Daniel Dickel: FOLLOWING HIS MID-NOVEMBER VICTORY AT SEA, HALSEY. . . .

Following his mid-November victory at sea, Halsey was quickly to consolidate his gains. In aid of

Fleet Admiral
William Frederick Halsey Jr. c.1945

Vandegrift’s seriously depleted 1st Marine Division, his transports brought up the 164th Infantry Division and the 8th Marine Regiment, and plans were made to bring up the 6th Marine Division and the 182nd Infantry from New Caledonia. Meanwhile, Vandegrift followed up the victory by pushing to the westward and engaging the land forces of the enemy at Point Cruz. By the 30th PT tender Jamestown and fifteen replacement motor torpedo boats had arrived to bolster Guadalcanal’s defense force. At this time the Japanese

General
Alexander Archer Vandegrift,
USMC

High Command, desperate to supply more reinforcements for the land fighting, formed a task force of eight destroyers and six transports. Opposing this were five cruisers and four destroyers under command of Rear Admiral Carlton H. Wright, newly arrived in the South Pacific. The two forces clashed at Tassafaronga, where American sailors met Rear Admiral Raizo Tanaka for

Rear Admiral
Carleton Herbert Wright

the first time. Although the United States Navy was superior in ships and firepower, Tanaka displayed his brilliance in night torpedo attack by inflicting far heavier damage than he sustained: he sank a heavier cruiser, Northampton, and put three others out of action for nearly a year as against the loss of one destroyer.

Rear Admiral
Raizō Tanaka

USS Jamestown (PG-55)

As the year ended Japan seemed more than ever resolved to recapture Guadalcanal. In Rabaul, ready to launch an all-out attack, was General Hitoshi Immamura with 50,000 troops.

USS Northampton (CA-26)
at Brisbane on 5 August 1941

Japanese General
Hitoshi Imamura

Commander Dudley "Mush" Morton

At this time nightly PT battles with Tanaka’s destroyers were becoming commonplace. The Japanese began to move their troops by barge from Munda, a new staging area in southern New Georgia. Meanwhile, American submarines were taking a heavy toll of Japanese shipping within striking distance of the Solomons, with destroyers as the prime target. One such “hot” war patrol was conducted by Wahoo, with big, affable Lieutenant Commander Dudley W. “Mush” Morton––a legend among submariners––in command.