The Mysteriously Restored Sea Fortress the US Tried to Keep Hidden
On the evening of November 14, 1942, as darkness enveloped the Pacific, battleships USS South Dakota, Washington, and four destroyers embarked on a covert mission under Vice-Admiral Willis A. Lee to intercept a significant Japanese fleet near Savo Island.
Leading a group of destroyers and cruisers was the battleship Kirishima, one of the mightiest ships of the Empire.
The guns on both sides roared to life, ripping holes into hulls and decks. The Japanese ships lined up and moved in to perform what they believed to be a coup de grâce on the Americans.
Not to be outdone, South Dakota and Washington mirrored the move.
However, as South Dakota was about to enter the fray, a sudden blackout struck, disabling her radar and cutting off communication with Washington, vital for the safety of her crew. Unwilling to give up, Captain Thomas Gatch, an eccentric yet beloved leader, decided to steam ahead anyway, trusting his expertly-trained crew of ‘wild men’ to rise to the occasion.
Now, with both fleets mere thousands of yards apart, a rare event in World War 2 and naval history as a whole was about to ensue: a battleship versus battleship showdown.
On the evening of November 14, 1942, as darkness enveloped the Pacific, battleships USS South Dakota, Washington, and four destroyers embarked on a covert mission under Vice-Admiral Willis A. Lee to intercept a significant Japanese fleet near Savo Island.
Leading a group of destroyers and cruisers was the battleship Kirishima, one of the mightiest ships of the Empire.
The guns on both sides roared to life, ripping holes into hulls and decks. The Japanese ships lined up and moved in to perform what they believed to be a coup de grâce on the Americans.
Not to be outdone, South Dakota and Washington mirrored the move.
However, as South Dakota was about to enter the fray, a sudden blackout struck, disabling her radar and cutting off communication with Washington, vital for the safety of her crew. Unwilling to give up, Captain Thomas Gatch, an eccentric yet beloved leader, decided to steam ahead anyway, trusting his expertly-trained crew of ‘wild men’ to rise to the occasion.
Now, with both fleets mere thousands of yards apart, a rare event in World War 2 and naval history as a whole was about to ensue: a battleship versus battleship showdown.
The Mysteriously Restored Sea Fortress the US Tried to Keep Hidden
On the evening of November 14, 1942, as darkness enveloped the Pacific, battleships USS South Dakota, Washington, and four destroyers embarked on a covert mission under Vice-Admiral Willis A. Lee to intercept a significant Japanese fleet near Savo Island.
Leading a group of destroyers and cruisers was the battleship Kirishima, one of the mightiest ships of the Empire.
The guns on both sides roared to life, ripping holes into hulls and decks. The Japanese ships lined up and moved in to perform what they believed to be a coup de grâce on the Americans.
Not to be outdone, South Dakota and Washington mirrored the move.
However, as South Dakota was about to enter the fray, a sudden blackout struck, disabling her radar and cutting off communication with Washington, vital for the safety of her crew. Unwilling to give up, Captain Thomas Gatch, an eccentric yet beloved leader, decided to steam ahead anyway, trusting his expertly-trained crew of ‘wild men’ to rise to the occasion.
Now, with both fleets mere thousands of yards apart, a rare event in World War 2 and naval history as a whole was about to ensue: a battleship versus battleship showdown.
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