JUNYOKAN!

© 1997-2020 Bob Hackett and Sander Kingsepp
Revision 10

At dawn, FURUTAKA and KINUGASA again launch their "Alfs". At 0750 both cruisers are spotted NW of Rossel Island by Lt (later Captain) Keith E. Taylor, piloting an SBD-3 from USS YORKTOWN's VB-5. At 0850 one of Japanese cruiser floatplanes reports the sighting of a SARATOGA class fleet carrier.

Rear Admiral Hara's SHOKAKU and ZUIKAKU launch a 78-plane strike against a reported American carrier and cruiser sighted to the south. An hour later, another report advises that an American carrier and about ten other ships were sighted 280 miles NW. CarDiv 5's planes do not find "a carrier and cruiser", but find two other American ships. They damage oiler USS NEOSHO (AO-23) and sink her escort, destroyer SIMS (DD-409).

NE of Misima Island, Louisiades. At 1100, SHOHO is attacked by 93 SBD dive bombers and TBD torpedo-bombers from Fletcher's YORKTOWN and Rear Admiral (later Admiral) Aubrey W. Fitch's (former CO of USS LEXINGTON, CV-2) Task Force 11's USS LEXINGTON, USS MINNEAPOLIS (CA-36), USS NEW ORLEANS (CA-32) and five destroyers. SHOHO is sunk as a result of the air attack.

At 2040 (JST), FURUTAKA and KINUGASA are ordered to join the MO Carrier Striking Force the following morning.

8 May 1942:
Forty-six SBDs, 21 TBDs and 15 Grumman F4F "Wildcats" from USS YORKTOWN and USS LEXINGTON find Hara's CarDiv 5. They damage SHOKAKU and force her retirement. ZUIKAKU's air group also suffers heavy losses.

Thirty-six of CarDiv 5's Type 97 Nakajima B5N2 "Kate" attack planes with 24 Type 99 Aichi D3A1 "Val" dive-bombers covered by 36 Type 0 Mitsubishi A6M2 "Zekes" damage YORKTOWN. LEXINGTON, hit by at least five torpedoes and several bombs, is further damaged when gasoline vapors ignite and trigger massive explosions that cause her to be abandoned. Later she is scuttled by destroyer PHELPS (DD-360).

FURUTAKA, KINUGASA, SAZANAMI and YUGURE are detached to escort SHOKAKU back to Truk. AOBA and KAKO cover the withdrawing Port Moresby invasion convoy.

9 May 1942:
Refuels at Shortland.

10 May 1942:
The Battle of the Coral Sea halts the Japanese thrust toward Port Moresby and they cancel Operation "MO-Go". FURUTAKA and KINUGASA arrive at Kieta.

13 May 1942:
FURUTAKA and KINUGASA arrive at Shortland and refuel.

15 May 1942:
FURUTAKA and KINUGASA depart Shortland.

17 May 1942:
Arrives at Truk.

31 May 1942:
FURUTAKA and KINUGASA depart Truk.

5 June 1942:
Arrives at Kure, transferred to Kure Navy Yard.

10-15 June 1942:
Dry-docked.

28 June 1942:
FURUTAKA and KINUGASA depart Kure.

4 July 1942:
Arrives at Truk.

7 July 1942:
FURUTAKA and KINUGASA depart Truk.

9 July 1942:
Arrives at Kieta and refuels.

14 July 1942:
The IJN undergoes a major reorganization. The Eighth Fleet is created under Vice Admiral Mikawa Gun'ichi (former CO of KIRISHIMA) and based at Rabaul.

14-26 July 1942:
FURUTAKA and KINUGASA pay calls at various IJN bases in the Solomons, New Britain and New Ireland, arriving at the Mowe Passage, near Kavieng.

27 July 1942:
CruDiv 6 is reassigned to the Eighth Fleet.

7 August 1942:
CruDiv 6 and CHOKAI depart the Mowe Passage through the "Slot" towards Guadalcanal with the light cruisers TENRYU and YUBARI and destroyer YUNAGI. At Rabaul, CHOKAI embarks the Commander of the Eighth Fleet, Vice Admiral Mikawa and his staff.

9 August 1942: The Battle of Savo Island.
Rear Admiral (VC-'18/later Admiral Sir) Victor A. Crutchley's, RN, (former CO of HMS WARSPITE), Task Group 62.6 of cruisers and destroyers is screening the invasion transports at Savo Island off Guadalcanal. Crutchley is ordered to attend a meeting with ComTaskFor 62 Rear Admiral (later Admiral) Richmond K. Turner, (former CO of USS ASTORIA, CA-34). Before detaching to Guadalcanal with his flagship, cruiser HMAS AUSTRALIA, Crutchley approves the disposition of his screen around the entrances to Savo, but provides no battle plan for the Senior Officer Present, Captain Howard D. "Ping" Bode of USS CHICAGO (CA-29) to follow in the event of an attack.[2]

CruDiv 6, CHOKAI, light cruisers TENRYU and YUBARI and destroyer YUNAGI prepare to engage the Allied Forces in a night gun and torpedo action. At 0138, CHOKAI launches a salvo of Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedoes at the Allied force from only 5,000 yards. The circling floatplanes then drop flares to illuminate the targets and all the Japanese ships open fire. Captain William G. Greenman's ASTORIA (CA-34), Captain Samuel N. Moore's USS QUINCY (CA-39), Captain (later Rear Admiral) Frederick L. Riefkohl's USS VINCENNES (CA-44) and Captain Frank E. Getting's (former CO of AMC HMAS KANIMBLA) cruiser HMAS CANBERRA are sunk. Captain Bode's USS CHICAGO is damaged as are USS RALPH TALBOT (DD-390) and USS PATTERSON (DD-392).

On the Japanese side, CHOKAI is hit three times, KINUGASA is hit twice, AOBA once and FURUTAKA is not damaged. FURUTAKA expends 153 main caliber rounds, ninety-four 12-cm and 147 25-mm AA rounds during the battle, claiming the sinking of an ASTORIA class cruiser and a destroyer and damage to a SAN FRANCISCO class cruiser. Admiral Mikawa, unaware that Admiral Fletcher has withdrawn his carriers covering the invasion, orders a retirement and leaves Admiral Turner's transports untouched.

10 August 1942:
CruDiv 6 proceeds to Kavieng at 16 kts. On the way, LtCdr John R. Moore's USS S-44 sets up on the last cruiser in the line. Moore fires four Mk.10 torpedoes at 700 yds. Three torpedoes hit KAKO, she blows up and sinks.

At 1610 FURUTAKA and the remainder of CruDiv 6 arrive at Mowe Passage, Kavieng for emergency repairs and refit.

17 August 1942:
CruDiv 6 departs the Mowe Passage.

19 August 1942:
CruDiv 6 arrives at the seaplane base at Rekata Bay, San Ysabel.

20 August 1942:
CruDiv 6 departs Rekata Bay.

22 August 1942:
CruDiv 6 arrives at Shortland.

23 August 1942:
CruDiv 6 and CHOKAI depart Shortland to provide distant cover for the Guadalcanal reinforcement convoys. That same day, a Consolidated PBY "Catalina" patrol plane of VP-23's "Black Cats" boldly, but unsucessfully, attacks FURUTAKA in broad daylight.

26 August 1942:
FURUTAKA is detached from CruDiv 6. Arrives at Kieta. During the next month, FURUTAKA shuttles between Kieta and Rabaul as needed to refuel and resupply.

12 September 1942:
S of New Ireland. Lt James W. Davis' S-47 (SS-158) attacks unsuccessfully an "AOBA-class heavy cruiser (7,100-tons)" that he identifies from the Navy's Recognition Manual, ONI-41-42, but this is probably FURUTAKA. [3]

1 October 1942:
CruDiv 6 is at Shortlands.

11 October 1942: The Battle of Cape Esperance:
Rear Admiral Goto's CruDiv 6's AOBA (F), FURUTAKA and KINUGASA and DesDiv 11's FUBUKI and HATSUYUKI depart Shortland towards Guadalcanal. Goto's mission is to provide cover for a troop reinforcement convoy by shelling Henderson Field.

Rear Admiral Joshima Takatsugu's (former CO of SHOKAKU) convoy of seaplane carriers CHITOSE and NISSHIN and six destroyers, reaches Tassafaronga, Guadalcanal and lands the IJA's 2nd Infantry Division, tanks and artillery.

A report is received that a B-17 of the 11th Bomb Group (H) has sighted a Japanese force approaching Guadalcanal. ComTaskFor 64's Rear Admiral Norman Scott (MOH posthumously), who has just completed escorting 6,000 troops of the Army's Americal Division from New Caledonia to Guadalcanal, launches two Vought OS2U "Kingfisher" reconnaissance planes. They spot and report Goto's force coming down the "Slot" at 30 knots. So alerted, Scott's radar-equipped Task Force 64's SAN FRANSCISCO (CA-38) (F), SALT LAKE CITY (CA-25), light cruisers BOISE (CL-47), HELENA (CL-50) and five destroyers steam around the end of Guadalcanal to block the entrance to Savo Sound.

At 2235, Rear Admiral Goto's three cruisers and two destroyers are picked up by Captain Gilbert C. Hoover's USS HELENA's radar. Scott reverses course to cross the Japanese "T". Both fleets open fire. ComCruDiv 6, Rear Admiral Goto, thinking that he is under "friendly-fire", orders a 180-degree turn that exposes each of his ships to the Americans' broadsides.

Flagship AOBA is damaged heavily. Admiral Goto is mortally wounded on her bridge. After AOBA is crippled, Captain Araki turns FURUTAKA out of the line to engage Captain (later Vice Admiral) C. H. McMorris' USS SALT LAKE CITY. LtCdr E. B. Taylor's USS DUNCAN (DD-485) launches two torpedoes toward FURUTAKA that either miss or fail to detonate. She continues firing at the cruiser until she is put out of action by numerous shell hits. At 2354, FURUTAKA receives a torpedo hit to port side that floods her forward engine room.

Destroyer FUBUKI is sunk and HATSUYUKI damaged. Captain E. J. Moran's USS BOISE, USS SALT LAKE CITY and USS FARENHOLT (DD-491) are damaged.

About 90 shells hit FURUTAKA, jamming her No. 3 turret in train and starting several fires. Several shells penetrate the engine rooms. The Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedoes ignite as well. The fires draw more gunfire.

12 October 1942:
Around 0040 FURUTAKA goes dead in the water. After the battle flag is lowered, the order is given to abandon ship. At 0228 (local), FURUTAKA sinks stern first 22 miles NW of Savo Island, at 09-02N, 159-33 E. Thirty-three crewmen are killed and 225 counted as MIA. Captain Araki and 517 survivors are rescued by HATSUYUKI and by DesDiv 11's MURAKUMO and SHIRAYUKI (of Admiral Joshima's Reinforcement Group).

That morning, Lt Cdr W. G. Cooper's USS McCALLA (DD-488) attempts to salvage USS DUNCAN. Despite her efforts, USS DUNCAN sinks about 6 miles N of Savo Island. The Americans take 115 of FURUTAKA's crew as prisoners of war.

90 miles WNW of Savo Island, MURAKUMO is retiring up the Slot when she is attacked and set afire by planes from Henderson Field. Destroyer NATSUGUMO is also sunk while assisting MURAKUMO. SHIRAYUKI rescues MURAKUMO's survivors, then scuttles her with a torpedo. ASAGUMO rescues the survivors of NATSUGUMO.

Rear Admiral Goto dies aboard AOBA. He is promoted Vice Admiral, posthumously. KINUGASA and AOBA return to Shortland that day.

10 November 1942:
Removed from Navy List.

25 February 2019:
Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen's research vessel RV PETREL locates the wreck of FURUTAKA at a depth of 4,590 ft. The bow section has broken off, but is next to the hull. The bridge structure is approximately 660 yds away.

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Authors' Notes:
[1] Mt. Niitaka, located in Formosa (now Taiwan), was the highest point in the Japanese Empire at the time.

[2] The unlucky Captain Bode, also CO of USS OKLAHOMA (BB-37) sunk at Pearl Harbor, broods over the Savo disaster, one of the greatest in American naval history. In 1943, while CO of Balboa Naval Station, Canal Zone, he takes his own life.

[3] Davis claimed he sank a cruiser at 05-29S, 152-17E at 2100 with three of four torpedoes fired in a night surface visual attack, but FURUTAKA was not damaged. The sounds heard by the submariners may have been prematures or end-of-run explosions of S-47's old Mk.10 torpedoes.

Special thanks for assistance in researching the IJN officers mentioned in this TROM go to Mr. Jean-François Masson of Canada and Fontessa-san of Japan.

Bob Hackett and Sander Kingsepp.

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