Solomon Islands - SisterShips

18 August

Racing up the "Slot" the American destroyers picked up their Japanese counterparts on surface radar at 0029, 11 miles away. To the west the radar showed a barge group. At 0050 the American quartet feinted toward the barges. At 0056 they swung back toward the Imperial Navy's destroyers now 5 miles to the northwest. The brief engagement off Horaniu in which the Japanese "crossed the T" of the American forces but failed to press their advantage was broken off by the Japanese at 0103. The American force pursued, scored on Isokaze and finally dropped behind engineering problems in Chevalier limiting them to 30 knots. They then turned their attention to the scattering barge group destroying 2 subchasers 2 motor torpedo boats and one barge.

(The month before DESRON21 was organized)

February 1, 1943 as the Japanese began Operation KE—the evacuation of Guadalcanal, Nicholas covered the 2nd Battalion, 132nd Infantry, landing at Verahue and supported them as they began their trek inland to seal off the Cape Esperance area to Japanese reinforcements. En route back to Tulagi Nicholas, in company with

USS De Haven (DD-469) and 3 LCTs, a formation of 14 Aichi D3A "Val" dive bombers attacked, sinking the DeHaven. Nicholas fought off eight planes, receiving only near misses which killed two of her crew and damaged the steering gear. Most of the severely injured DeHaven survivors were immediately taken aboard the USS Nicholas DD-449 and put ashore at Lunga Point, Guadalcanal. The wounded were transferred from the NICHOLAS by ambulance to the base hospital there. When the DeHaven survivors would be checked against the muster list, it was found that of the 14 ship's officers, 10 were killed or missing and 3 were wounded. Casualties totaled 167 killed and 38 wounded.

DeHaven was the first Fletcher-class destroyer lost in World War II and was only in service for 133 days before sunk. She earned one battle star for her World War II service.

Iron Bottom Sound map

On the approach to Guadalcanal, O'Bannon sighted and fired on a surfaced enemy submarine, holding it down while the convoy passed safely. On the afternoon of 12 November, the partially unladen transports were attacked by sixteen enemy torpedo bombers; eleven were shot down. O'Bannon fired on four of the enemy planes.

O'Bannon boldly attacked the Japanese battleship Hiei, closing so near, the battleship could not depress her main battery far enough to fire on the destroyer. O'Bannon's gunfire, in combination with the attacks of the rest of the force, damaged Hiei so badly that she was a sitting duck for the air attack, which forced her scuttling the next day.

Solomon Islands
The Slot

1943
17 July
THE NICHOLAS (DD-449) WITH O'BANNON (DD450)
TAYLOR (DD-468) AND CHEVALIER (DD-451) WERE SENT OUT TO INTERCEPT FOUR RABAUL BASED JAPANESE DESTROYERS AS THEY HEADED FOR VELLA LAVELLA TO COVER THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A BARGE STAGING AREA AT HORANIU.

Sister Fletchers

Nicholas and O’Bannon continued to serve together in the Solomon Islands, both participating in frequent actions up the “Slot” including the Battles of Kula Gulf and Kolombangara, 5–6 and 12–13 July 1943 and the action off Horaniu, Vella Lavella, 18 August.

The USS Nicholas (DD-449)

The USS O'Bannon (DD-450)

USS Nicholas (DD-449) rescues survivors of the Helena

USS Nicholas (DD-449) escorting the USS Missouri to Tokyo Bay
Painting by Tom Freeman

John Bailey

John@sisterships.us

Solomon IslandsThe Slot

The Nicholas and O'Bannon were ordered to the Pacificarriving after the Battle of Coral Sea.Destroyer Squadron Twenty-One's fleet of Fletcher class ships deployed to Guadalcanal in the southwestern Pacific'sSolomon Islands.These dauntless destroyers served inAdmiral William F. Halsey's Third Fleet.

1943 17 July THE NICHOLAS (DD-449) WITH O'BANNON (DD450) TAYLOR (DD-468) AND CHEVALIER (DD-451) WERE SENT OUT TO INTERCEPT FOUR RABAUL BASED JAPANESE DESTROYERS AS THEY HEADED FOR VELLA LAVELLA TO COVER THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A BARGE STAGING AREA AT HORANIU.

Sister FletchersNicholas and O’Bannon continued to serve together in the Solomon Islands, both participating in frequent actions up the “Slot” including the Battles of Kula Gulf and Kolombangara, 5–6 and 12–13 July 1943 and the action off Horaniu, Vella Lavella, 18 August.