On the dark approach, a radar return appeared in the expected direction of an island but far short of it, then divided into two targets. Only after the ships had tracked the contact and trained their guns did the flagship break radio silence and order the group to prepare to fire. Montpellier, Cleveland, and Denver opened nearly together; their uncoordinated concentration on the trailing ship nevertheless set it ablaze before a Waller torpedo broke it apart. The cruisers shifted to the leading destroyer and stopped it under repeated hits, ending the surface action within minutes while Denver also silenced a shore battery.
Chapter · 1:15:13-1:18:15
Radar contact becomes a five-minute destruction
SG radar separated an apparent island return into two ships, and concentrated cruiser gunfire plus Waller's torpedoes destroyed Murasame and Minegumo before they could respond effectively.