Missing image USS_Charles_Ausburne.jpg USS Charles Ausburne USS Charles Ausburne in the Solomon Islands, c. 1943
Battle of Cape St. George
Conflict	World War II, Pacific War
Date	November 26, 1943
Place	Near Buka Island in the Solomon Islands
Result	American victory
Combatants United States Japan Commanders Arleigh Burke Kiyoto Kagawa Strength 5 destroyers 5 destroyers Casualties — 3 destroyers sunk
Solomon Islands campaign Guadalcanal – Savo – Eastern Solomons – Cape Esperance – Santa Cruz – Naval Guadalcanal – Tassafaronga – Rennell – Blackett Strait – New Georgia – Kula – Kolombangara – Vella – Horaniu – Vella Lavella – Bougainville – Empress Augusta Bay – Cape St. George

The Battle of Cape St. George was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on November 26, 1943 near Cape St. George on Buka Island in the Solomon Islands. It was the last engagement of surface ships in the Solomon Islands campaign.

Americans had landed troops on Bougainville on November 1 1943. This posed a threat to the Japanese base on Buka Island to the west, and 900 troops were loaded on the destroyer transports Amagiri, Yugiri, Uzuki and sent together with the destroyers Onami, Makinami under the command of Captain Kiyoto Kagawa to reinforce the garrison.

The US Navy learned of the convoy and sent the five destroyers Charles Ausburne, Claxton , Dyson, Converse, and Spence under the command of Captain Arleigh Burke to intercept it.

The Japanese had landed their troops and cargoes and were returning to Rabaul when at about 01:40 they were spotted. Superior radar allowed the American ships to approach and launch their torpedoes at about 01:55 before the Japanese had spotted them. Onami was hit by several torpedoes and sank immediately. Makinami was hit by one torpedo, disabled, and sunk by gunfire. The transports fled in different directions; Burke pursued Yugiri and sank her about 03:30.

The battle marked the end of the Tokyo Express and the end of Japanese resistance in the Solomon Islands. There were no more surface engagements in the Pacific War until the Marianas Islands campaign began with the invasion of Saipan in June 1944.

External links

• Description by Vincent O'Hara (http://www.microworks.net/pacific/battles/cape_stgeorge.htm)
• Order of battle (http://www.navweaps.com/index_oob/OOB_WWII_Pacific/OOB_WWII_Cape-St_-George.htm)