Battle of Empress Augusta Bay

1–2 November 1943, Off Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville

American victory

The US Marines landed at Cape Torokina in Empress Augusta Bay on 1 November 1943, and that night Vice Admiral Sentarō Ōmori came down from Rabaul with two heavy cruisers, two light cruisers and six destroyers to attack the transports. Rear Admiral Aaron Merrill's four light cruisers and eight destroyers stood across his path. Merrill kept his cruisers at long range and used their radar-directed guns, weaving to dodge the Japanese torpedoes, while his destroyers under Captain Arleigh Burke attacked from the flanks. The light cruiser Sendai was sunk by gunfire; in the confusion Myōkō rammed the destroyer Hatsukaze, which was left behind and sunk, and two more Japanese destroyers collided. On the American side Foote lost her stern to a torpedo and Denver took three hits. Ōmori turned back without reaching the transports, and was relieved of his command.

United States Navy

12 ships, none lost

Ship	Type	Outcome
USS Montpelier Merrill's flagship	Light cruiser Cleveland class	Survived
USS Cleveland	Light cruiser Cleveland class	Survived
USS Columbia	Light cruiser Cleveland class	Survived
USS Denver Three 8-inch hits	Light cruiser Cleveland class	Damaged
USS Charles Ausburne Burke's flagship	Destroyer Fletcher class	Survived
USS Dyson	Destroyer Fletcher class	Survived
USS Stanly	Destroyer Fletcher class	Survived
USS Claxton	Destroyer Fletcher class	Survived
USS Spence Grazed Thatcher and was hit by a shell	Destroyer Fletcher class	Damaged
USS Thatcher Grazed Spence	Destroyer Fletcher class	Damaged
USS Converse	Destroyer Fletcher class	Survived
USS Foote Torpedoed in the stern	Destroyer Fletcher class	Damaged

Imperial Japanese Navy

10 ships, 2 lost

Ship	Type	Outcome
IJN Myōkō Ōmori's flagship; rammed Hatsukaze	Heavy cruiser Myōkō class	Damaged
IJN Haguro	Heavy cruiser Myōkō class	Damaged
IJN Sendai	Light cruiser Sendai class	Sunk
IJN Agano	Light cruiser Agano class	Survived
IJN Shigure	Destroyer Shiratsuyu class	Survived
IJN Samidare Collided with Shiratsuyu	Destroyer Shiratsuyu class	Damaged
IJN Shiratsuyu Collided with Samidare	Destroyer Shiratsuyu class	Damaged
IJN Naganami	Destroyer Yūgumo class	Survived
IJN Hatsukaze Rammed by Myōkō, then sunk by gunfire	Destroyer Kagerō class	Sunk
IJN Wakatsuki	Destroyer Akizuki class	Survived

Map

Ōmori's cruisers from Rabaul 1–2 November 1943