During operations, an error in the electrical switchboard room knocked out power aboard South Dakota, disabling her radar systems and leaving the ship blind. Japanese destroyers illuminated the ship and the rest of Kondo's vessels concentrated their fire on South Dakota. She received 27 hits during this phase, including a 14-inch shell from Kirishima that hit the rear turret and failed to penetrate the armor, though it damaged the training gear. Most of the hits came from the medium-caliber guns of the cruisers and destroyers, though they were largely confined to the superstructure, where they did not threaten the ship's survival. They nevertheless inflicted significant damage, destroying radar sets, disabling radio systems, and knocking out other systems, leaving the ship in Lee's words "deaf, dumb, blind, and impotent." Focused on South Dakota, the Japanese left battleship USS Washington unengaged, allowing her to attack Kirishima without any disruption. Washington quickly inflicted fatal damage on Kirishima, destroying two of her four main battery turrets, holing her below the waterline, and starting numerous fires. Shortly after midnight, Kondō turned his ships to bring them back into torpedo range, leaving the stricken Kirishima to steam out of control. Battle of Guadalcanal 1942.