United States Navy Forces
    Rear Admiral W.L. Ainsworth

Cruiser Division 9
CL Honolulu CL-48 (F)
CL Helena CL-50
CL St. Louis CL-49

Destroyer Squadron 21
    Capt. F.X. McInerney
DD Nicholas DD-449 (F)
DD Strong DD-467 (sunk, 46 crew killed)
DD O'Bannon DD-450
DD Chevalier DD-451

Imperial Japanese Navy

Destroyer Squadron 3
    Rear Admiral Akiyama Teruo

DD Niizuki (F)

Destroyer Division 21
    Capt. Kanaoka Kunizo

APD Nagatsuki (F)
APD Satsuki
APD Yunagi
 

Note

The USN forces were conducting a night bombardment of shore batteries around Bairoko Harbor, which is south of Rice Anchorage on the island of New Georgia.  The IJN forces were trying to land reinforcements on this island when they detected the USN forces via radar on Niizuki.  Aborting their mission, the Japanese withdrew, with Niizuki and Yunagi each firing four torpedoes and Nagatsuki firing six more.  One of these struck Strong, breaking her in two.  At eleven miles, this may have been the longest successful torpedo strike of the war.

The US Navy Against the Axis:  Surface Combat 1941-1945 by Vincent P. O'Hara