| USS Minneapolis (CA-36), departing Pearl Harbor after being fitted with a new bow. She had lost her original bow in the Battle of Tassafaronga, off Guadalcanal on November 30, 1942. The Battle of Tassafaronga was a nighttime naval battle that took place on November 30, 1942, between the United States Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Guadalcanal campaign. The battle took place in Ironbottom Sound near Tassafaronga Point on Guadalcanal. In the battle, a United States Navy force of 5 cruisers and 4 destroyers under the command of Rear Admiral Carleton H. Wright (June 2, 1892 – June 27, 1973) intercepted 8 Japanese destroyers attempting to deliver food to their forces on Guadalcanal. The United States Navy destroyers waited 4 minutes after radar contact for permission to launch torpedoes and missed the optimal firing position; the torpedoes all missed, and the destroyers retired. The United States Navy cruisers opened fire and sank 1 destroyer. The muzzle flash exposed the United States Navy cruisers’ positions. Under the command of Rear Admiral Raizō Tanaka (April 27, 1892 – July 9,1969), Imperial Japanese Navy destroyers quickly launched Type 93 “Long Lance” torpedoes, sinking 1 United States Navy cruiser and heavily damaged 3 others. The rest of Tanaka’s force escaped undamaged but failed to complete the intended supply mission. As flagship of Task Force 67, USS Minneapolis sortied on November 29 to intercept a Japanese destroyer force attempting to reinforce Guadalcanal. At 2305 Hours the next night, she spotted 6 Japanese ships, and the Battle of Tassafaronga was opened by her 8 inch (203 millimeter) fire. She scored many hits on the destroyer Takanami, which sank. However, the gunfire failed to sink Takanami before she could fire her torpedoes, and in a twist of revenge 2 of these torpedoes hit Minneapolis, 1 on the port bow, the other in her number 2 fireroom, causing loss of power and severe damage; her bow collapsing back to the hawsepipes, her port side badly ruptured, and 2 firerooms open to the sea. Of the battle, American naval historian Samuel Eliot Morison wrote, “It is a painful truth that the Battle of Tassafaronga was a sharp defeat inflicted on an alert and superior cruiser force by a partially surprised and inferior destroyer force.” Of her crew, 37 were killed in action while 36 were wounded. The ship was saved however by skillful damage control work and seamanship that kept her afloat and enabled her to reach Tulagi. There, camouflaged with palm fronds and shrubs to protect her from frequent air raids, she was temporarily repaired by her own crew with the help of Seabees of the 27th Naval Construction Battalion stationed on the island, and was able to sail for extensive repairs at Mare Island Naval Shipyard. A new bow was built for her during her transit back to the shipyard and was almost ready to be mated on by the time of her arrival. While there she received a remodeling of her forward bridge and added new radars and numerous 20 millimeter Oerlikon and 40 millimeter Bofors anti-aircraft guns. | |
| Image Filename | wwii1888.jpg |
| Image Size | 1.95 MB |
| Image Dimensions | 5988 x 4751 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | United States Navy |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | April 11, 1943 |
| Location | Pearl Harbor |
| City | Oahu |
| State or Province | Hawaii |
| Country | United States |
| Archive | Naval History and Heritage Command |
| Record Number | 80-G-K-541 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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