Battle off Horaniu
Encyclopedia
The Battle off Horaniu (Japanese: 第一次ベララベラ海戦) was a minor naval battle
of the Pacific campaign
of World War II
fought on the night of August 17, 1943 near the island of Vella Lavella
in the Solomon Islands
, the Japanese had decided to evacuate their garrisons in the central Solomons. An evacuation convoy escorted by four destroyers commanded by Rear Admiral Matsuji Ijuin
set out from its staging base at Horaniu on the northern tip of Vella Lavella on August 17 to evacuate the island of Kolombangara
to the east.
. After an ineffective exchange of torpedoes and gunfire at long range, the Japanese retreated at about 01:00.
Naval battle
A naval battle is a battle fought using boats, ships or other waterborne vessels. Most naval battles have occurred at sea, but a few have taken place on lakes or rivers. The earliest recorded naval battle took place in 1210 BC near Cyprus...
of the Pacific campaign
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
fought on the night of August 17, 1943 near the island of Vella Lavella
Vella Lavella
Vella Lavella is an island in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. It lies to the west of New Georgia, but is considered one of the New Georgia Group...
in the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
Background
After the fall of Munda and their defeat in the Battle of Vella GulfBattle of Vella Gulf
The was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II fought on the night of 6-7 August 1943, in Vella Gulf between Vella Lavella Island and Kolombangara Island in the Solomon Islands of the Southwest Pacific....
, the Japanese had decided to evacuate their garrisons in the central Solomons. An evacuation convoy escorted by four destroyers commanded by Rear Admiral Matsuji Ijuin
Matsuji Ijuin
- External links :* by Vincent P. O'Hara- Notes :...
set out from its staging base at Horaniu on the northern tip of Vella Lavella on August 17 to evacuate the island of Kolombangara
Kolombangara
Kolombangara is an island in the New Georgia Islands group of the Solomon Islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean...
to the east.
Battle
At about 23:30 they were attacked by planes and were still in some disorganization when they were spotted at 00:29 by an American force of four destroyers commanded by Captain Thomas J. RyanThomas J. Ryan (admiral)
Rear Admiral Thomas John Ryan, Jr. was a career American naval officer who received the Medal of Honor, the United States' highest military decoration, for his actions while in Yokohama, Japan during the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake...
. After an ineffective exchange of torpedoes and gunfire at long range, the Japanese retreated at about 01:00.