The war in the Pacific was in full swing, and the Cleveland-class cruiser USS Birmingham was caught in the middle. On the afternoon of November 8, 1943, the calm waters around the island of Bougainville masked a brewing storm as Birmingham’s radar screens lit up, detecting 13 Japanese enemy aircraft hurtling toward her task force.
Minutes later, the first ominous sight of a circling reconnaissance Mitsubishi Betty set the stage for an upcoming clash at sea. Alarms echoed through the corridors as the crew sprang to their battle stations.
At 7:00 pm, Birmingham, alongside two other cruisers, unleashed a barrage of fire at the enemy formation, now just 18,000 yards away. The Japanese pressed on and were met by the equally fierce resolve of the Americans, who launched flares and manned their guns with steely precision.
Birmingham’s 40-millimeter and 20-millimeter gunners quickly downed an Aichi D3A Type 99 carrier bomber, sending it crashing into the sea. Yet, a lucky bomb from the stricken plane tore a 15-foot hole in Birmingham’s hull, followed by an aerial torpedo that blasted a 30-foot gash on the port bow, flooding the fuel compartments.
Despite her wounds, Birmingham’s crew fought valiantly, extinguishing fires and patching the ship as they shot down six more enemy fighters. The battle raged fiercely, with the sea transformed into a fiery cauldron of destruction.
Even as a devastating explosion from a Val bomber claimed lives and inflicted injuries, Birmingham held her ground, maintaining a speed of 30 knots to break away from the never-ending swarm of enemy aircraft. The war would demand much more from USS Birmingham; her battle had only just begun.