Snatf Xiv - Sink The Hiei

The Imperial Battleship Hiei was the Emperor's flagship and her high speed made her very useful as a companion to aircraft carriers. She was a part of the strike force that attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 and she was a unit of the Covering Group during the Battle of Midway in early June of 1942. When the fight over Guadalcanal began in August, Hiei was sent south to operate with other units of the Combined Fleet.

On November 12, Hiei steamed toward Guadalcanal, the flagship of a bombardment force of two battleships, a light cruiser and more than a dozen destroyers. Soon after midnight on Friday, 13 November, the Japanese were met by an American task force of five cruisers and eight destroyers. The resulting night action was chaotic and bloody. Hiei was badly shot up by U.S. cruiser and destroyer guns, and may have suffered shock damage from torpedoes exploding nearby.

While retiring from the scene, her steering gear failed, leaving her unmaneuverable and only a short distance from Henderson field. Through the following day, Hiei's crew struggled to regain steering control, while under constant attack by U.S. aircraft. However, she finally suffered a torpedo hit in the stern that destroyed all hope of escape. Soon after nightfall, her surviving crewmen were taken off and Hiei was left to sink some miles north of Savo Island.

For complete mission details and an important aircraft skin download please visit the briefing page here: http://snatf.tidesofwar.net

See you there!