the fierce night action, two Japanese destroyers, Niizuki and , were sunk as was Helena (CL-50) which fell victim to the dreaded "Long Lance" torpedoes. During efforts to save the surviving crew of Helena, Waller served in the force covering Woodworth (DD-460) and Gwin (DD-433) which were engaged in the primary rescue operations. Waller detected a submarine by her radar and went in to try to seek out the enemy craft. A three-hour search netted a contact, and Waller dropped depth charges. Although the destroyer found no visible evidence that she had scored a kill, the commander of Task Group 36.2 (TG 36.2), Rear Admiral Aaron S. "Tip" Merrill, commented that the probability of the submarine's destruction was good endorsement to Wallers action report. Mistaken identity The warship continued supporting operations in the Solomons by escorting troop and supply convoys. While screening TG 31.2—four destroyers and four fast transports (APDs) bound for Enogai Inlet, New Georgia—a search plane picked up what looked like four enemy ships near Kolombangara Island and radioed a contact report. Waller, as part of the covering force, changed course to intercept and soon sighted three ships lying low off the jungle coastline. Unbeknownst to Waller, these three "enemy" ships were, in reality, PT-157, PT-159, and PT-160, out on patrol, having unintentionally strayed north of their assigned patrol area. Waller, tracking as best she could opened fire at 20,000 yards, and other ships in company reported that she straddled and hit the "enemy". However, she had not. The PT boats, suddenly thrown into a bad situation, loosed torpedoes at the attacking "enemy" and sped off to the southward. Waller and her mates did not pursue the fleeing "enemy" but broke off action and returned to their duties covering the departing APDs, apparently satisfied that one had made a hit on the "Japanese destroyer". In the subsequent action report written up on 29 July, Wallers commanding officer wrote: "It has since been learned that these ships were probably our own PT boats." Vela Lavella, August 1943 No such case of mistaken identity occurred in Waller'''s operations on 15 August, while covering the landings at Vella Lavella. At 08:00, approximately 10 Japanese dive bombers appeared on the destroyer's radar, 38 miles distant. She fired an umbrella barrage at the approaching enemy to keep the attackers at "arm's length" and claimed two "Vals." Later in the day, Waller again battled