A misunderstood maneuver sent USS Foote out of formation, where a torpedo blew off her stern. Spence and Thatcher collided, while uncertain identification denied torpedo opportunities and briefly exposed Spence to friendly fire. Japanese reconnaissance aircraft and star shells illuminated targets for visual gunnery, and Japanese officers mistook American muzzle flashes for torpedo explosions. Some shells on both sides failed to detonate; impact angle, fuze setting, and manufacture are possible explanations. Radar allowed the American cruisers to maintain fire through smoke, although it could not reliably distinguish every friendly ship from the enemy.
Chapter · 1:57:02-2:14:27
Collisions, misidentification, and radar's limits
Both sides suffered confusion in darkness, but radar let American cruisers keep firing through smoke while Japanese visual control deteriorated.