Post by quincannon on Apr 11, 2018 21:41:38 GMT
USS Helena CL50 has been found in the Solomons Sea. She was hit by three Japanese torpedoes during the Battle of Kula Gulf in 1943. Helena was a Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 and was damaged by a aerial torpedo while tied to Ten Ten Dock, nested with the mine layer Oglala CM4. The torpedo put a serious hole in Helena, but blew out the keel of Oglala. There is a rather famous stern shot of Helena with Oglala capsized next to her. As a result of the damage sustained by Helena she was sent back to Mare Island Navy Yard where she was completely modernized and had her radar upgraded to the latest model available at the time. Helena returned to service in time for the Guadalcanal Campaign, and on the 13th of November she was present along with Dave's father's ship USS Portland, San Francisco, Juneau, Atlanta and others during the Third Battle of Savo Island, more popularly known as the "Gun Fight in a Telephone Booth". Helena because of her recent refit was the best prepared by way of her new sensor suite to have been Callahan's flagship, but was overlooked and instead San Francisco flew Callahan's flag. A lot of criticism has been directed at Callahan for this choice, but Callahan was once captain of the San Francisco, and I suppose the only thing that can be said was that he valued the familiarity of what was once his over the then still new dawn of electronic warfare. Might have made all the difference though if Helena was the flagship, as discovery of the Japanese task force would have probably been earlier.
