sunk	2 destroyers sunk, 2 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 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. PD USN photo of USS Helena in combat at Kula Gulf, 80-G-54553 , collected from http://www. ... The third USS Helena (CA-75) received her name while building after the cancellation of CL-113; was launched at Bethlehem Steel Co. ... The fifth USS (CL-49) was laid down on 10 December 1936 by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, Newport News, Va. ... The second USS Honolulu (CL-48) of the United States Navy was a Brooklyn-class light cruiser active in the Pacific War. ... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atom bomb. ... US landings in the Pacific, 1942–1945 The Pacific War, which is known in Japan as the Greater East Asia War, occurred in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in Asia. ... July 6 is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 178 days remaining. ... 1943 is a common year starting on Friday. ... New Georgia Islands Kolombangara is an island in the New Georgia Islands group of the Solomon Islands. ... 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... 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 Empress Augusta Bay Conflict World War II, Pacific War Date 1 – 2 November 1943 Place Bougainville, New Guinea Result Decisive Allied victory 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... 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, which is known in Japan as the Greater East Asia 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 indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atom bomb. ... July 6 is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 178 days remaining. ... 1943 is a common year starting on Friday. ... New Georgia Islands Kolombangara is an island in the New Georgia Islands group of the Solomon Islands. ...

On 5 July, Task Group 36.1, commanded by Rear Admiral Walden L. Ainsworth, and consisting of light cruisers Helena, Honolulu, and St. Louis, plus four destroyers, had received word of another Tokyo Express run down "the Slot", and proceeded northwest past New Georgia. July 5 is the 186th day of the year (187th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 179 days remaining. ... 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. ... The second USS Helena (CL-50) of the United States Navy was a light cruiser damaged in the attack on Pearl Harbor, and subsequently active in the Pacific War until she was sunk at the battle of Kula Gulf in 1943. ... The second USS Honolulu (CL-48) of the United States Navy was a Brooklyn-class light cruiser active in the Pacific War. ... The fifth USS (CL-49) was laid down on 10 December 1936 by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, Newport News, Va. ... 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 Tokyo Express was the nickname given by United States sailors and marines to the Japanese attempts to reinforce and resupply their forces during the battle of Guadalcanal and subsequent operations in the Solomon Islands in World War II. Airplanes from Henderson Field on Guadalcanal made it too dangerous for... Categories: Oceania geography stubs | Solomon Islands ... Categories: Oceania geography stubs | Solomon Islands ...

At 01:06 off Kolombangara the task group came into contact with a Japanese reinforcement group of ten destroyers loaded with combat troops, commanded by Admiral Teruo Akiyama.

The American ships opened fire at 01:57 and quickly sank the destroyer Niizuki and killed Admiral Akiyama. But the Japanese ships launched their Long Lance torpedoes and sank the Helena. Nagatsuki ran aground while Hatsuyuki was damaged and both forces began to withdraw from the area. One Japanese and two American destroyers remained in the area to rescue survivors and, at about 05:00, Japanese destroyer Amagiri and USS Nicholas exchanged torpedoes and gunfire. Amagiri was hit and retired and Nagatsuki, abandoned by her crew in the morning, was bombed and sunk by US planes. The Type 93 was a 610 mm (24 inch) diameter torpedo of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... A modern torpedo, historically called a self-propelled torpedo, is a self-propelled guided projectile that (after being launched above or below the water surface) operates underwater and is designed to detonate on contact or in proximity to a target. ... Japanese cruiser Amagiri in pre-WWII service. ...

Radford and Nicholas both stayed behind to rescue survivors from Helena. While rescuing over 750 men, Radford and Nicholas had to reengage the enemy three times and were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for their heroic rescue. Amagiri got away and later was the ship that cut PT-109 in half in Blackett Strait. USS Radford (DD-446), named for Rear Admiral William Radford, was a Fletcher-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. ... PT-109 redirects here. ...

External links

• Description by Vincent P. O'Hara
• Order of battle