Battle of Kula Gulf The naval Battle of Kula Gulf ( Japanese : クラ湾夜戦 ) took place in the early hours of 6 July 1943 during World War II and was between United States and Japanese ships off the coast of Kolombangara in the Solomon Islands . Background . On 5 July , United States Navy Task Group 36 . 1 ( TG 36 . 1 ) — commanded by Rear Admiral Walden L . Ainsworth and consisting of the light cruiser s , , and , plus four destroyer s , had received word of another " Tokyo Express " mission down " the Slot " in the Solomon Islands , and the task group proceeded northwest past New Georgia Island . The Allies were in the process of launching their next offensive in the Solomon Islands , having just landed troops on the island of Rendova as a preliminary step to seizing the major Japanese airstrip at Munda on New Georgia Island . In support of this landing , which was to set up an initial beachhead for moving U . S . troops across Blanche Channel to New Georgia , Admiral Ainsworth had the night before conducted a cruiser bombardment of Vila on Kolombangara Island and Bairoko on New Georgia and , short of fuel and ammunition , was in the process of retiring to the Coral Sea to replenish . A U . S . Marine landing was scheduled on the northern shore of New Georgia on 10 July , that would require further naval support . Battle . At 01 : 06 off Kolombangara , the task group came into contact with a Japanese reinforcement group commanded by Admiral Teruo Akiyama which consisted of ten destroyers loaded with 2 , 600 combat troops that were bound for Vila , which they used as a staging point for moving into Munda . The Japanese were divided into two forces , a formation of three escorts trailing the main column first came under attack . The U . S . ships opened fire at 01 : 57 , firing 612 shells in 21 minutes and six seconds , quickly sinking the destroyer and killing Admiral Akiyama . However , " Helena " had expended all of her flashless powder the previous night , she was forced to use smokeless powder , thus illuminating herself to the Japanese ships with every salvo . Two of the Japanese destroyers launched their Long Lance torpedo es and hit " Helena " , fatally damaging her . The main Japanese force , which had countermarched away from Vila with the first contact , then broke away , having landed only 850 of the 2 , 600 troops . The Japanese destroyer ran aground , while was damaged . Both forces began to withdraw from the area , but one Japanese and two American destroyers remained to rescue survivors . At about 05 : 00 , the destroyers and exchanged torpedoes and gunfire . " Amagiri " was hit and retired . The beached " Nagatsuki " was abandoned by her crew in the morning , she was bombed and sunk by American aircraft . Aftermath . The destroyers and " Nicholas " both stayed behind to rescue survivors from " Helena " . While rescuing over 750 men , " Radford " and " Nicholas " had to reengage the enemy three times , they were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for their rescue . " Amagiri " escaped and later rammed and cut in half the motor torpedo boat USS " PT - 109 " , captained by future President of the United States John F . Kennedy ( 1917 - 1963 ) , in Blackett Strait southwest of Kolombangara . Namesake . The U . S . Navy escort aircraft carrier — in commission from 1945 - 1946 , 1951 - 1955 , and 1965 - 1969 — was named for this battle .