Chronological Outline

Time	San Francisco	Boise	Salt Lake City	Helena	Farenholt	McCalla	Buchanan
2346		Main battery opens fire on Salt Lake City's target, 4,600 yards to starboard; 5" battery opens fire on DD(?).	Main battery opens fire on CL(?) 4,000 yards to starboard. 5" battery fires star-shells.	Main battery opens fire on unspecified target 3,800 yards to starboard. 5" battery opens fire on unspecified target a few degrees to left of main battery target range 4,600 yards.	Opens fire on 1 of 2 CA'S on starboard bow, then on a DD on starboard quarter.	Sees apparently friendly DD 2,000 yards forward of starboard beam; to left of this DD, sees enemy cruiser and DD.
2347	Main and 5" batteries fire on unidentified enemy ship.	Main battery target eliminated by fire: Nachi class CA.	Ceases firing.	Firing on 2346 target.
2348		Both batteries continuing fire on 2346 targets.		Checks fire after main battery target disappears from FC & SG radar screens.	Shifts fire to enemy CA on starboard quarter.
		Both batteries still firing at 2346 targets.		Main battery resumes fire on 2346 target.
2349	Shifts fire to Amagiri class DD; 2347 target and another enemy ship close to it on fire.
2350	Cease firing; DD target closes in to 1,400 yards on parallel course.	Main and 5" batteries targets, CA and DD, sink. Both batteries cease fire.		Both batteries firing on 2346 targets.
2351	Both batteries fire on and sink DD.	Both batteries fire on DD in vicinity of 5" batteries' first target.	CTF orders commence firing.	Main battery's 2346 target sinks; main battery's fire shifted to 5" battery 2346 target.

 

Time	San Francisco	Boise	Salt Lake City	Helena	Farenholt	McCalla	Buchanan
2352		Both batteries cease fire when target explodes, disappears from radar screen. At least 3 enemy ships on fire.	Main battery resumes fire on enemy CA illuminated by 5" battery starshells.				Sights 3 DD's on starboard bow and Kako class CA on starboard beam, parallel course.
2353		Both batteries fire on enemy cruiser which returns fire.		Both batteries firing on 5" battery's 1st target.		Opens fire on cruiser and DD.	Main and torpedo batteries open fire on enemy cruiser.
2354	Sights approaching DD mistakenly identified by signal bridge as Laffey.	Receives 8" hit; both batteries firing on 2353 target.	Checks fire after seeing several hits on 2352 target.	Both batteries firing on 5" battery's 1st target.		Alternately firing on cruiser and DD.
2355		Receives 2 or 3 5½" hits; both batteries still firing on 2353 target.			Receives 6" hit on port side.
2356	DD now seen as enemy escapes to port (believed later sunk).	2353 target burning brightly.	Resumes fire on apparent auxiliary 7,000 yards to starboard; target sinks.				Observes 2 torpedo hits on cruiser which breaks in two and sinks; shifts fire to DD.
2357		Ceases fire as 2353 target explodes.	Checks fire.		Receives another 6" hit on port side.		DD target sinking, fire shifted to transport or second line cruiser.
2358			Resumes fire on DD; nothing visible at target point after one salvo.			Cruiser target sinks.	Target seen on fire and retiring to NW.
2359		Fires on burning DD.				DD target sinks.
2400			Receives TBS order from CTF to cease fire; Boise continues fire.	Main battery target, Kako class cruiser, breaks in two and sinks.		Receives TBS order from CTF to cease fire.
0001		Ceases fire.		Ceases fire.
0001 -0005	Formation being rectified.	Following San Francisco in changes of course.	Firing alternately on 3 burning enemy ships.	Obtaining solution on new target.
0005	Firing on burning enemy ships (at least 4 seen on fire).		Checks fire.	Both batteries open fire on DD.	Retires from action.
0006		Avoids torpedo wake.

 

Time	San Francisco	Boise	Salt Lake City	Helena	Farenholt	McCalla	Buchanan
0008		Topside fires from enemy hits extinguished.
0009	5" salvo straddles ships wake but no actual hits received.	Using searchlights, resumes fire on unidentified target; receives several hits from this target and another CA.
0010	Fires on Nachi class cruiser.	Receives repeated hits.	Both batteries resume fire on CL believed 1st target.	DD target on fire; explodes and disappears.
0011 -0012	Cruiser target hit heavily and explodes; other ships also firing on this cruiser.	Receives many 5", 6", and 8" hits; continues firing from after 6" and starboard 5" batteries.	Maneuvers to avoid Boise.	Cease firing.		Fires on DD.
0013		DD target explodes from other ship's fire. Boise guns unable to bear, ceases fire and falls out of formation.	Checks fire to obtain solution on cruiser firing on Boise.
0014			Receives hit to starboard, forward; maneuvers to avoid Boise falling out of formation.
0015	Cruiser target under fire from other ships.		Opens fire on CA, target silenced and seen to sink.			Firing on DD; 0016 receives 8" hit on starboard side.
0017			Ceases fire.			Ceases fire as burning target retires.
0017 -0020	Ceases fire at 0020 after firing on 3-stack cruiser, results unobserved.