History Forum / War History / World War II / July 2008

Remember reading long time ago article in PROCEEDINGS of NAVAL
INSTITUTE which
diagramed hits on SAN FRANCISCO  - sketches showed location and
caliber of hits on
superstructure.

Is it the consensus of historians that USS San Francisco seriously
damaged USS Atlanta with "friendly fire"?  I thought that claim was in
dispute, leaning toward "no".

Per Wikipedia --

'At 01:25 on the 13th, a Japanese naval force was discovered about
27,000 yards (25,000 m) to the northwest. Rear Admiral Callaghan's task
group maneuvered to intercept in what became the first engagement in the
Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. At 01:48, in almost pitch darkness, San
Francisco opened fire on an enemy cruiser 3,700 yards (3,400 m) off her
starboard beam. At 01:51, she trained her guns on a small cruiser or
large destroyer 3,300 yards (3,000 m) off her starboard bow. Then in an
attempt to locate other targets, San Francisco accidentally targeted the
US light cruiser Atlanta. The San Francisco's gunfire caused extensive
damage to the already damaged Atlanta, plus killing Admiral Scott and
most of the Atlanta's bridge crew. Belatedly, the San Francisco realized
she was firing on a "friendly" ship and ceased fire. The green dye that
San Francisco used to distinguish her shells from those of other ships,
was later found stained on the Atlanta's superstructure before the
Atlanta sank. Shortly thereafter, the battleship Hiei was sighted and
taken under fire, at an initial range of only 2,200 yards (2,000 m).'

Interesting that a lot of hits estimated to be from 8" shells were
listed.  There was only one other ship with 8" guns in the battle,
the USN cruiser Portland (the IJN battleships' secondaries were 6.1").
Was there any indication that Portland may have fired on San Francisco?