Battle of Vella Gulf

Part of the Pacific Theater of World War II

The U.S. destroyer Sterett.

Date	6–7 August 1943
Location	Near Kolombangara in the Solomon Islands
Result	United States victory

Belligerents

United States

Empire of Japan

Commanders and leaders

Frederick Moosbrugger

Kaju Sugiura

Strength

6 destroyers

4 destroyers

Casualties and losses

None

3 destroyers sunk,
1,210 killed

Coordinates: 7°54′S 156°49′E / 7.90°S 156.82°E / -7.90; 156.82 The Battle of Vella Gulf (ベラ湾夜戦, Berawan yasen^?) 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.

This engagement was the first time that American destroyers were allowed to operate independently of the American cruiser force during the Pacific campaign. In the battle, six American destroyers engaged four Japanese destroyers attempting to reinforce Japanese troops on Kolombangara. The American warships closed the Japanese force undetected with the aid of radar and fired torpedoes, sinking three Japanese destroyers with no damage to American ships.

After their victory in the Battle of Kolombangara on 13 July, the Japanese had established a powerful garrison of 12,400 around Vila on the southern tip of Kolombagara island in an attempt to block further island hopping by the American forces, which had taken Guadalcanal the previous year. Vila was the principal port on Kolombangara, and it was supplied at night using fast destroyer transport runs the Americans called the "Tokyo Express". Three supply runs on 19 July, 29 July, and 1 August were successfully completed. However, by 1 August the Americans were driving the Japanese out of the airfield on New Georgia Island just south of Kolombangara and the Japanese decided to send a fourth transport run to Vila with reinforcements

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