Battle of the Komandorski Islands
On 26 March 1943, escorting two transports to reinforce Japanese-occupied Kiska in the Aleutian Islands, Hosogaya's force, consisting of two heavy cruisers, two light cruisers, and four destroyers, was intercepted near the Komandorski Islands by a U.S. Navy force, led by Rear Admiral Charles H. McMorris, comprising one heavy cruiser, one light cruiser and four destroyers. In the ensuing Battle of the Komandorski Islands, Hosogaya mistook shell splashes from colored dye shells for bomb splashes, and wrongly concluded he was under aerial attack. Seeking to protect his ships, he abruptly broke off the action and retreated from battle even though he had severely damaged McMorris's flagship, the heavy cruiser .