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This Day in History, November 30th, 2022 – “Tassafaronga”



Article audio is made possible by CAST11 Prescott Podcast Network. A Talking Glass Media production.

It was just 80 years ago today, November 30, 1942, when once again the opposing fleets of the US Navy and Imperial Japan met in the pitch-black darkness on the waters off the coast of Guadalcanal. Ever since their defeat earlier in the month the Japanese had decided to no longer try and drive the Americans off the ‘Canal’ but instead to keep their soldiers on the island supplied and make the Marines pay for every inch as they advanced. This meant nighttime runs of the Tokyo Express that would sail close to the shore and drop off barrels of food and supplies, the Americans would try to intercept these nocturnal missions.

Every Nation has at least one weapon superior to all others and for the Japanese that was the Torpedo, specifically the Long Lance Torpedo. While most torpedoes had a diameter of 21 or 18 inches the Long Lance was 24 inches in diameter and was faster and had a longer range than any other torpedo in any other Navy, by a wide margin. Worst of all for any potential target, the Long Lance carried a warhead 3 times as powerful compared to any other that could blast a Heavy Cruiser in half, which is exactly what the Japanese did at Tassafaronga.

The Tokyo Express was making another run to the ‘Canal’ with 8 Destroyers when they were surprised by the American fleet of 4 Heavy Cruisers ,1 Light Cruiser and 6 Destroyers. Using Radar the Americans quickly pounced on the Japanese and sank 1 Destroyer, but the Japanese fired a salvo of their Long Lance Torpedoes as they turned tail and beat a hasty retreat. They ripped into the US Fleet seriously damaging 3 of the Heavy Cruisers, even blasting the bow off of one and sinking the USS Northampton.

What was happening yesterday, on November 29th?


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