Battle of Kula Gulf
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The Battle of Kula Gulf took place in the early hours of 6 July 1943 during World War II. The battle involved United States and Japanese ships off the eastern coast of Kolombangara in the Solomon Isla
USS Helena and St. Louis in action at Kula Gulf, seen from USS Honolulu
The New Georgia group of islands. The Kula Gulf lies between Kolombangara and northwestern New Georgia
Nagatsuki abandoned, May 1944
Radford arriving at Tulagi with survivors from Helena
USS Helena (CL-50)
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USS Helena was a Brooklyn-class light cruiser built for the United States Navy in the late 1930s, the ninth and final member of the class. The Brooklyns were the first modern light cruisers built by t
Battle of Kula Gulf
…force had been attacked by a Japanese submarine. Ainsworth's task group consisted of the light cruisers USS Honolulu (CL-48), USS St. Louis (CL-49), and USS Helena (CL-50), plus four destroyers, Nicholas, O'Bannon, Radford and Jenkins. On the afternoon of 5 July, they were returning to the Coral Sea to resupply when Admiral…
USS Helena in 1940
Helena at her launching ceremony
Helena in 1940
Helena (center left) at 1010 dock after the attack; Oglala has been towed astern where she capsized. Smoke clouds from the burning destroyers Cassin and Downes rise in the distance beyond Helena, while those from the battleship Nevada are visible to the right. The battleship California is down by the bow but has not yet sunk.