Battle of Kula Gulf

Part of the Pacific Theater of World War II

USS Helena and St. Louis in action at Kula Gulf, seen from USS Honolulu

Date	6 July 1943
Location	Kolombangara, Solomon Islands
Result	Tactically Inconclusive, Strategic United States Victory; 850 of 2,600 Japanese troops landed at Vila, remainder killed or not landed

Belligerents

United States

Empire of Japan

Commanders and leaders

Walden L. Ainsworth

Teruo Akiyama †

Strength

3 light cruisers,
4 destroyers

10 destroyers

Casualties and losses

1 light cruiser sunk,
168 killed

2 destroyers sunk,
324 killed

The naval Battle of Kula Gulf (Japanese: クラ湾夜戦) took place in the early hours of 6 July 1943 during World War II and was between United States and Japanese ships off the coast of Kolombangara in the Solomon Islands.

On 5 July, United States Navy Task Group 36.1 (TG 36.1)—commanded by Rear Admiral Walden L. Ainsworth and consisting of the light cruisers USS Honolulu (CL-48), USS St. Louis (CL-49), and USS Helena (CL-50), plus four destroyers, had received word of another "Tokyo Express" mission down "the Slot" in the Solomon Islands, and the task group proceeded northwest past New Georgia Island.

The Allies were in the process of launching their next offensive in the Solomon Islands, having just landed troops on the island of Rendova as a preliminary step to seizing the major Japanese airstrip at Munda on New Georgia Island. In support of this landing, which was to set up an initial beachhead for moving U.S. troops across Blanche Channel to New Georgia, Admiral Ainsworth had the night before conducted a cruiser bombardment of Vila on Kolombangara Island and Bairoko on New Georgia and, short of fuel and ammunition, was in the process of retiring to the Coral Sea to replenish. A U.S. Marine landing was scheduled on the northern shore of New Georgia on 10 July, that would require further naval support.

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