Haguro had been operating as a supply ship for Japanese garrisons in the Dutch East Indies and the Bay of Bengal since 9 April 1945.

[3] The Royal Navy was alerted to this by a decrypted Japanese naval signal,[4][5] subsequently confirmed by a sighting by the submarines HMS Statesman and Subtle.

The subsequent bombing attack by Grumman Avenger Mk.IIs of 851 Naval Air Squadron caused only minor damage to Haguro, for the loss of one aircraft whose crew was taken prisoner by the Japanese.

At 01:05, Venus, parallel to Haguro as she raced past the north-westernmost ship in Power's force, found herself in a perfect attacking position.

Haguro appeared fine off Saumarez's port bow at a range of 6,000 yards (3.4 miles), each ship closing at 30 knots.

[7] Tremendous waterspouts thrown up alongside swamped the British flotilla leader's upper decks as Haguro was seen clearly three miles away in the light of both sides' star-shells.

The Japanese cruiser finally sank at 02:06 after receiving another torpedo from Vigilant, two more from Venus, and nearly an hour of gunfire from the 26th Flotilla.

About 320 survived, but over 900 died, including the Japanese commanders, Vice-Admiral Shintaro Hashimoto and Rear-Admiral Kaju Sugiura.

'[7] The wreck was discovered sitting upright in 2003 and partially explored by a group of specialised shipwreck divers aboard MV Empress.