USS Charles Ausburne (DD-570) - Guadalcanal and Solomon Islands Campaigns

Guadalcanal and Solomon Islands Campaigns

Sailing to the Pacific she arrived at Nouméa, New Caledonia, 28 June 1943 to begin a summer of patrol and escort duties supporting the conquest of Guadalcanal, guarding convoys to that island, and between such ports as Efate and Espiritu Santo. From 27 August, she was based at Port Purvis, where she was part of a striking force designed to interrupt the passage of the "Tokyo Express", the nightly runs of Japanese destroyers evacuating troops from the Solomons to Bougainville and New Britain. Her first patrol "up the Slot" on the night of 27–28 August, was uneventful, and her first contact with the enemy came on 7 September, when her group came under enemy air attack. During this time, she guarded the movement of transports and LSTs redeploying men in the Solomons, and took part in experiments with night fighters.

It was on the night of 27–28 September 1943 that the enemy first felt Charles Ausburne's accurate fire, when she sank two barges in the waters off Vella Lavella. Early in October, she returned to Espiritu Santo for replenishment and training, and here on 23 October the squadron's most famous Commander, Captain Arleigh A. Burke, broke his pennant in Charles Ausburne. Under his command, the "Little Beavers", as he nicknamed the squadron, were to win an immortal place in naval history, recognized by the awarding of the Presidential Unit Citation. Their continual series of operations against Japanese naval forces and shore installations played a large part in the winning of the Solomon Islands, and Charles Ausburne was in the thickest action from 31 October 1943 to 23 February 1944.

Her support of the invasion of Bougainville began on the night of 31 October 1943, when her task force sortied from Port Purvis to neutralize the Japanese airfields at Buka with heavy gunfire. Charles Ausburne fired on shore batteries here and on the Shortlands, which the task force passed on its way south to refuel. In the early morning of 1 November, troops stormed ashore at Empress Augusta Bay, and word was received of the movement of four Japanese cruisers and six destroyers south from Rabaul to attack the transports off Bougainville. Immediately, Charles Ausburne and her force put north to meet and engage the enemy. First contact was made at 02:27, 2 November, when the targets were clear on the flagship's radar, and Charles Ausburne and three other "Little Beavers" maneuvered for a torpedo attack, which the Japanese evaded. Next, they finished off Sendai, already blazing from the attack of American cruisers, then sped at 32 knots to close on Hatsukaze. With Spence joining in the attack, Charles Ausburne sank the enemy destroyer, then dashed to the assistance of torpedo-damaged Foote whom she escorted back to Purvis Bay at the close of this Battle of Empress Augusta Bay.

Through the remainder of November, Charles Ausburne patrolled and conducted bombardments in the Bougainville area, several times escorting resupply echelons to that island. Devastating fire poured on to the Japanese airfield at Bonis, and antiaircraft actions were fought off the beachheads, as the squadron was almost constantly underway. On 24 November 1943, while the squadron refueled in Harborn Sound, orders came to intercept Japanese forces believed to be moving down to evacuate men from Buka. Immediately, the five American destroyers then composing the squadron moved north to search the Rabaul-Buka line, and at 01:41 on 25 November, a radar surface contact was made as the squadron patrolled in St. George Channel. Charles Ausburne with two others headed in for a torpedo attack on two Japanese destroyers as Burke's two remaining destroyers provided cover. Hits disintegrated Onami, and broke Makinami in two. Quickly as the covering ships polished Makinami off, Charles Ausburne and the others turned to attack three destroyer transports now visible, who turned and fled with the American destroyers in pursuit. At 02:15, acting on sound estimate, Captain Burke ordered his ships to make a sharp change of course to the right to evade torpedoes. Just a minute later came the slam of torpedoes exploding in the wake of his ships. Now the "Little Beavers" opened fire on the fleeing enemy, while maneuvering to avoid return fire. As the three targets took divergent courses, Charles Ausburne continued her pursuit of Yugiri, hitting her repeatedly. Soon blazing from stem to stern, the Japanese ship made a last desperate attempt to open the range but was quickly overhauled and sunk. Approaching daylight now made it imperative that the squadron withdraw to put distance between themselves and the Japanese airbase at Rabaul. Thus ended the classic destroyer battle of Cape St. George. Three enemy ships had been sunk and another badly damaged, while no damage was received by the American ships.

Through December 1943, Charles Ausburne continued her patrol, escort, antiaircraft, and bombardment duties in support of the Bougainville operation. After brief overhaul in Australia she returned to the northern Solomons 30 January 1944, and on 3 February sailed for action once more, fighting off a heavy Japanese air attack to break through for a bombardment mission on the northern coast of Bougainville. A series of patrols to cover the landings on Green Island and many searches for enemy surface craft were conducted, along with a punishing bombardment of Kavieng Harbor on 18 February. The enemy's port facilities, airstrip, and supply dump were almost completely destroyed in this attack.

From 20 February to 24 February 1944, the squadron swept the waters of New Ireland for Japanese shipping, sinking a tug, a coastal minelayer, a small freighter, and many barges, then returned to escorting amphibious craft until 5 March, when they sailed on a patrol north of the Bismarcks.