While "reparation" can be used to mean "get repaired" (which I didn't know until I looked it up) it is usually used to refer to money or items given by the losing side of a war to the winners to pay for "damages." I changed the note assuming that wasn't the desired meaning.
The ironic thing here is, what really happened is that the Americans had thought that the Japanese had at least the same amount of Damage Control as we did, what with the apparent insane amount of training they subjected their men to, so we'd assumed that almost all ships that we 'damaged' had managed to get repaired.
We would, generally, only learn of the ships fate from cracked code and messages, finding that a good chunk of them were either scuttled or sunk on their own...
For instance, if I'm remembering this right, we actually thought Akagi and Kaga had gotten away for over a week.
Someone re-uploaded Sakazaki Freddy's historical Aoba manga to a foreign website and added English translation. There is actually no reliable source for "The Wolf of Solomon" story. I wonder if this translation spreads the (possible) urban legend and complicates matters. 10:13 PM - 18 Apr 2014 (JST)
Well, from what I can collect, Aoba really was called the Wolf of Solomon, even by the Americans. More about the tenacity of the crew than anything though, since, yes, she did keep coming back with a blazing ferocity that we weren't used to while fighting other naval powers. Of course, there were other IJN ships that also earned nicknames like that.
For instance, Kongo was 'Old Bones' (which at first seems insulting until you realize that that's the name for the American incarnation of the Grim Reaper); Nagato was 'the Samurai' (to us, Nagato pretty much summed up the Japanese front line. It was only in the Battle of Leyte Gulf that we came to pay heed to the Yamato-class); Shigure was 'the Little Hellhound' (there was a 'big' Hellhound, but I can't remember who that was); Yukikaze was 'the Black Cat of the Japanese Navy' (we had our own Black Cat); and Yuudachi was posthumously called 'the Jack of Guadalcanal' ('jack' as in 'jack the ripper', which was a compliment when coming from the Submariners who gave her the name, seeing as they never adhered to the code of White Peace in the first place and most of them wanted to be called the 'jack' of a particular battle...).
August 9, 1942 - Battle of Savo Island, Aoba takes a hit from the exchange of gunfire between the American Cruisers, she assisted sinking USN heavy cruisers Astoria, Quincy and Vincennes, Rear Admiral Goto was wounded in action. Aoba also lost her floatplane from the engagement. After battle CruDiv 6 retreated to Kavieng. On August 10, 1942, while on course, USN submarine USS S-44 SS-155 spotted the unescorted CruDiv 6, and fires four torpedoes, three of them hit Kako and sunk. At the same day, Aoba and Kinugasa arrived at Kavieng for temporary repairs. They departed from Kavieng on August 17, 1942
October 11, 1942 - Battle of Cape Esperance, Rear Admiral Goto, still think that they were under friendly fire. He orders a 180-degree turn that exposes each of his ships to the Americans' broadsides. Aoba was hit by up to forty 6 inch and 8 inch shells, her bridge was wrecked, her No. 2 8-inch was disabled, and her No. 3 turret was destroyed. It also puts Aoba's four boilers to off line. Admiral Goto is mortally wounded, he died afterwards, and 80 other crewmen are killed from the gunfire. Kisunaga towed Aoba and returned to Shortland for temporary repairs, she later departs for Truk, then proceed to Kure. On October 22, 1942, she arrives at Kure for complete full repair and refit. On February 15, 1943, Aoba's repairs are complete and departed from Kure.
April 3, 1943 - At Kavieng Port, Aoba was attacked by B-17 bombers from the Fifth Air Force's 43rd Bomb Group, The bombers skip-bomb from between 75 and 250 feet with delayed-action fused 500-lb. bombs. Aoba suffered a direct hit which two of her Type-93 long lance torpedoes aboard deck exploded and set her on fire, while B-17's .50-cal. machine guns strafed her deck. She had to be breach to avoid sinking. She undergone emergency repairs which performed by repair ship Yamabiko Maru. On April 21, 1943, Aoba departed for Truk, she was towed by Sendai while escorted by other 2 destroyers. She arrived at Truk on April 25, 1943, she was repaired again by Repair Ship Akashi. On July 25, 1943 she departed for Kure and arrived for August 1, 1943 for complete repairs. On November 24, 1943, her repairs are completed and on the next day, she was reassigned he First Southern Expeditionary Fleet.
October 11, 1944 - Aoba collided with Kinu, she was slightly damaged.
October 23, 1944 - Off Western Luzon, Aoba was attacked by USN submarines USS Bream SS-243 which fired six torpedoes, one hit her from her No. 2 Engine Room. She takes on a 13 degree list to starboard. She was towed by Kitagami (AKA Kitakami) to Cavite Naval Yard for emergency repairs. October 24, 1944, on Cavite Naval Yard, while Aoba was undergoing emergency repairs, she was attacked by aircraft from TF-38, and was attacked again on October 29, 1944. On November 5, 1944, she escorted Mata-31 along with Kumano and departed from Manila, they were attacked by aircraft and submarines along the way, Aoba manage to escape with no damage, she arrived at Takao, Formosa on November 11, 1944 and which she undergone further repairs, she departed from Takao on December 9, 1944.
On December 12, 1944, she arrived at Kure, Aoba was examined but declared irreparable. She was re-rated as a reserve ship on February 28, 1945. On April 24, 1945, She was attacked was attacked by aircraft from TF-38, she settles in shallow water. Instead of receiving repair, they fitted her with additional four twin 25-mm AA guns, she was re-rated as a floating anti-aircraft battery. On July 24, 1945, she was attacked again by aircraft from TF-38, 30 planes attacked Aoba, she received a direct hit and a near-miss which caused flooding. Aoba settles to the bottom in 25 feet of water. July 28, 1945, She was attacked again by aircraft from TF-38, she received four more bombs on her hulk and set her on fire. Then she was attacked by B-24 Liberators from 7th Air Force , she received another four more bombs which splits her hull, her stern breaks off and finally ceased to operate, Captain Murayama survives the attacks.
[I will not summarize Aoba's complete TRoM until her article is release, I'm also doing this once per a day.]
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If Nagato was 'the Samurai' then she's Benkei, though she did not die from a war but from two nukes.
Well, from what I can collect, Aoba really was called the Wolf of Solomon, even by the Americans.
Thank you, Grand Zero. Would you mind posting some references? Apparently some Japanese military geeks trouble finding the reliable information sources of that.
The Wolf of SolomonI've heavily damaged this one beforeShe should be dead for three times alreadyAoba will protect Mount Furutaka!
Mount Furutaka in Hiroshima, located right behind Naval Academy in Kure Naval District.AobaBattle of Cape Esperance
October 11, 1942. Aoba's commander insisted that the (US Navy) fleet they sighted are Japanese and gave her identification with light signal.West of Luzon Island
October 11, 1943. USS Bream hit Aoba's engine room with torpedo, forcing Aoba to go back for repairs.I amBattle of Savo Bay
August 9, 1942. Kako sunk by S-44. Aoba got hit once, but escaped.They are friendsAoba-chan, run away!It's the Wolf of SolomonKavieng port
April 3, 1943. While being moored, Aoba is attacked by B-17 bombers. She had to be beached to avoid sinking.Finally, Aoba is heavily damaged and partially sunk in shallow water.Ouch...Don't worry. I shot her yesterday when she's being repaired.
She's probably dead now
On 24 and 29 October, 1944Major DamageGoddamn Japan...RiiKaaRiiMajor DamageWooKaaMajor DamageMinor DamageWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHALIVEKure Naval Port
After the first air raid on Kure, Aoba sunk to the shallow part of the harbour. She was converted to a floating AA platform and faced two other air raids before finally being destroyed.Wolf of Solomon is like a zombie!
