Three Japanese Destroyers Died in Minutes — America Lost No Ships at Vella Gulf

Vella Gulf, 6 August 1943: three Japanese destroyers died in minutes, and the American column lost no ship. Six destroyers held their guns, fired 24 Mark 15 torpedoes in 63 seconds and let the Japanese Type 93 Long Lance stay in its tubes. The Tokyo Express would never again land reinforcements at Vila by destroyer. This documentary covers the Battle of Vella Gulf in full: Commander Frederick Moosbrugger's Task Group 31.2 (Dunlap, Craven, Maury, Lang, Sterett and Stack), the Japanese destroyers Hagikaze, Arashi, Kawakaze and Shigure, the Mark 15 torpedo and its flaws, the SG radar, and the order of 24 July 1943 that deactivated the magnetic exploder. It follows the arc from Blue, Tassafaronga and Kula Gulf to the night of 6 and 7 August, the landing on Vella Lavella and the Japanese withdrawal from Kolombangara. Sources are naval histories, combat narratives and loss tables, with each date, clock time and casualty figure checked and conflicting accounts flagged. No legends, no invented dialogue. Subscribe for the definitive history of the United States in the Second World War — new documentaries every few days. #WW2 #WorldWarII #PacificWar #USNavy #WWIIHistory #VellaGulf #Destroyers #Mark15Torpedo #LongLance #MilitaryHistory #USAInWW2