Rear Admiral Aaron S. Merrill had Task Force 39 on the night of 1-2 November 1943, off Empress Augusta Bay. His flag was in the light cruiser Montpelier. With him were Cleveland, Columbia, and Denver, and eight destroyers.
The cruisers sank the light cruiser Sendai. That fire is not credited to one of them. Montpelier was lightly damaged and was not sunk.