A SECOND BATTLE FOR KULA GULF FOLLOWED SWIFTLY (2, August 1943)

Walden L. “Pug” Ainsworth,
Rear Adm., USN

A second battle for Kula Gulf followed swiftly as the enemy attempted another reinforcement run to Munda.  On July 12 the Tokyo Express met Ainsworth’s cruisers and destroyers.  
Because of a TBS failure at a critical juncture, and accurate Japanese torpedoes, cruisers St. Louis

USS St. Louis (October 1944)

 and Honolulu 

USS Honolulu (February 1939)

 

HMNZS Leander

and New Zealand’s Leander sustained severe damage, while destroyer Gwin was set afire and had to be abandoned.  Against this the Imperial Navy lost the cruiser Jintsu and four destroyers.  But the Tokyo Express

USS Gwin underway in 1941

kept coming.  On the night of August 2 the Japanese supply train made a high speed run through Blackett Strait.  American torpedo boats were stationed in the area, and one of them was Lieutenant (jg) John F. 

Japanese light cruiser Jintsū, 1925

Japanese light cruiser Jintsū, 1925

Kennedy’s 109 . . . Later immortalized by Robert J. Donovan.

 From: The United States Navy in World War II
Compiled and edited by: S. E. Smith

PT-109 in Panama, circa 1940