January 11, 1945
Pago Pago
Vc-Adm Yamaguchi exhorts the screen ships as they peel away and make direct course for Pago Pago. The cruiser Captains for Mikuma and Kumano are old, wily veterans who have commanded their ships the entire war. It is quickly figured that the Captain of Mikuma is senior and he leads the way with four modern Moon-Class AA DDs. Kumano and her four Moon-Class follow at 30,000 Yards. Formations are set with a pair of DDs on either bow with the heavy cruisers trailing by 3,000 yards.
As expected Mikuma makes first contact with 4 American DDs. In the following 6 minute (rounds) engagement two Japanese Dds are slightly damaged while all four American Dds are hit. The Americans break off and two AKs are quickly spotted. They are sunk in just two minutes. The TF has barely finished these ships when three Destroyer Escorts appear. In a spirited engagement all three are sunk for one hit on a Japanese DD. The TF reforms and makes for the anchorage only to find five Destroyer Escorts standing in their path. The DEs stand tall but three are sunk and the other pair get seriously damaged. Running quite low on ammunition, Mikuma peels away with her escorts and sets course for the rendezvous with the carriers. The first TF has sunk six DE and two AK while damaging four DDs and two more DEs. Nice tally. Damage is sustained to two DDs with one of moderate level.
Kumano is a great story. This CA was involved in the heavy fighting around Sumatra in 1943 and was nearly sunk. It took three months to mostly repair the cruiser only to get smacked by two TTs near Manila. The seriously damaged ship limped into Manila and was drydocked their under repair when the Allied juggernaut began its assault on the Philippines. Day after day went by as repairs were hastily completed without any attacks by Allied aircraft. She departed under an escort of three PG only to take yet another TT. Limping into Singapore, the Kumano goes back into repair. She remains there for over 60 days without any attention from the Allies. Finally, the ship is fully repaired in late-November 1944 nearly a year after her damage was first sustained.
The Kumano is now here at Pago Pago. Her escorts sweep by the Mikuma immediately engage three more of the never-ending DEs thrown out at them. All three are sunk. Four more American DDs engage immediately at the end of this fight. All four are hit with one taking six shells and being left in a sinking condition. The fight with the DDs frustrates the Japanese as it lasts nearly 10 minutes for no major gain. maing one final stab at the anchorage, the Japanese see the sunrise and find one lone DE blocking their path. It is swiftly dispatched but the sun has risen. Reluctantly the TF disengages and begins its retirement. Results for this TF are more meager with four DE sunk, one US DD possibly sunk, and three more Dds damaged.
Aircover promptly arrives from the carriers 120 miles away and nothing disturbs the Japanese ships as they sail back to their vulnerable charges.
Final tally for the night's work is 10 DE, 2 AK, one DD possibly sunk with then seven DDs and two DEs damaged.
The Japanese do this for just a single DD moderately damaged. It ordered to Tulagi where two ARs wait. The remaining ships are ordered to join up with CV Junyo and rendezvous with the waiting AOs before coming back.
The fight went well but I really hoped to get into more AKs and TKs. Still a dozen sunk for damage to ONE.
BANZAI!
