The Battle of Cape St. George was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on November 26, 1943 near Cape St. George on Buka Island in the Solomon Islands. It was the last engagement of surface ships in the Solomon Islands campaign.

Americans had landed troops on Bougainville on November 1, 1943. This posed a threat to the Japanese base on Buka Island to the west, and 900 troops were loaded on the destroyer transports Amagiri, Yugiri, Uzuki and sent together with the destroyers Onami, Makinami under the command of Captain Kiyoto Kagawa to reinforce the garrison.

The US Navy learned of the convoy and sent the five destroyers Charles Ausburne, Claxton , Dyson, Converse, and Spence under the command of Captain Arleigh Burke to intercept it.

The Japanese had landed their troops and cargoes and were returning to Rabaul when at about 01:40 they were spotted. Superior radar allowed the American ships to approach and launch their torpedoes at about 01:55 before the Japanese had spotted them. Onami was hit by several torpedoes and sank immediately. Makinami was hit by one torpedo, disabled, and sunk by gunfire. The transports fled in different directions; Burke pursued Yugiri and sank her about 03:30.

The battle marked the end of the Tokyo Express and the end of Japanese resistance in the Solomon Islands. There were no more surface engagements in the Pacific War until the Marianas Islands campaign began with the invasion of Saipan in June 1944.

External links

• Description by Vincent O'Hara (http://www.microworks.net/pacific/battles/cape_stgeorge.htm)
• Order of battle (http://www.navweaps.com/index_oob/OOB_WWII_Pacific/OOB_WWII_Cape-St_-George.htm)