Few naval moments since the age of sail have represented so well the synergy of technology, tactics, and brute firepower as the night fight between USS Washington (BB-56) and the Japanese battleship Kirishima at the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. This fight wasn’t merely a decisive turning point in the Pacific War—it also demonstrated the power that radar-directed gunnery and contemporary battleship design could exert throughout hot major naval combat.
The USS Washington, one of the North Carolina class and commissioned in 1941, was the epitome of American naval engineering during that period. Constructed to the limits imposed by the Washington Naval Treaty, she was an even blend of heavy firepower, heavy armor, and good speed. Measuring 728 feet long and displacing over 44,000 tons when fully loaded, Washington was an imposing figure. Her primary armament consisted of nine 16-inch/45 caliber guns, each capable of launching tremendous 2,700-pound shells over long ranges.
Assisting them were twenty 5-inch/38 caliber dual-purpose weapons, effective against both surface vessels and planes. She featured heavy armor, with a main belt as thick as 12 inches and an armored deck from 1.5 to 6 inches, meant to endure severe enemy fire. With steam turbines, Washington was capable of up to 28 knots, allowing her to keep pace with swift carrier groups and move around in combat.
Standing opposite Washington was the Kongo-class battlecruiser Kirishima, originally built in 1915 but heavily remodeled in the 1930s. The upgrades turned Kirishima into a speedy battleship, with better armor, engines, and armament. Her primary weapons were eight 14-inch guns, backed up by a second battery of 6-inch guns and a complement of anti-aircraft and torpedo armaments. Kirishima’s marriage of power and speed rendered her a multi-capable and lethal vessel in the Imperial Japanese Navy, participating in significant action from Pearl Harbor through to the Solomon Islands campaign.
The setting for this confrontation was the intense battle for Guadalcanal, a campaign that had run from August 1942 to February 1943. Control of Guadalcanal—and particularly Henderson Field airfield—was essential to both. For the Allies, possession of the airfield was safeguarding precious supply lines between the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand, and extending air power deep into enemy territory. To Japan, the capture or neutralization of Henderson Field was essential to their maintaining open their own supply routes and halting the Allied advance.
In mid-November 1942, the Japanese made a determined effort to shell Henderson Field and reinforce their forces on the island. Their task force, under Kirishima, with two heavy cruisers, two light cruisers, and nine destroyers in support, sought to deliver a decisive blow. Vice Admiral William F. Halsey, with limited resources at his disposal, took a daring action by deploying the battleships Washington and South Dakota, withdrawn from duty as carrier escorts, and four destroyers under Rear Admiral Willis A. Lee, famed for his proficiency with naval gunnery and radar.
The battle at night on November 14-15, 1942, was violent and disorganized. The Japanese rapidly overwhelmed the American destroyers, destroying two and heavily damaging others. The USS South Dakota, illuminated by nearby burning wreckage, was the target of sustained Japanese fire, with 26 hits and extensive damage. In the confusion, Washington remained concealed, her location shrouded in darkness and the destruction about her.
This is where the U.S. Navy’s technological advantage came into play. Washington’s radar—the naval equivalent of a new kid on the block—enabled her to spot and attack foes with lethal precision even in darkness. When Kirishima drew to around 8,500 yards, Washington’s radar-guided gunnery crew fired a blistering broadside from her 16-inch guns. Naval historian Samuel Eliot Morison pointed out that Washington “opened fire on Kirishima and scored as many as 20 hits with her 16-inch guns.” The result was horrific: Kirishima burned and was dead in the water. Japanese attempts to retaliate with Long Lance torpedoes were unsuccessful, and the surviving Japanese warships retired, abandoning Kirishima and a destroyer to go down.
The sinking of Kirishima was something more than a tactical victory—it inflicted significant damage on Japanese naval strength in the Pacific. Losing one of their few remaining battleships made it much more difficult for Japan to contest Allied domination of the seas around Guadalcanal. The battle also illustrated the increasing significance of radar and night-fighting ability, marking a move away from conventional daytime fleet action based on line-of-sight gunnery.
More generally, this battle demonstrated the way that naval warfare was changing. The effectiveness of gunfire directed by radar, the potency of modern battleship design, and the employment of sophisticated fire control systems all were critical factors. Washington’s defeat of Kirishima demonstrated that superior technology coupled with expert tactics could decisively shift the balance of maritime power.
As the conflict continued, Guadalcanal’s lessons influenced naval strategy and warship construction, accelerating the transition from battleship-dominated fleets to carrier-based task forces and coordinated air-sea operations. The legacy of Washington’s victory is an enduring testament to how innovation and flexibility enabled the Allies to win in the Pacific.