It's now Friday the 13th, not an encouraging thought among the sailors.
Rumors run rampant about what is going down. Aboard the USS CUSHING Commander
Thomas Stokes ComDesDiv 10, is at the bridge. He has just heard the USS
HELENA broadcast over the TBS (Talk Between Ships) at 0124 1
"Large unidentified targets bearing three hundred twenty degrees, range
thirty two thousand yards" Only a Battleship would be tall enough to show
up that far over the horizon, and they were picking up more than one! Stokes
had to be concerned his ship had only surface scan SC-1 radar that had
been malfunctioning ever since the war started. He was leading the Task
Force with the oldest ship and the one least prepared to lead, but perhaps
the most prepared to fight. |
USS CUSHING |
| A minute after the first report at 0125, the SG radar operator
on the USS HELENA broadcast another report to the bridge, "Radar contact.
Bearing 310 True. Distance 31,900 yards." This was different than the first
contact and was probably a second group. Orders from the Flagship SAN FRANCISCO
came an agonizing four minutes later, they called for a course change to
310 degree's. This was right toward the oncoming enemy force. It is thought
that Callaghan was having a hard time visualizing the enemy course and
formation, he might have been trying to cross the enemies "T" as Admiral
Scott had done at the Battle of Cape Esperance, a month ago. AT 0131 HELENA
again reported that the enemy was "Now three targets. Bearing 312 (degrees),
Distance 26,000 (yards)." Followed by "Their course 107. Speed possibly
23 (knots)." The HELENA was getting an accurate picture of the Japanese
force, however in the flagship the translation was getting lost. Callaghan
again called for a course change this time to 0 degrees due North and speed
increased from 18 knots to 20. Things get confusing from here on, but it
appears that Callaghan had CUSHING change course again back to 310 degrees
but at 0137 he reversed himself and ordered her back to 0 degrees. With
about 500 yards between ships traveling line ahead, only the CUSHING would
have been able to execute the turns before the course was corrected again.
This would have placed her to the left of the formation and unfortunately
on a collision course with a couple of speeding Japanese destroyers racing
to get back into their intended positions. The YUDACHI and HARUSAME crossed
about 3000 yards directly ahead of the CUSHING. Though the CUSHING lacked
effective radar and the most up-to-date gunnery, she was commanded by an
able Captain that night. LCdr. Butch Parker instantly reacted to the situation
and at 0141 ordered the ship to a hard turn to port at 330 degrees. This
turn avoided a possible collision and also unmasked his torpedo tubes for
attack. They were all ready to fire, but by time word was passed down the
Japanese ships had turned away, another opportunity lost. The abrupt turn
by the CUSHING surprised the other Destroyers in the van. One by one they
attempted to follow, each one losing speed in the process, and bunching
up the formation. |
| CUSHING had the Japanese Light Cruiser Nagara off her starboard bow,
and a Battleships bearing down from the port side. The second Destroyer
in line was the LAFFEY, she was following the CUSHING thru her turn, when
the YUDACHI and HARUSAME raced by in front of them. Torpedo tubes were
trained out in anticipation, the enemy was right on top of them and still
no permission to fire. The Admiral was still busy trying to sort out his
tangled ships. As soon as the two Japanese destroyers moved out of sight,
LAFFEY had another target, a big one, thought to be a cruiser. "I request
permission to fire." Lt. Tom Evin's the torpedo officer called out. LCdr
Bill Hank, the Laffey's captain replied immediately "Permission NOT
granted". There was still no order to open fire. |
USS LAFFEY |
| The STERRET had been tracking the largest target in the enemy fleet,
the Battleship Hiei which was now visible to the naked eye. Guns
and torpedo tubes were also trained out awaiting the order, but it didn't
come. |
USS STERRET |
|
FYI
SG VS SC Radar
Unlike earlier radar set which displayed target info much like the signal
on an ociliscope, SG radar info is displayed on a circular screen much
the same way as modern sets in use today. Radar contacts display as points
of light (blips) relative to the center of the screen. The distance from
the center is the range to the target, and the direction from the center
is the bearing, pretty simple. The older sets display targets as a peak
in the wave with the position displayed as the left or right location of
the peaking wave. Sounds complicated, but a good operator could do a fair
job of tracking a target. Now add 20 targets to that display and it is
next to impossible to interpret the movement and range of any of them
|
Early Radar view
SG Style view
click for a picture
of a real SG set |
| Aboard the O'BANNON the targets had been tracked since 0130 with her
brand new SG radar. Cdr Edwin Wilkerson had been getting reliable course
and range info from his PPI scope. Just as they were getting a clear picture
of the enemy the O'BANNON had to turn more than 45 degrees and wound up
on STERETT's port quarter instead of astern. |
USS O'BANNON |
Aboard the ATLANTA Admiral Scott, was growing very impatient waiting
to fire. The whole enemy task force was almost on top of them. "Well if
Admiral Callaghan doesn't say commence firing, I will" he announced. But
at that moment the ATLANTA came up on the destroyers turning in front of
him and had to turn sharply himself to avoid running over the O'BANNON.
"What are you doing" called Callaghan over the TBS. Captain Jenkins, skipper
of the ATLANTA answered back that they were avoiding their destroyers.
He was ordered to resume course as soon as possible. ATLANTA began turning
right at about 0147, to comply with the Admirals order. At about
this point her SC radar picked up a target 3,000 yards directly ahead of
her. This was probably the NAGARA, which was now crossing
the American's T and moving across their starboard bow. As she
continued to turn to the north, she now had a destroyer 2000 yards off
the port bow and another one 1600 yards to port. |
USS ATLANTA |
| The SAN FRANCISCO had originally turned to port to follow the
ATLANTA, but as the lead ship cut even harder right, the SAN FRANCISCO
turned back and steadied on course north. |
USS SAN FRANCISCO |
| The PORTLAND recorded "four ships in a line southwest to northeast,
east of Savo." as she came to the turn point. It is not known whether this
report made it out over the TBS, as there was a lot of chatter amoung all
the ships reporting contacts and inquiring of them. |
USS PORTLAND |
| HELENA had to maneuver radically to avoid collision and keep station;
she had gone to flank speed, stopped all engines, and gone to flank speed
again, in a little over a minute at about the same time as the ships ahead
started bunching up. Sailors aboard the HELENA were growing impatient as
when they watched the guns swing out to Port and elevate for maximum range,
and then slowly lower until they were almost dead level as they tracked
their targets. But still no orders to fire had been given. |
USS HELENA |
| On board the JUNEAU nearly identical to her sister ship ATLANTA except
she was one of the three cruisers fitted with SG radar. She reported to
CTG 67.4 that , "We have several ships on starboard." It is not known whether
Captain Swenson made a mistake in direction of his contacts, as the bulk
of the enemy was on the portside, or if he was tracking the HARUSAME
and YUDACHI, who had already crossed in front of the American ships. |
USS JUNEUA |
| Even on the AARON WARD, Captain Tobin's flagship leading the rear division
of destroyers, there was radar contact. The AARON WARD had a target indicated
at 12,000 yards at 310 Degree's from her position. Since she only had Fire
Director (FD) radar and primitive (SC) radar, it must have been the Battleship
HIEI, is is doubtful that anything smaller would have shown up on her radar
at that range. |
USS AARON WARD |
| The BARTON, was the newest of the four Benson class, but with
ships pilling up in front of her the Captain and crew were so busy following
the leader that they were sailing almost blindly into the melee. |
USS BARTON |
| MONSSEN was forced to rely on radio information and visual detection,
due to damage sustained in the torpedo plane attacks the day before,
one of which had cost MONSSEN the use of her fire control radar. |
USS MONSSEN |
| The FLETCHER, another brand new destroyer rushed to the Pacific, also
had a brand new SG radar set, and even from the back of the pack had multiple
targets on her screen, trouble was that they were coming together and intermingling
making it hard to determine friend from foe. |
USS FLETCHER |
| As ATLANTA skidded around through her turn, things began
to happen quickly. The Japanese Admiral was now fully aware of the Americans
presence and was himself deciding what to do. At 0142 Abe received a message
from the destroyer YUDACHI stating "Enemy sighted" bearing "toward Lunga."
"What is the range and bearing? And where is YUDACHI?" He demanded.
within a minute HIEI's own lookouts reported, "Four black objects ahead!
Looks like warships. Five degrees to starboard, eight thousand meters.
Unsure yet; visibility bad." Abe flashed to the Bombardment Unit, "Probable
enemy ships in sight, bearing 136 degrees." He ordered a formation
turn left to a course of 080 degrees, and at 0145 that turn was executed. |
| Admiral Callaghan came onto TBS at 0145 to broadcast to
all ships, "Stand by to open fire." Whatever the Admiral had in mind by
waiting twenty minutes to open fire, it was all for not as the two formations
had collided. |
Next
"Commence firing! Counter-illuminate!" |
