Trenchant sighted Ashigara at about 12,000 yards and expected the cruiser to use the more open water east of the shoal. Ashigara instead chose the restricted western passage, preventing the submarine from closing but also limiting the cruiser's ability to turn into the torpedo tracks. Trenchant accepted a firing range of a little over 4,000 yards and launched eight bow torpedoes at 12:09. Ashigara turned slightly to starboard and increased speed from about 15 to 20 knots in an attempt to pass between the torpedoes, but the confined passage left too little room. Three minutes after firing, five torpedoes struck the starboard side, destroyed the bow, and set the ship ablaze. About 100 crewmen and 1,200 embarked soldiers died, while roughly 850 crewmen and 400 soldiers survived. Kamikaze returned to depth-charge a position several miles from Trenchant. Coming soon after the loss of Haguro, Ashigara's sinking removed the last Japanese heavy cruisers available in the area and sharply reduced the surface force that could support local operations.
Chapter · 1:18:39-1:24:55
Trenchant's firing solution and the loss of Ashigara
Ashigara chose a restricted passage that kept Trenchant at long range but left the cruiser too little room to evade an eight-torpedo salvo.