In Cyril Rayner's account, tugs helped Hobart reach the anchorage at Espiritu Santo on 22 July. USS Vestal supplied repair support, including underwater cutting and welding equipment. Ten divers worked for more than a week to remove, repair, and replace torn plating. The inquiry found that the force's radar had detected no surface contact and that its speed had made sonar ineffective. It credited Hobart's engineering and damage-control parties with helping save the ship from further disaster. Repairs kept her out of service for about a year.
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USS Vestal and Hobart's emergency repairs
American repair teams used underwater cutting and welding to secure Hobart after the torpedo hit.