Chōkai found Astoria's range after the American captain's ceasefire cost a minute of return fire. Chōkai, Aoba, and Kinugasa then concentrated on the cruiser, wrecking her engine room and turning the ship into a burning hulk. Astoria's surviving guns still disabled one of Chōkai's forward turrets, showing that the ship retained offensive power amid catastrophic damage. Fires and machinery destruction defeated attempts to save her, and Astoria sank about ten hours later.
Chapter · 1:10:58-1:12:02
Astoria is overwhelmed by concentrated cruiser fire
Japanese cruisers find Astoria's range, wreck her machinery, and leave a burning hulk that damage-control efforts cannot save.