Battle of the Komandorski Islands

[renrich]

One last remembrance on the Battle of Cape Esperance. My uncle Robert was in Salt Lake City which was in line astern of Boise, a CL. When the US ships opened fire, the Japanese returned fire and hit Boise heavily with one of her turrets blown up. My uncle told me that he had served on Boise and trained the men in that turret. They all were killed. The SLC then sheered out of line and moved between Boise and the Jap ships to protect her. SLC was then hit but not seriously. I was reminded of this, today, when reading an account of the battle.

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

With NJ here Ren!

 

[timshatz]

One last remembrance on the Battle of Cape Esperance. My uncle Robert was in Salt Lake City which was in line astern of Boise, a CL. When the US ships opened fire, the Japanese returned fire and hit Boise heavily with one of her turrets blown up. My uncle told me that he had served on Boise and trained the men in that turret. They all were killed. The SLC then sheered out of line and moved between Boise and the Jap ships to protect her. SLC was then hit but not seriously. I was reminded of this, today, when reading an account of the battle.

I'd heard the Boise Class (I think that was the class leader) had a tendency to light up like Times Square when all the 6" turrets (15 tubes) got going. That made them something of a target. Rapid fire and bright flashes.

To counter it, the CO of the Helena (Capt Hoover) used a tactic at Guadalcanal 12/13th of radical course changes after engaging a target for a couple of minutes. Find 'em, fix 'em, fire it up and then disengage. It was very effective as the Helena was the only Cruiser not seriously damaged in that battle.

However, Hoover was removed from command after the battle for his handling of the Juinea.

 

[renrich]

I heard the same as you Tim about the visibility of those CLs, the class were called Brooklyns, because of the rapid fire of those 15 six inchers. The most the old SLC could do was around three rounds per minute from it's main battery but I am sure my uncle's four five inch-38s were lighting it up.

 

[timshatz]

I heard the same as you Tim about the visibility of those CLs, the class were called Brooklyns, because of the rapid fire of those 15 six inchers. The most the old SLC could do was around three rounds per minute from it's main battery but I am sure my uncle's four five inch-38s were lighting it up.

Kinda funny, but the tactics used by the Helena mirror those of the fighter pilots. See it, fix it, fire it up and radically manuver away. Interesting similarities.

 

[renrich]

The Cape Esperance battle was ideal for WW2 CLs, relatively close range at night whereas the Komondorski Battle was more suitable for CAs although the number of hits by both sides seem pretty scanty for that length of time. I understand that the skipper of SLC was "chasing" salvos.

 

[timshatz]

SLC was "chasing" salvos.

A pretty good tactic. Seems to work.

Someone else on another thread noted that shooting half salvos was a way to get a higher percentage of rounds on target (if you are using a straddle method, which almost all navies did).

I am familiar with a lot of gunnery theories and wonder if there are others I've missed or if there is a book out there on the topic. Familiar with halving the range and rocking the ladder, but wonder if there is more.