Background
The American forces were in a campaign of island hopping their way towards Japan. They had taken Guadalcanal the past year. After their victory in the Battle of Kolombangara on 13 July, the Japanese had established a powerful garrison of 12,400 around Vila at the southern tip of the island. This was the principal port on that island, and it supplied at night using fast destroyers as transports known as the "Tokyo Express". Three supply runs on 19 July, 29 July, and 1 August were successful deliveries. However, by 1 August the Americans were driving the Japanese out of the airfield on New Georgia Island just south of Kolombangara.
The last of these runs resulted in an unsuccessful skirmish for the Americans - one which does not merit a name from naval historians. It would become the noted topic of magazine articles, books, motion pictures, and political campaigns when of fifteen PT boats (which did not score a single sinking), the destroyer Amagiri rammed and sank PT-109, commanded by future U.S. President John F. Kennedy.
Read more about this topic: Battle Of Vella Gulf
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