In the chilling waters of the North Pacific, a high-stakes game of World War 2 naval warfare
was about to unfold. By March 1943, America was gearing up to reclaim the Alaskan islands
of Attu and Kiska, snatched by the Japanese the previous year. The US Navy’s mission:
intercept and destroy Japanese resupply convoys. But on March 26, Rear Admiral Charles H. McMorris,
at the helm of a small task group, stumbled upon more than anyone had
anticipated. A formidable Japanese group, escorted by eight warships,
including two heavy and two light cruisers, was advancing. The Americans,
led by the heavy cruiser Salt Lake City and the light cruiser Richmond, were
clearly outmatched. Yet, they bravely engaged. The Salt Lake City, despite drawing first blood
against the Japanese cruiser Nachi, was battered and on the brink of destruction. As the smoke
of battle thickened, the Japanese, for reasons still debated, made a move that nobody expected…
Child's Play
In June 1942, the Japanese forces landed on the western Aleutian Islands of Kiska
and Attu as part of their plan to attack Midway Island. However,
they suffered a significant defeat at Midway and decided to hold onto these crucial islands
as a defensive shield against potential American counterattacks toward the Kuriles.
As the United States prepared to assault the Japanese strongholds,
they sought to disrupt Japanese shipping between Japan and the islands. American submarines and
aircraft started harassing Japanese convoys. To counter this threat, the Japanese Imperial Navy
began sailing at night or taking advantage of stormy weather to protect their supply routes.
Aware of the Japanese tactics, Admiral Thomas Kinkaid deployed a surface force around Attu
to further obstruct their shipping. On the night of February 19, 1943, the patrol force,
comprising the heavy cruiser Indianapolis and the destroyers Coghlan and Gillespie,
successfully shelled and sunk the Japanese transport ship Akagane Maru west of Attu.
In response to the American blockade, Vice-Admiral Boshirō Hosogaya, who was in charge of the 5th
Fleet and the northern theater of operations, gathered a high-speed convoy with two fast
merchant ships, Asaka Maru and Sakito Maru, and a slower transport ship called Sanko Maru. They
carried crucial materials needed to complete the construction of an all-weather airstrip on Attu.
But then, the Americans intercepted a secret message from the Japanese. The message revealed
that Japan was sending much-needed supplies to its forces in the Aleutian Islands,
so they quickly devised a plan to intercept and stop the Japanese convoy.
Rear Admiral Charles McMorris was in charge of the mission. He had one heavy cruiser,
one light cruiser, and four destroyers at his
disposal. It sounded like a simple task, but things soon got tricky.
A Roman Holiday
Admiral McMorris led a task group in the North Pacific on a mission
to intercept Japanese reinforcements. The group consisted of the light cruiser
Richmond under Captain Theodore Waldschmidt and the destroyers Bailey, Coghlan, Dale,
and Monaghan, commanded by Captain Ralph Riggs. Recently, the heavy cruiser Salt Lake City,
captained by Bertram Rodgers, had joined the group after undergoing repairs.
On March 26, just before sunrise, the task group was 180 miles west of Attu and 100
miles south of the nearest Komandorski Island. The ships were spread out in a scouting line,
carefully zigzagging at 15 knots. The weather was freezing,
but the sea was relatively calm, providing excellent visibility.
During breakfast, the van destroyer Coghlan and flagship Richmond simultaneously detected
radar contacts of five vessels about 7.5 to 12 miles north of their position.
Admiral McMorris ordered his ships to focus on Richmond. As the day broke,
more vessels were spotted, possibly transports or cargo carriers with
destroyer and light cruiser escorts. McMorris was not overly concerned despite the increasing
number of enemy ships, thinking it might be a straightforward victory, a "Roman holiday."
The crews prepared for battle, readying their guns. In the words of naval analyst Samuel Eliot
Morison: (QUOTE) "Prisoners were released from the brig, mess men sliced bread for
sandwiches, cooks put coffee on to boil, and all preparations were made for a morning's battle."
Little did they know that the battle about to unfold would put Salt Lake City,
the newest addition to the group, to the test.
Fog Of War
The Japanese cruiser squadron sailed in the vast Pacific Ocean. They didn't have
a radar like the American force, but they had a unique advantage. Their keen-eyed lookouts,
handpicked by the Japanese navy for their exceptional vision, spotted the American
fleet half an hour before the Americans noticed them. The southern horizon was getting brighter
earlier than the northern horizon, which also helped the Japanese to spot their rivals.
This encounter would be quite extraordinary. Far away from any help, neither fleet had aircraft
or submarines to assist them in battle. It meant that this fight would be solely
between their surface ships. It was a rare occasion in the Pacific Theater and one of
the last times that powerful fleets engaged in a pure gunnery duel in naval history.
Thus, when the Americans intercepted the Japanese some 100 nautical miles south of
the Komandorski islands and 180 nautical miles west of Attu at around 8:00am,
Admiral McMorris found himself in a challenging situation. Unexpectedly,
he came upon Admiral Hosogaya's entire fleet, escorting a group of reinforcements to Attu.
The enemy fleet consisted of heavy cruisers, light cruisers,
and destroyers, outnumbering McMorris' American forces by more than two to one.
Realizing the tough odds, McMorris had to make a decision quickly. He opted for a bold
move – trying to catch and sink the Japanese transports while his own fleet engaged in
long-range gunfire. He knew it was a risky plan, but he wanted to give his men a fighting chance.
McMorris urgently sent out a plea for air support to the USAAF air base at Adak. The situation had
escalated beyond their control, and they needed reinforcement to tip the scales in their favor.
The call for assistance reached the seasoned B-24 squadron,
who immediately embarked on a journey across the fog-laden skies. Regrettably,
the fog became an insurmountable obstacle. Despite their best efforts, they found themselves lost,
so the commander made the difficult decision to turn the squadron around and return home.
The naval force would be fighting on their own.
Duel At Dawn
As the engagement began, McMorris had to carefully coordinate with Captain Rodgers
of the heavy cruiser Salt Lake City, or "Swayback Maru," as the crew called the
thirteen-year-old heavy cruiser due to her pronounced sheer. He had no choice.
His flagship, Richmond, would follow the movements of the more powerful cruiser.
While no spotting planes were launched by the Americans to conserve resources,
the Japanese launched a spotting plane, but it proved ineffective
due to poor communications and strong anti-aircraft fire from the American ships.
They were caught off guard when the Japanese unexpectedly opened fire at
a distance of 20,000 yards. The enemy focused their attacks on "Swayback Maru," to which the
ship retaliated with successful hits on the enemy cruiser Nachi. However,
the American attempts to reach the enemy transports were thwarted as the Japanese
changed course and closed the range, prompting Captain McMorris to turn away temporarily.
The battle continued with intense exchanges of fire between Salt Lake
City and the Japanese cruiser Maya. Both ships maneuvered skillfully,
engaging in a three-and-a-half hour-long duel. Despite Salt Lake City suffering
some damage, Captain Rodgers remained composed and confident of victory.
The American destroyers refrained from long-range firing, while the enemy
destroyers and light cruiser Abukuma cautiously planned a torpedo attack. The enemy cruiser Tama
attempted to hinder the American advance but eventually retreated. The battle intensified,
and at one point, Maya successfully hit Salt Lake City amidships, causing casualties and a fire.
The Japanese cruiser Nachi was struck and slowed down by a devastating shot from an
American destroyer. Both sides momentarily stopped firing, and Captain McMorris believed they had
disabled the enemy cruiser. He decided to change course to target the enemy transports. However,
Nachi and Maya, accompanied by four destroyers, resumed pursuit, engaging in a zigzagging chase.
As the battle raged on, both sides fought fiercely. Despite being faster,
Nachi and Maya struggled to maintain their pace while zigzagging. Then,
Hosogaya focused on attacking Salt Lake City with minimal risk to his own ships.
Smoke And Mirrors
Captain Rodgers found the light cruiser Tama in a favorable position to spot for Nachi and Maya,
two enemy cruisers. So he sought permission from the Admiral to attack her. Salt Lake City fired
multiple salvos, forcing Tama to take evasive action. Meanwhile, they received a dispatch
from Admiral Thomas Cassin Kinkaid suggesting a possible retreat, but they decided to press on.
Unfortunately, Salt Lake's steering gear started malfunctioning shortly past 10:00am
due to previous trouble, but the crew managed to improvise a solution. Despite the challenges,
Salt Lake continued to fire at the enemy. Maya and Nachi closed in, causing concern for her crew.
The situation became critical as their plan to attack the enemy's transports fell apart,
and the main focus became saving their own ships. Captain Rodgers requested a
smoke screen to provide cover, which the Admiral approved. The American ships laid
effective smoke cover and changed course to 240 degrees to take advantage of it.
Reportedly, the incredible accuracy demonstrated by the Japanese gunners
and how they shifted their fire misled the Americans into believing
that at least one of the Japanese cruisers had fire control radar.
As time passed, the American fleet was heading westward at high speed,
with the enemy in pursuit. They were over 500 miles from Adak and much closer to the
Japanese base at Paramushiro. With the enemy gaining speed,
Admiral McMorris decided to make a daring turn to the south in an attempt to break away.
Maya and Nachi seemed confused by the smoke screen, allowing the American fleet to gain
distance. The enemy fired torpedoes, but they didn't hit their target. As
the situation remained tense, the American fleet continued its escape to the south.
Tables Turn
Salt Lake faced immense challenges. The ship had already taken three hits and was struck once more,
causing flooding in critical areas. Despite the dire situation, the crew displayed remarkable
bravery and determination. Damage control men worked tirelessly, using their own
shirts to plug leaks in the ship's outer skin while standing in oil sludge and icy water.
Although the flooding caused a significant list to the port side,
Salt Lake continued to fight and maintain full speed. However, the after-fireroom was damaged,
and the ship's speed dropped to 20 knots. Captain McMorris ordered a torpedo attack
by three destroyers, but it was later canceled as Salt Lake's speed picked up.
But the ship's situation worsened when Arctic sea water mixed with the fuel oil,
causing the burners to go out, steam pressure to drop, and the main engines
to stop. Salt Lake was left adrift and defenseless. Enemy ships, Maya and Nachi,
were closing in rapidly, and Japanese destroyers were also approaching to launch torpedo attacks.
However, fate took a sudden turn. Captain Rodgers,
in a desperate move, requested a torpedo attack, and it was authorized. Meanwhile,
the enemy column inexplicably changed course to the west, breaking off the engagement.
In Luck's Way
Several reasons led to the decision by the Japanese commander to withdraw, including
low fuel supply, insufficient ammunition, and disappointment with his destroyers' performance.
Amidst the chaos, American bombers were expected, and the confusion
caused by Salt Lake's different shell plumes, mistaken for aerial bombs,
added to the Japanese commander's uncertainty. Besides, towards the end of the battle,
a valiant United States destroyer managed to hit the Japanese flagship, Nachi.
In a stroke of luck and with the courage of her crew, Salt Lake was saved from what seemed like
certain doom, and the enemy withdrew, ending the intense and dramatic naval confrontation.
Bailey, along with Coghlan and Monaghan, took on Nachi and Maya. Despite being bombarded
heavily by the enemy, the American destroyers pressed on with Lieutenant Commander Atkeson
skillfully dodging incoming salvos. Suddenly, an 8-inch shell struck Bailey's galley door,
but Captain Riggs made a quick decision to launch torpedoes from a safe distance of 10,000 yards.
Bailey faced another hit, losing all-electric power,
and the sister destroyers decided to retreat without launching their torpedoes. Salt Lake
City also suffered damage but managed to recover quickly. In just four minutes,
the crew repaired the ship's engines and got her back up to speed.
Carrying The Day
The battle eventually ended, and the Japanese ships disappeared from sight.
Despite the challenges, Salt Lake City and her sister ships proved
their mettle and survived the encounter with remarkably low
casualties. They headed towards Dutch Harbor under Admiral McMorris's command.
Although no ships were sunk on either side, and the casualties were less than sixty,
the impact of the battle was much greater than it seemed. The Japanese convoy was forced to retreat,
and they could no longer use the northern supply route to reach the Aleutian Islands.
From then on, the Japanese forces in the Aleutians had to rely only on submarines
for supplies. Unfortunately for them, submarines couldn't provide enough
material for their needs, giving the American forces a significant advantage in the region.
Even though not many people remember the Battle of the Komandorski Islands today,
it played a crucial role in America's victory in the Aleutian Islands. It
showed that even in a seemingly minor clash, the strategic outcome could be immense. And so,
this forgotten naval battle became a tale of triumph for the US Navy.
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