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Task Force 36
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Kula Gulf Landing
"TOENAILS" - New Georgia Landing
x Kula Gulf
x Kolombangara
Munda Shelling
1943/08
1943/11 - 12 - Solomons patrols
Emirau Landing 44/03/20

Kula Gulf Landing
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DD Radford
TG 36.1 = TF 18 (see in)
TG 36.5
DM Gamble, Preble, Breese

43/05/07 36.5 lay minefield in Blackett Strait covered by Radford
43/05/13 36.5 lay mines across northwestern approaches to Kula Gulf

"TOENAILS" - New Georgia Landing
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DD Selfridge
TG 36.1
CTG RAdm Walden A. Ainsworth (ComCruDiv9)
CL CruDiv9: Helena, Honolulu/GF, St Louis
DD Nicholas, O'Bannon, Radford, Jenkins
TG 36.2
CTG RAdm Aaron Stanton Merril (ComCruDiv12)
CL CruDiv12: Montpelier/GF, Columbia, Cleveland, Denver
DD DesRon22: Pringle/SF
DesDiv43: Waller/DF, Philip, Renshaw, Saufley
DM ?? till 06/30 ?? Breese, Gamble, Preble
TU 36.2.1
CL Montpelier/GF,UF, Cleveland, Columbia, Denver
DD DesDiv43: Waller/DF, Philip, Renshaw, Saufley
TU 36.2.2 - till ?? 06/30 ??
DD Pringle
DM ?? till 06/30 ?? : Breese, Gamble, Preble
TU 36.2.2 - 07/15-07/19
CTU Cap Robert B. Carney
CL Denver/UF, Cleveland
DD Philip, Renshaw
TG 36.2 from 43/07/28
CTG RAdm Aaron Stanton Merril (ComCruDiv12)
TU 36.2.1
CL Montpelier/GF, UF, Cleveland
DD Pringle, Philip, Waller
TU 36.2.2
CL Columbia/UF, Denver
DD Eaton, Saufley, Renshaw
TG 36.3
CTG RAdm Dewitt C. Ramsey
CV Saratoga/GF, Victorious
CL San Diego, San Juan
BB Washington, North Carolina, Indiana
DD 8: Gridley
TU 36.3.9 - 43/07/02-07/05
CTU Cap Robert B. Carney
BB North Carolina
CL Cleveland, Denver/UF
DD Stanly, Dyson, Claxton, Saufley, Renshaw
TG 36.4
CTG RAdm Harry W. Hill
BB 2 (BatDiv4)
DD 4
TG 36.5
CTG RAdm Andrew C. McFall (ComCarDiv22)
CVE 3: CarDiv22: Sangamon/GF
DD Taylor (till 07/06)
TG 36.6
CTG MAjGen Robert S. Beightler
InfDiv37
43/06/26 36.2 shell Shortland ??
43/06/27 36.2 departed Efate
43/06/29 36.3 created
1000 - 36.2.1 arrived Port Purvis, Florida Is.
1330 - 36.2.1 departed Port Purvis for New Georgia
1500 - 36.2.1 rendevoused with TU 36.2.2
1821 - 2200 - 36.2.1 Renshaw and Waller detached to shell Vila
43/06/30 36.2 shell Shortland
0045 - 36.2.2 headed to mine Shortland Harbor ?? detached from TG 36.2 ??
0155-0215 - 36.2.1 - shell Ballale Is.
43/07/01 0700-1400 - 36.2 refuel from AO Sabine
1534 - 36.2 - Cleveland, Denver, Saufley and Renshaw detached to join TU 36.3.9
43/07/02 36.3.9 created
43/07/03 36.3.9 - patrol in assigned area "G"
43/07/04 36.3.9 - DDs refuel from BB and CLs
43/07/05 land Rice Anchorage, New Gorgia 36.1 shell Vila, Kolombangara, and Bairoko Harbor, New Georgia - engaged IJN forces in x Kula Gulf
1540 - 36.2 Denver, Columbia, Saufley and Renshaw rejoined - departed (less DMs) to area W of Rendova Is. to intercept IJN force on reinforcement run
2200 - 36.2 changed destination to Guadalcanal in order to refuel
43/07/06 1345 - 36.2 arrived Guadalcanal and commenced refuel
1730 - 36.2 sail from Guadalcanal to intercept enemy force off Kula Gulf
43/07/07 0130 - 36.2 arrived Kula Gulf - no enemy - changed course back to Guadalcanal
        Waller shell and depth charged unindentified submarine (08-00S, 158-05E)
0900 - 36.2 arrived back to Guadalcanal and commenced fueling
1700 - 36.2 departed again to intercept enemy forces off Kula Gulf
43/07/08 0130 - 36.2 arrived Kula Gulf - no enemy - changed course back to Guadalcanal
0930 - 36.2 arrived Guadalcanal
43/07/10 1730 - 36.2 departed Guadalcanal to intercept enemy force off Kula Gulf
43/07/11 0130 - 36.2 retired from Kula Gilf with no contact with enemy
0900 - 36.2 arrived Purvis Bay - detached to TG 36.9 see below
43/07/12 36.2 sail to area SW of Rendova to intercept enemy forces
43/07/13 36.2 - SW of Rendova - Pringle detached
43/07/14 0250 - departed back to Purvis Bay
1100 - 36.2 back in Purvis Bay
43/07/15 1600 - 36.2.2 formed and underway for Esp. Santo for logistic
43/07/16 1309 - 36.2.2 en route Esp. Santo - destination changed to Efate
43/07/17 0700 - 36.2.2 arrived Havannah Harbor, Efate
43/07/19 0600 - 36.2.2 departed Efate for Esp. Santo
1430 - 36.2.2 arrived Esp. Santo
43/07/20 1730 - 36.2 departed Esp. Santo for Tulagi
43/07/22 2315 - 36.2 - Denver, Columbia(OTC), Renshaw and Saufley detached back to Esp. Santo
43/07/23 1630 - 36.2 - Denver, Columbia(OTC), Renshaw and Saufley arrived Esp. Santo
43/07/28 0830 - 36.2.2 departed Esp. Santo
43/07/29 0730 - 36.2.1 and 36.2.2 joined into TG 36.2
1500 - 36.2.2 detached from TG 36.2
43/07/30 1107 - 36.2.2 ordered back to Esp. Santo
1500 - 36.2.2 arrived Esp. Santo

x Kula Gulf
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TG 36.1
CTG RAdm Walden A. Ainsworth
CL CruDiv9: Honolulu, Helena, St Louis
DD DesRon21(Cap Francis X. McInerney): Nicholas, O'Bannon, Radford
Jenkins, Chevalier, Woodworth, Strong (till 07/05)

43/07/04 Slot - sail for action
43/07/05 shell Vila - attacked by IJN DDs on reinforcement run : Strong sunk by torpedoes (08-05S, 157-15E)
damaged Chevalier - departed for Tulagi, escorted APD for Munda
retiring through Indispensible Strait - recalled back against Tokio Express
43/07/06 x Kula Gulf:
Helena sunk (gunfire from Suzukaze and Tanikaze - 07-46S, 157-11E)
sinking Niizuki (gunfire prob. from Honolulu - 07-50S, 157-15E), damaging Suzukaze (prob. by St. Louis and Honolulu), Amagiri, Hacujuki (by Honolulu, Nicholas and OŽBannon)

Munda Shelling
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TG 36.9
CTG RAdm Aaron Stanton Merril
CL CruDiv12: Montpelier/GF,DF, Columbia, Cleveland, Denver
DD Farenholt, Buchanan, Gwin, Ralph Talbot, Maury
DesRon22: Pringle/SF
DesDiv43: Waller/DF, Philip, Renshaw, Saufley

43/07/11 1500 departed Tulago for Munda
43/07/12 0300-0340 shell Munda, then retired back to Tulagi Farenholt, Buchanan, Gwin, Ralph Talbot, Maury detached to TG 36.1 back as TG 36.2 - see above

x Kolombangara
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TG 36.1 = TF 18
CTG RAdm Walden A. Ainsworth
CL CruDiv9: Honolulu, St. Louis, Leander (RNZN)
DD DesRon21 (Cap McInerney): Nicholas, O'Bannon, Jenkins, Radford, Taylor (from 07/12)
DesRon12- from 43/07/12 (Cap Ryan): Gwin(SF), Buchanan, Woodworth
Ralph Talbot, Maury

43/07/05 escort APD for Munda
43/07/12 S of Tulagi - Desron12 joined
43/07/13 x Kolombangara:
Gwin sunk (07-41S, 157-27E)
Buchanan and Woodworth collided (07-40S, 157-14E)
Honolulu (07-31S, 157-19E) and St. Louis (07-37S, 157-16E) damaged by torpedoes
sinking Dzincu (07-38S, 157-06E)
in the evening back at Tulagi

1943/08
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TG 36.2
CTG RAdm Aaron Stanton Merril (ComCruDiv12)
CL CruDiv12: Montpelier, Cleveland, Denver, Columbia
DD Philip, Waller, Renshaw, Dyson, Claxton, Saufley
TG 36.3
CTG RAdm Sherman
CV Saratoga/GF
BB Maryland, Colorado, North Carolina, Massachusetts
CA Australia (RAN)
CL San Diego, San Juan
DD Cony, Selfridge, McCall, Conway, Eaton, Cummings, Charles Ausburne, Gridley
TU 36.3.1
TU 36.3.2
43/08/02 1300 - 36.2 departed Esp. Santo
43/08/03 0645 36.2 joined TG 36.3 for tactical exercises
1530 36.2 + Australia detached for night search and simulated attack on TG 36.3
2100 36.2 rejoined TG 36.3
43/08/04 simulated air attacks 1615 - tactical maneuvers completed - 36.2 less Columbia disjoined to Esp. Santo
43/08/05 0900 36.2 arrived Esp. Santo
TG 36.3
DD Fanning

43/08 36.3 afford protection from Munda Landing

1943/11 - 12 - Solomons patrols
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DD Woodworth

43/11/1? Woodworth joined
43/12/26 Woodworth disjoined

Emirau Landing 44/03/20
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CTF RAdm Robert M. Griffin
4 BB, 1 CV, 2 CVE, 15 DD
DD Stevens, Eaton, Terry, Saufley
TG 36.1
CV Enterprise
CL Mobile, Oakland
DD DesRon50: Clarence K. Bronson/SF
DesDiv99: Healy, Cotten, Dortch, Gatling
DesDiv100: Caperton, Cogswell, Knapp
TG 36.2? = TF 37
CTG RAdm Robert M. Griffin (ComBatDiv3)
BB Tennessee
BatDiv3: New Mexico, Idaho, Mississippi
DD DesRon25 (Cap Edward M. Thompson):
DesDiv49: ?? John Rodgers/SF ??, Harrison, McKee, Murray
DesDiv50: Ringgold/DF, Schroeder, Sigsbee, Dashiell
TG 36.3
CTG RAdm Raph E. Davison
CVE until 04/02: Manila Bay/GF,DF (VC-7), Natoma Bay (VC-63)
from 04/02: Corregidor, Coral Sea (VC-33)
DD 4: Warrington (03/14-04/06), Sampson, Wilson

44/03/07 TG 58.1 detached from TF 58, renumbered to TG 36.1
44/03/15 36.1 departed Esp. Santo for Emirau
36.2 - BBs departed Majuro
36.3 departed Esp. Santo
44/03/20 D-Day Emirau
36.2 shell Kavieng
36.3 strike Kavieng
44/03/25 36.1 departed Emirau area
36.2 - Harrison disjoined at Efate
44/03/27 36.1 renumbered back to TG 58.1
44/04/02 36.3: Manila Bay + Natoma Bay departed to Tulagi for supplies
36.3: Corregidor + Coral Sea joined
44/04/11 36.3 - Sampson disjoined
44/04/14 36.3 arrived Port Purvis, Tulagi

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