Battle of Kula Gulf
Assigned to Rear Admiral Walden Lee "Pug" Ainsworth's Task Group 36.1, "Jenkins" departed Tulagi on 5 July and steamed up "The Slot" to intercept Japanese destroyer and transport force-carrying reinforcements to Kolombangara. Radar detected the enemy ships during mid-watch and during the Battle of Kula Gulf 6 July, gunfire sank one destroyer and drove another Ship grounding. Japanese Type 93 torpedo sank the cruiser .