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Battle of Kure Atoll Part 4 Commence FIring!
Commence Firing!
2217 The Porter opens fire at the Japanese column. A Turret fires just ahead of the Aoba, while B Turret fires just behind a total of 15 rounds a minute, illuminating the Aoba and Kinugasha in a flurry of starshells. The Porter executes a high speed turn to come to course 270 W, and her rear turrets open fire adding more starshells to the illumination already under way. The Monaghan also executes her turn, which puts her on a collision course with the Yugari. Aboard the Alywin, Commander Flynn orders his ship and the Farragut to maintain their heading and open fire at the enemy warships to their port side. The Farragut spots the shape in the darkness that can now be made out as it is backlit by starshells. Within seconds 5 inch starshells light up the Shigure.
Aboard the Japanese ships, sailors are frantically running to their battle stations and officers are hurriedly trying to figure out what is happening ahead.
2218 hours
The Porter launches 8 Mark 15 torpedoes aimed at the Japanese battle line as she turns. This takes a couple of minutes. The Japanese cruisers are 12,000 yards away, within range, but long range for the American torpedoes. She also continues to pour out starshells, illuminating the Furataka and Kako as the she passes them at 36 knots while they are still steaming at 30 knots.
The Yugure sees the approaching Monghan and makes an emergency turn to starboard while the Monaghan also spots the enemy. Both ships open fire with their forward guns, getting off several rounds in the opening exchange. Most miss, but two each slam into the respective bridges of the two destroyers, killing or wounding many at those stations. The Japanese torpedo crews hurriedly prepare their torpedoes to launch.
2220 hours
The Chicago is now at the 11 o'clock position relative to the Aoba, with the Portland at the 12 o'clock position, the Minneapolis at the One o'clock position and all 5 cruisers have the lead Japanese ships in their sights. They open fire with a total of 45 8 inch guns and 20 5 inch guns which lights up the sky, themselves, and of course not long after that the Aoba. Each 8 inch gun is able get off up to 5 rounds a minute and they all do in the opening moments. A total of 225 8 inch rounds and dozens more of 5 inch splash all around the Aoba, which has yet to open fire. In all 8 of the heavy 8 inch shells hit her from her forward superstructure to her bow. Of these three smash her forward turrets, knocking them out and starting serious fires which threaten her magazines but disaster is narrowly averted by flooding them. The other 5 hit her around the bridge or higher, killing Admiral Goto, most of his officers as well as the ships captain and starting serious fires that light up the sky. It also knocks out control, and the ship takes a turn to the port that is unplanned while the executive officer hurries to take back control from the auxiliary control station further aft. Meanwhile his rear turret is still in commission and it, along with his secondary 4.7 inch guns crews struggle to get the Porter into their sights. They are soon joined by the other cruisers as weapons are finally manned and begin to return fire.
Aboard the Kinugasha, Captain Sawa quickly realizes that the Aoba is out of control and seeing the fierce blazes already marking the pyre that was her forward superstructure he is just starting to realize he is likely now in tactical command. With destroyers to his starboard, cruisers to his front, he makes a quick decision.
As the cruisers are in action or about to be, and the Porter and Monaghan are making their brave charge, the Shigure comes under fire from the Alywin and Farragut who pour 5 inch rounds into her. Several hit, starting fires in the forward superstructure and knocking out her forward gun mount. She makes an emergency turn to port and opens fire.
The Japanese Return Fire
As of 2222 Hours the situation is as follows:
The Aoba has taken an emergency turn to port while it was out of control and during the two minutes since the American cruisers opened fire on her numerous 8 inch shells have wrecked her from end to end, knocking out her fire control, her bridge, both forward turrets, and finally her rear turret. The floatplane has been blasted off the catapult and over the side, and a fierce fire rages in her forward superstructure. A shell has also knocked out her steering compartment, two have penetrated and wiped out her boiler rooms and she is coasting to a stop. Her torpedo crews have been swept away by shrapnel as has most of her crew on exposed decks. She is out of the fight.
The Yugure has turned to starboard and is accelerating to her best speed of 30.5 knots on a course heading of 180 degrees S. This places her within firing range of the American Destroyer Division 9. She opens fire with starshells from her rear gun mount, trains what searchlights she has available, and illuminates the American destroyers which are 2,000 yards behind the Chester, as well as the Chester and Astoria. She launches her full spread of six Long Lance torpedoes aiming just ahead of the Astoria but as all ships are moving at over 60 miles an hour relative to each other, her torpedoes are actually going to have the Chester as a target. As she launches she is taken under fire by the Drayton and secondary 5 inch guns of the Chester. She is also under fire from the Monaghan which continues to pour rounds into her while the torpedo crews of that ship fire their spread of 8 torpedoes at the Aoba.
The Shigure has executed an emergency turn to port and is steaming due north at 34 knots and finds herself paralleling the Americans with the Alywin at 8,000 yards immediately to her portside. Her crew launches a spread of 8 torpedoes hoping to hit anything and her remaining gun mount opens up on the Alywin, scoring a pair of 5 inch hits on her aft superstructure and starting a serious fire. She however comes under fire from the 5 inch guns from the Chicago, Alywin, and Farragut and suffers numerous more hits which quickly silences her guns and starts more fires as well as killing her exposed torpedo crews. However she remains under power and in control for the moment.
The three Japanese cruisers all open fire on the Porter and she is illuminated by searchlights and in moments is hit many times by 8 inch and secondary weapons. Captain Overesch (and future CIA Director, Far East and Vice Admiral USN) survives the firestorm as does the ships captain, but the ship and many of her crew do not. The Porter comes to a halt on fire from end to end, her engine room flooding, her steering destroyed, and the ship is ordered abandoned. In all 38 of her crew die with the Porter.
Captain Sawa, who now finds himself in command of Cruiser Squadron 6, orders a 180 degree column turn, all ships to fire torpedoes as they bear. American Destroyer Division 9 will find itself squarely in this spread. Meanwhile an signal is sent to Yamamoto reporting that the bombardment mission force is under fire by an overwhelming superior force, with the flagship already knocked out of action and Admiral Goto out of command.
Commence Firing!
2217 The Porter opens fire at the Japanese column. A Turret fires just ahead of the Aoba, while B Turret fires just behind a total of 15 rounds a minute, illuminating the Aoba and Kinugasha in a flurry of starshells. The Porter executes a high speed turn to come to course 270 W, and her rear turrets open fire adding more starshells to the illumination already under way. The Monaghan also executes her turn, which puts her on a collision course with the Yugari. Aboard the Alywin, Commander Flynn orders his ship and the Farragut to maintain their heading and open fire at the enemy warships to their port side. The Farragut spots the shape in the darkness that can now be made out as it is backlit by starshells. Within seconds 5 inch starshells light up the Shigure.
Aboard the Japanese ships, sailors are frantically running to their battle stations and officers are hurriedly trying to figure out what is happening ahead.
2218 hours
The Porter launches 8 Mark 15 torpedoes aimed at the Japanese battle line as she turns. This takes a couple of minutes. The Japanese cruisers are 12,000 yards away, within range, but long range for the American torpedoes. She also continues to pour out starshells, illuminating the Furataka and Kako as the she passes them at 36 knots while they are still steaming at 30 knots.
The Yugure sees the approaching Monghan and makes an emergency turn to starboard while the Monaghan also spots the enemy. Both ships open fire with their forward guns, getting off several rounds in the opening exchange. Most miss, but two each slam into the respective bridges of the two destroyers, killing or wounding many at those stations. The Japanese torpedo crews hurriedly prepare their torpedoes to launch.
2220 hours
The Chicago is now at the 11 o'clock position relative to the Aoba, with the Portland at the 12 o'clock position, the Minneapolis at the One o'clock position and all 5 cruisers have the lead Japanese ships in their sights. They open fire with a total of 45 8 inch guns and 20 5 inch guns which lights up the sky, themselves, and of course not long after that the Aoba. Each 8 inch gun is able get off up to 5 rounds a minute and they all do in the opening moments. A total of 225 8 inch rounds and dozens more of 5 inch splash all around the Aoba, which has yet to open fire. In all 8 of the heavy 8 inch shells hit her from her forward superstructure to her bow. Of these three smash her forward turrets, knocking them out and starting serious fires which threaten her magazines but disaster is narrowly averted by flooding them. The other 5 hit her around the bridge or higher, killing Admiral Goto, most of his officers as well as the ships captain and starting serious fires that light up the sky. It also knocks out control, and the ship takes a turn to the port that is unplanned while the executive officer hurries to take back control from the auxiliary control station further aft. Meanwhile his rear turret is still in commission and it, along with his secondary 4.7 inch guns crews struggle to get the Porter into their sights. They are soon joined by the other cruisers as weapons are finally manned and begin to return fire.
Aboard the Kinugasha, Captain Sawa quickly realizes that the Aoba is out of control and seeing the fierce blazes already marking the pyre that was her forward superstructure he is just starting to realize he is likely now in tactical command. With destroyers to his starboard, cruisers to his front, he makes a quick decision.
As the cruisers are in action or about to be, and the Porter and Monaghan are making their brave charge, the Shigure comes under fire from the Alywin and Farragut who pour 5 inch rounds into her. Several hit, starting fires in the forward superstructure and knocking out her forward gun mount. She makes an emergency turn to port and opens fire.
The Japanese Return Fire
As of 2222 Hours the situation is as follows:
The Aoba has taken an emergency turn to port while it was out of control and during the two minutes since the American cruisers opened fire on her numerous 8 inch shells have wrecked her from end to end, knocking out her fire control, her bridge, both forward turrets, and finally her rear turret. The floatplane has been blasted off the catapult and over the side, and a fierce fire rages in her forward superstructure. A shell has also knocked out her steering compartment, two have penetrated and wiped out her boiler rooms and she is coasting to a stop. Her torpedo crews have been swept away by shrapnel as has most of her crew on exposed decks. She is out of the fight.
The Yugure has turned to starboard and is accelerating to her best speed of 30.5 knots on a course heading of 180 degrees S. This places her within firing range of the American Destroyer Division 9. She opens fire with starshells from her rear gun mount, trains what searchlights she has available, and illuminates the American destroyers which are 2,000 yards behind the Chester, as well as the Chester and Astoria. She launches her full spread of six Long Lance torpedoes aiming just ahead of the Astoria but as all ships are moving at over 60 miles an hour relative to each other, her torpedoes are actually going to have the Chester as a target. As she launches she is taken under fire by the Drayton and secondary 5 inch guns of the Chester. She is also under fire from the Monaghan which continues to pour rounds into her while the torpedo crews of that ship fire their spread of 8 torpedoes at the Aoba.
The Shigure has executed an emergency turn to port and is steaming due north at 34 knots and finds herself paralleling the Americans with the Alywin at 8,000 yards immediately to her portside. Her crew launches a spread of 8 torpedoes hoping to hit anything and her remaining gun mount opens up on the Alywin, scoring a pair of 5 inch hits on her aft superstructure and starting a serious fire. She however comes under fire from the 5 inch guns from the Chicago, Alywin, and Farragut and suffers numerous more hits which quickly silences her guns and starts more fires as well as killing her exposed torpedo crews. However she remains under power and in control for the moment.
The three Japanese cruisers all open fire on the Porter and she is illuminated by searchlights and in moments is hit many times by 8 inch and secondary weapons. Captain Overesch (and future CIA Director, Far East and Vice Admiral USN) survives the firestorm as does the ships captain, but the ship and many of her crew do not. The Porter comes to a halt on fire from end to end, her engine room flooding, her steering destroyed, and the ship is ordered abandoned. In all 38 of her crew die with the Porter.
Captain Sawa, who now finds himself in command of Cruiser Squadron 6, orders a 180 degree column turn, all ships to fire torpedoes as they bear. American Destroyer Division 9 will find itself squarely in this spread. Meanwhile an signal is sent to Yamamoto reporting that the bombardment mission force is under fire by an overwhelming superior force, with the flagship already knocked out of action and Admiral Goto out of command.
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