Battle of Kula Gulf

6 July 1943, Kula Gulf, off Kolombangara, Solomon Islands

Inconclusive: the Japanese landed their troops but lost two destroyers

The Americans landed on New Georgia in June 1943, and the Tokyo Express began running troops to Vila on Kolombangara to reinforce it. Rear Admiral Walden Ainsworth's three light cruisers and four destroyers met Rear Admiral Teruo Akiyama's ten destroyers in Kula Gulf after midnight. The cruisers opened fire by radar and sank Akiyama's flagship Niizuki almost at once. But Helena had run out of flashless powder, and her gun flashes showed the Japanese where she was: Suzukaze and Tanikaze hit her with three of their long-range torpedoes, and she broke in two and sank. Nagatsuki ran aground on Kolombangara and was bombed to pieces the next day. Most of the Japanese troops and supplies still got ashore.

United States Navy

7 ships, 1 lost

Ship	Type	Outcome
USS Honolulu Ainsworth's flagship	Light cruiser Brooklyn class	Survived
USS Helena 168 killed; destroyers picked up most of her crew, and the rest drifted to Vella Lavella	Light cruiser St. Louis class	Sunk
USS St. Louis	Light cruiser St. Louis class	Survived
USS Nicholas Rescued Helena's crew	Destroyer Fletcher class	Survived
USS O'Bannon	Destroyer Fletcher class	Survived
USS Radford Rescued Helena's crew	Destroyer Fletcher class	Survived
USS Jenkins	Destroyer Fletcher class	Survived

Imperial Japanese Navy

10 ships, 2 lost

Ship	Type	Outcome
IJN Niizuki Akiyama's flagship	Destroyer Akizuki class	Sunk
IJN Suzukaze Torpedoed Helena	Destroyer Shiratsuyu class	Damaged
IJN Tanikaze Torpedoed Helena	Destroyer Kagerō class	Damaged
IJN Mochizuki Transport group	Destroyer Mutsuki class	Survived
IJN Mikazuki Transport group	Destroyer Mutsuki class	Survived
IJN Hamakaze Transport group	Destroyer Kagerō class	Survived
IJN Amagiri Transport group	Destroyer Fubuki class	Damaged
IJN Hatsuyuki Transport group	Destroyer Fubuki class	Damaged
IJN Nagatsuki Ran aground and was bombed the next day	Destroyer Mutsuki class	Wrecked
IJN Satsuki Transport group	Destroyer Mutsuki class	Survived

Map

Ainsworth up the Slot to Kula Gulf 5–6 July 1943
The Tokyo Express to Vila 5–6 July 1943