June 25, 1943
Location: 60 miles southeast of Gasmata
Course: Northwest
Attached to: TF 36
Mission: Surface Combat
System Damage: 2
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 224
Orders: Screen bombardment forces from enemy attack
---
Hibiki leads the column through the darkness towards the mouth of Milne Bay. Behind
Hibiki comes
Tachikaze, then light cruiser
Isuzu. Destroyers
Nokaze,
Namikaze, and
Kuretake bring up the rear.
This is nothing new to
Hibiki, by now a veteran of these bombardment runs. Soon, they know, they will encounter the inevitable torpedo boats. There are no indications yet of any heavier opposition, but the possibility cannot be discounted. Everyone is at combat stations and the lookouts are alert; they know by now that the key to fighting torpedo boats is to see them first and open fire before the small craft can get in close.
What happens next, however, is something new. From somewhere behind
Hibiki comes an explosion.
Isuzu lurches and slows, smoke and flames billowing from her forward port side.
“What was that?” demands Captain Ishii. “Torpedoes?”
“Sir,” calls a lookout, “
Isuzu is signaling she has been hit by a mine!”
“Damn!” says Ishii. “Engines ahead one quarter. Extra lookouts to the bow.” Behind
Hibiki the column is thrown into chaos.
Nokaze and
Namikaze swing to port to avoid the stricken
Isuzu, and behind them
Kuretake swings to starboard.
Hibiki and
Tachikaze slow, lookouts gazing into dark waters that suddenly bristle with hidden menace.
It is at this precise moment, with the Japanese slowed and in disorder, that the enemy torpedo boats strike. They could not ask for better targets; the Japanese are distracted and disorganized and their ships are illuminated by flames from
Isuzu.
Nokaze and
Namikaze are perfectly silhouetted in front of
Isuzu. The first indication
Hibiki has that they are under attack are towering explosions from both ships. At first Captain Ishii things these are more mines detonating.
“Torpedo boats!” screams a lookout from the port side. “One thousand meters and closing!” Now Captain Ishii can hear, above the explosions, the distinctive sound of the torpedo boat’s engines at full power. He doesn’t even waste time cursing.
“Engines ahead full!” he yells.
Hibiki will just have to take her chances with the mines. “All guns, open fire!” Before the crew can respond comes the heavy, low rattle of American .50 caliber machine guns and the rapid bark of cannon fire. Glass shatters on the bridge. Captain Ishii hurls himself to the deck as machine gun bullets rip into the tower. As he lies there he can feel his ship shudder beneath him as it is struck by heavier shells. Frightened and angry cries come from the crew, and then, gratifyingly, he hears the boom of his ship’s 5” guns. He pulls himself to his feet.
No one on the bridge seems injured. Two of the windows have been shattered by bullets and glass crunches under his feet as he takes two steps and helps Lieutenant Sugiyura to stand.
Lookouts begin relay information again. Lieutenant Miharu steps onto the bridge from the observation platform. His hair is mussed and his cap is missing.
“They are passing behind the task force, sir”, he says. “Our rear ships are taking heavy fire.”
“Bring us around to starboard, one hundred eighty degrees,” orders Ishii. “Maintain fire. Slow to one half speed. Lieutenant, get me a casualty and damage report.” Ishii is relieved to feel helm and engines respond crisply to his commands.
As
Hibiki comes about the main guns send a final volley chasing the retreating torpedo boats. No hits are scored. Captain Ishii’s attention, however, is riveted by the sight of the rest of the task force as it comes into view.
Isuzu is still on fire from the mine hit.
Nokaze has been devastated and is blazing fiercely.
Namikaze is scarcely in better shape and already has a distinct list.
Kuretake did not take any torpedoes but her topsides have been wrecked and her hull perforated by cannon fire. Only
Tachikaze seems relatively unhurt.
The torpedo boats withdraw into the night. The only sounds after they leave are the crackle of flames and occasional small secondary explosions from the damaged ships.
Captain Ishii utters bitter, low curses.
Hibiki is the only ship that even managed to return fire. This is a disaster. Lieutenant Miharu climbs back onto the bridge, where he steps up to Captain Ishii and salutes.
“Your report, Exec?” says Ishii, bracing himself inwardly.
“Sir, no casualties and no damage,” says the lieutenant briskly. Captain Ishii stares at him.
“There are some bullet holes in the tower, sir,” continues Lieutenant Miharu, “and the main funnel has been riddled like a sieve. It looks like twenty millimeter cannon fire there. But no one has been hit and no systems damaged.” Captain Ishii shakes his head. He will ponder this amazing good fortune later. Right now there is a lot of work to do.
Moving slowly, once again wary of mines,
Hibiki moves in to provide assistance. Aboard
Isuzu Captain Yoshimura orders
Hibiki and
Tachikaze to help fight the fires and take wounded off the other ships. The task force will then withdraw at the best speed possible. Ships that cannot keep up will be left behind to fare as best they can.
---
As the sun comes up
Hibiki finds herself leading
Isuzu and
Tachikaze to the northwest. Despite the mine hit
Isuzu is able to make enough speed to keep up with the destroyers. The other three destroyers are strung out in a long, ragged line many behind. Out ahead are the bombardment groups. From the radio reports
Hibiki has picked up the enemy torpedo boats continued on and ran into the massed firepower of the waiting battleship groups. The bombardment groups annihilated the torpedo boats without loss and then carried out their mission.
It does not take long for enemy torpedo bombers to find and attack the three destroyers behind them. Captain Ishii is almost grateful when a large flight of enemy B-25 type bombers appears in the distance. It gives him a reason to stop listening to the death throes of the three doomed ships.
As the enemy bombers come in
Hibiki’s anti-aircraft guns open fire. It is far from a curtain of flak, but Hibiki needs all the help she can get right now. He calls down to Chief Engineer Sakati to overboost the engines.
“Course starboard 45 degrees,” he instructs the helmsman.
Hibiki begins to zig zag as bombs come whistling down. One explodes less than a hundred feet ahead, sending water cascading over the ship as the destroyer races past the explosion. Black smoke belches from the stacks as the ship reaches maximum speed, and it emerges in twisted streamers from the holes in the main funnel.
Then the attack is over.
Hibiki emerges unhurt, and Captain Ishii orders speed reduced.
Isuzu has somehow also escaped damage.
Tachikaze, however, has taken a hit directly on her stern. Captain Ishii feels sick as he thinks of the wounded that cover that destroyer’s deck. His own deck is similarly crowded.
Tachikaze brings the fire started by the bomb under control and limps up to rejoin
Hibiki and
Isuzu. Together the last three survivors of the Screening Force head for Rabaul.
---
Hibiki is hit twice by .50 caliber and once by 20mm fire:
[/center]
