The IJN undergone to a major reorganization on July 14, 1942 after their first decisive lost in Midway, the 8th Fleet was established under the command of Vice Admiral Mikawa Gunichi, the fleet was to direct naval operations within Solomon Islands and New Guinea. The warship forces that were assigned to the 8th Fleet were known as the 'Outer South Seas Force'.
On July 14, 1942, the 8th Fleet main force consisted of heavy cruiser Choukai, light cruiser Yuubari from DesRon 6, and light cruisers Tenryuu and Tatsuta from the CruDiv 18. DesDiv 30, which composed of Mutsuki, Uzuki, Mochizuki and Yayoi, was assigned to the 8th Fleet together with SubRon 7, which composed of submarines I-121, I-122, I-123, Ro-33 and Ro-34, plus several number gunboats and minesweepers. Vice Admiral Mikawa assigned Choukai as his flagship. The Fleet established their headquarters at Simpson Harbor on July 26, 1942 while CruDiv 6, which composed of heavy cruisers Furutaka, Kako, Aoba, and Kinugasa, was detached from the 8th Fleet was stationed in Kavieng.
Their first major engagement was the Battle of Savo Island on the night of August 8 to 9, 1942, the 8th Fleet deployed Choukai, Tenryuu and Yuubari escorted by DesDiv 29's Yuunagi, departed from Rabaul while CruDiv 6 departed from Kavieng, they engaged Task Force 62. They managed to sank RAN heavy cruiser HMAS Canberra D33 from the south group and USN 3 heavy cruisers, USS Astoria CA-34, USS Quincy CA-39 and USS Vincennes CA-44 of the northern group, they also damaged USS Chicago CA-29 from the southern group and destroyers USS Ralph Talbot DD-390 and USS Patterson DD-392. Choukai was hit ten times from the engagement, Tenryuu was hit with 23 of her crew died, Kinugasa was hit twice while Aoba was hit once. The 8th Fleet immediately retreated Rabaul after the battle. The CruDiv 6 retreated to Kavieng, during their retreat CruDiv 6 was attacked by USN submarine USS S-44 SS-155 which torpedoed and sank Kako.
On August 12, 1942, while the rest of the main force are still in Rabaul for repairs, Tatsuta accompanied by Uzuki and Yuuzuki from DesDiv 23 with 2 submarine-chasers, they escorted 2 transport crying base forces and supplies to Basabua. On August 17, 1942, Tenryuu departed from Rabaul with 2 submarine-chasers and 1 minesweeper, they escorted 3 transport ships carrying supplies to Basabua, on the next day Yuubari departed from Rabaul for Truk.
On August 19, 1942, Choukai was redesignated as flagship of the 8th Fleet, she departed from Rabaul for Shortland on August 22, 1942 with DesDiv 17's Isokaze. On 23 August 1942, Choukai departed from Shortland with CruDiv 6 to cover reinforcement convoys. On August 24, 1942, CruDiv 18 together with DesDiv 17's Hamakaze, Tanikaze and Urakaze, escorted 2 transport ships carrying 1,200 troops while I-223 was ordered to deliver food to Florida Island but failed to locate the unit, meanwhile Mutsuki and Yayoi with Isokaze and DesDiv 24's Kawakaze joined DesDiv 15's Kagerou and bombarded Henderson Field, the transports landed at midnight, the ships were attacked by B-17 heavy bombers, the bombers managed to damage Urakaze and 1 transport ship, Mutsuki was bombed by B-17 bombers while joining Guadalcanal troop convoy, she sunk afterwards. During the night floatplanes from Choukai and Kinugasa with light cruiser Yura from DesRon 4 dropped bombs at Lunga point. On the night of August 25 to 26, 1942, Choukai and Yura with CruDiv 6 launched their floatplanes and dropped bombs at Lunga Point again. On August 26, 1942, I-121 was ordered to intercept the damaged USS Enterprise CV-6. On August 27, 1942, during her hut she was attacked by SBD dive-bombers from USS Wasp CV-7, she was damaged and aborted her search to execute emergency repairs.
On August 28, 1942, CruDiv 18 with destroyer Yayoi, DesDiv 4's Arashi and DesDiv 12's Murakumo from Rabaul, the destroyers were carrying troops, the destroyers landed the troops at Milne Bay on midnight. On August 29, 1942, USN Destroyer-minelayer USS Gamble DM-15 tracked I-123, Gamble dropped depth charges at the submarine and was assumed sunk, the sinking of I-123 was witnessed by Ro-34, meanwhile Ro-33 attacked a merchant ship on Port Moserby, the submarine was attacked by destroyer HMAS Arunta and sunk on the engagement. On September 5, 1942, CruDiv 18 with Yayoi evacuated troops from Guadalcanal after a failed attempt to capture Henderson Field, the evacuation was completed on September 6, 1942 with 1,318 troops evacuated, Tatsuta with Arashi bombarded Gili Gili and sank a British Freighter. On September 7, 1942, On the night of September 10, 1942, while conduction another troop evacuation from Goodenough Island, Yayoi was bombed by B-17s and B-25s, Yayoi sunk afterwards. Tenryuu departed from Rabaul on September 11, 1942 to rescue troops from Yayoi, no survivors were found until September 26, 1942. From September 14 to 20, 1942, I-122 patrolled Indispensable Reef, she managed to shoot down a floatplane which is attacking her, she continued to patrol Indispensable Reef afterwards.
On October 2, 1942, Tenryuu was attacked by B-17 bombers while at Rabaul, she was hit by a bomb and several near-misses, they fixed her afterwards. On October 6, 1942, Tatsuta accompanied by 5 destroyers departed from Rabaul and landed troops on Tassafaronga on the night of October 8, 1942. On October 11, 1942 was the Battle of Cape Esperance, CruDiv 6 with DesDiv 11's Fubuki and Shirayuki ordered to bombard Henderson Field, they were intercepted by USN Fleet consisted of 2 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers, and 6 destroyers. Furataka and Fubuki were sank during the engagement while Aoba was heavily damaged while the USN suffered 1 destroyer lost and 1 light cruiser and 1 destroyer were damaged. On October 13, 1942, Choukai and Kinugasa departed from Shortland with Mochizuki and DesDiv 20's Amagiri, the bombarded Henderson Field on October 14, 1942. On October 20, 1942, they finished fixing Tenryuu. Tenryuu was once again deployed on October 25, 1942, were she rescued troops in Welle Island on October 26. On October 26, 1942, Choukai with Kinugasa provided cover for Guadalcanal reinforcement convoy.
On November 2, 1942, Tenryuu with 11 destroyers dropped troops, provisions, and guns in Guadalcanal while being covered by Choukai and Kinugasa. On November 5, 1942, Tenryuu along with Mochizuki, Ayanami, Uranami, Shikanami and Shirayuki dropped another reinforcements in Guadalcanal. On November 6, 1942, Tenryuu was assigned as the flagship of the DesRon 4, and on November 8, 1942, Tenryuu accompanied by destroyers dropped another reinforcements in Guadalcanal. On the night of November 14, 1942, Tenryuu together with heavy cruisers, Maya from CruDiv 4 and Suzuya CruDiv 7 with DesDiv 10's Kazagumo, Makigumo, Michishio and Yuugumo bombarded Henderson Field while being supported by Choukai, Kinugasa, DesRon 2's Isuzu and DesDiv 8's Arashio. They fired 989 8-inch shells at Henderson Field, they were attacked by USN submarine USS Flying Fish SS-229 and by TBF torpedo-bombers from Enterprise and another torpedo-bombers from Guadalcanal, the attack sank Kinugasa and damaged Maya and Choukai. Isuzu suffered two near-misses from land-based SBD dive-bombers, she was assisted by Arashio afterwards.
On December 1, 1942, DesDiv 30 is deactivated, Mochizuki and Uzuki were assigned directly to the 8th Fleet, Choukai patrolled the Rabaul-Kavieng area till February 10, 1943. On December 16, 1942, Tenryuu together with destroyers Isonami, Arashio, DesDiv 6's Inazuma, and DesDiv 24's Suzukaze escorted 2 merchant ships. On December 18, 1942, Mochizuki together DesDiv 8's Asashio escorted another troop transport, they were attacked by aircraft, Mochizuki suffered one near-miss from the attack, meanwhile on the night of December 18 to 19, 1942, Tenryuu's group was spotted by USS Albacore SS-218, Alabore attacked but missed her target, instead she hits Tenryuu, Tenryuu sunk afterwards. On December 20, 1942, CruDiv 18 was disbanded, Tastuta was assigned directly to the 8th Fleet, the 8th Fleet came under the operational authority of the Southeast Area Fleet. On December 25, 1942, Uzuki escorted a transport ship with Urakaze, Tanikaze, DesDiv 27's Ariake and DesDiv 31's Naganami, Uzuki collided with the transport and suffered heavy damaged, she was docked for repairs on December 26, 1942.
January 8, 1943, Mochizuki escorted a transport ship carrying construction material from Rabaul to Kolombangara. On January 14, 1943, the evacuation of troops in Guadalcanal begins. On January 31, 1943, Vice Admiral Mikawa gathered his destroyers and used them for the evacuation, 20 destroyers departed from Shortland for the first evacuation run, DesDiv 31's Makinami suffered one near-miss from a bomb while Makigumo was struck by a naval mine and was sunk during the first evacuation. On February 4, 1943, they send the 20 destroyers again for the second evacuation, DesDiv 2's Samidare and DesDiv 9's Asagumo replaced the 2 destroyers lost and damaged during the first evacuation run, Maikaze was damaged from a near-miss during the run. On February 7, 1943 was the third evacuation run, like the 1st and the 2nd runs, it was successful though Isokaze suffered a near-miss from a bomb during the 3rd run. Operation Ke managed to evacuated 10,652 men from Guadalcanal.
On March 2 to 4, 1943 was the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, destroyers Arashio, Asashio, Asagumo, Shikinami, Shirayuki, Uranami, and DesDiv 16's Tokitsukaze and Yukikaze escorted 8 transport ships with 100 aircraft for air cover, they departed from Rabaul to Lae. The convoy was attacked by 38 heavy-bombers, 41 medium-bombers, 34 light-bombers, 54 fighters, and 10 PT boats, the attack sank all 8 transports, Arashio, Asashio, Shirayuki, Uranami and Tokitsukaze with 20 fighters lost. Because of this lost, Vice Admiral Mikawa was relieved from being the commander of the 8th Fleet.
On April 1, 1943, the 8th Fleet was reorganized, Choukai with now Aoba and Yuubari, light cruiser Sendai, flagship of the DesRon 3, DesDiv 11's Hatsuyuki, Yuugiri and Amagiri, DesDiv 22's Satsuki, Minazuki, Fumizuki and Nagatsuki, and the reactivated DesDiv 30 with Mochizuki, Uzuki and Mikazuki, with several gun-boats and minesweepers. The submarines and Tatsuta were detached from the 8th Fleet, Tatsuta becomes the flagship of the DesRon 11, while I-121, I-122 and Ro-34 continued their patrols, Ro-34 was assumed lost on April 6, 1943. Choukai was still the flagship of the 8th Fleet. Vice Admiral Samejima Tomoshige assumed command and continued to support naval operations within Southern Pacific waters.
i know this is already 2 years old but where can i find part 2?
The 8th Fleet
In order to expand the operations area, this fleet was formed on 14 July 1942 to cover the Outer South Seas.My~There's a battle over there.There's a battle over here too!!*running*the fleet engaged in 150 deadly struggles around the Solomon Sea area.Counting the battles it participated in as a reinforcement force or support force,*roar**roar*Oh my~~AHHHH!In the later phases of the war it was mostly in charge of resupply missions. Right after its formation it engaged in several battles.