NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Battle of Savo Island

The Battle of Savo Island, also known as the First Battle of Savo Island and, in Japanese sources, as the First Battle of the Solomon Sea (第一次ソロモン海戦), took place August 8–August 9, 1942. It was a naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II, between the Imperial Japanese Navy and Allied naval forces. The battle was the first of five major naval engagements of the Guadalcanal campaign. The battle was so one sided, Allied eyewitnesses called it "The Battle of the Five Sitting Ducks," referring to the five involved cruisers, all of which were sunk or badly damaged. Combatants China (from 1937) United States (1941) U.K. (1941) Australia (from 1941) Free France (1941) Netherlands (1941) New Zealand (1941) Canada (1941) Soviet Union (1945) Japan (from 1937) Germany (1941) Thailand (from 1942) Manchukuo Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Franklin D. Roosevelt Winston Churchill John Curtin Fumimaro Konoe Hideki Tojo... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... PD Navy photo of USS Quincy (CA-39) sinking at Savo Island 1942, #NH 50346 from http://www. ... is the 220th day of the year (221st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 221st day of the year (222nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... Savo Island is a minor island in the Solomon Islands group in the South Pacific ocean. ... The Allies of World War II were the countries officially opposed to the Axis powers during the Second World War. ... Image File history File links US_flag_48_stars. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Image File history File links Naval_Ensign_of_Japan. ... Anthem Kimi ga Yo Imperial Reign Slogan: Fukoku Kyohei Enrich the Country, Strengthen the Military (a. ... Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner (27 May 1885 â€“ 12 February 1961) served in the United States Navy during World War II. Vice Admiral Turner, on board Eldorado Turner was born in Portland, Oregon. ... Victor Alexander Charles Crutchley (November 2, 1893 - January 24, 1986) was a British admiral in World War II. World War I Crutchley (VC, KCB, DSC, Croix de Guerre (France)) was a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy... Isoroku Yamamoto ) (4 April 1884 â€“ 18 April 1943) was a Fleet Admiral (Gensui) and Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet during World War II, graduate of Imperial Japanese Naval Academy and an alumnus of Harvard University (1919â€“1921). ... Gunichi Mikawa Gunichi Mikawa (三河 軍一 Mikawa Gunichi, August 29, 1888 - February 25, 1981) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. External links Naval Historical Center biography of Gunichi Mikawa FUTURA DTP biography of Gunichi Mikawa Categories: Japanese people stubs | 1888 births... USS Port Royal (CG-73), a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser (really an uprated guided missile destroyer), launched in 1992. ... HMCS Algonquin, a Canadian Iroquois-class destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet or battle group and defend them against smaller, short-range but powerful attackers (originally torpedo boats, later submarines and aircraft). ... Combatants Allied forces including: United States Australia New Zealand British Solomon Is. ... Combatants United States Australia Empire of Japan Commanders Alexander Vandegrift, William H. Rupertus Isoroku Yamamoto, Shigeyoshi Inoue Strength 3,000[1] 886[2] Casualties 122 killed[3] 863 killed, 23 captured[4] The Battle of Tulagi and Gavutu-Tanambogo was a land battle of the Pacific campaign of World War... Combatants United States, Australia, Solomon Islands Empire of Japan Commanders Alexander Vandegrift, Clifton B. Cates Harukichi Hyakutake, Kiyonao Ichiki â€ Strength 1,500[1] 917[2] Casualties 44 killed[3] 777 killed, 15 captured[4] The Battle of the Tenaru, also known as the Battle of the Ilu River, took place... Battle of the Eastern Solomons Conflict World War II, Pacific War Date August 24, 1942 – August 25, 1942 Place North of Santa Isabel, United States Japan Commanders William Halsey, Jr. ... Combatants United States Australia Solomon Islands Empire of Japan Commanders Alexander Vandegrift Merritt A. Edson Harukichi Hyakutake Kiyotaki Kawaguchi Strength 12,500[1] 6,217[2] Casualties 96 killed[3] 800+ killed[4] The Battle of Edsons Ridge, also known as the Battle of the Bloody Ridge and Battle... Combatants United States Empire of Japan Commanders Alexander Vandegrift, Merritt A. Edson, Chesty Puller, Samuel B. Griffith Harukichi Hyakutake, Kiyotaki Kawaguchi, Akinosuka Oka, Masao Maruyama, Yumio Nasu Strength 3,000[1] 1,900[2] Casualties 156 killed[3] 750 killed[4] The Actions along the Matanikau in September and October... Combatants United States New Zealand Australia Empire of Japan Commanders Norman Scott Aritomo Gotoâ€ Strength 4 cruisers 5 destroyers 3 cruisers 2 destroyers Casualties 1 destroyer sunk, 1 cruiser, 1 destroyer heavily damaged, 163 killed[1] 1 cruiser, 1 destroyer sunk, 1 cruiser heavily damaged, 454 killed, 111 captured[2... Combatants United States Australia Solomon Islands Japan Commanders Alexander Vandegrift Harukichi Hyakutake Strength 23,088[1] 14,000[2] Casualties 61-86 killed[3] 2,200+ killed[4] The Battle for Henderson Field, also known as the Battle of Henderson Field, took place October 23â€“26, 1942, and was a... Combatants United States (U.S.) Japan Commanders William Halsey, Jr. ... Combatants United States British Solomon Islands Protectorate Empire of Japan Commanders Alexander Vandegrift, Evans Carlson Harukichi Hyakutake Strength 700 3,000 Casualties 16 killed 488 killed Carlsons patrol, also known as The Long Patrol or Carlsons long patrol, was an operation by the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion under... Combatants United States, Australia, New Zealand Japan Commanders William Halsey, Jr Isoroku Yamamoto Strength 1 carrier, 2 battleships, 5 cruisers, 12 destroyers 2 battleships, 8 cruisers, 16 destroyers Casualties 2 light cruisers, 7 destroyers sunk, 26 aircraft destroyed, 1,732 killed[1] 2 battleships, 1 heavy cruiser, 3 destroyers, 11... The Battle of Tassafaronga was a naval battle fought between United States and Japanese forces on 30 November 1942. ... Combatants Allied forces including: United States, Australia, New Zealand Empire of Japan Commanders William Halsey, Jr Isoroku Yamamoto Shintaro Hashimoto Operation Ke (Japanese: ã‚±å·ä½œæˆ¦) was the three-phase withdrawal of all Japanese forces from the Battle of Guadalcanal following the defeat of the Imperial Army in ground combat centered at Henderson... Battle of Rennell Island Conflict World War II, Pacific War Date 29 January 1943 – 30 January 1943 Place Rennell Island, Solomon Islands Result Japanese victory The Battle of Rennell Island was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II fought on 29 January – 30 January... The Solomon Islands Campaign was a large series of battles that occurred in the Pacific Theater of World War II. This was the first large-scale campaign in the War in the Pacific, and the victories achieved by the Americans in the battles of this campaign helped secure vital bases... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Combatants Allied forces including: United States Australia New Zealand British Solomon Is. ... Battle of Blackett Strait Conflict World War II, Pacific War Date 6 March 1943 Place Blackett Strait, Solomon Islands Result American victory The Battle of Blackett Strait was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on 6 March 1943 in the Blackett Strait, between Kolombangara... The eastern part of the Territory of New Guinea, and the northern Solomon Islands; the area in which Operation Cartwheel took place, from June 1943. ... To boost Japanese morale following the disastrous Battle of Guadalcanal, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, commander of the Imperial Japanese Navy, decided to make an inspection tour throughout the South Pacific. ... The battle of New Georgia was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II. It was part of Operation Cartwheel, and was fought in the New Georgia group of islands in the central Solomon Islands from 10 June 1943 to August 25, 1943 between forces of Japan and... The Battle of Kula Gulf was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought in the early hours of 6 July 1943, between United States and Japanese ships off the coast of Kolombangara in the Solomon Islands. ... Combatants United States New Zealand Japan Commanders Walden L. Ainsworth Shunji Izaki â€ Strength 3 light cruisers, 10 destroyers 1 light cruiser, 5 destroyers Casualties 1 destroyer sunk, 3 light cruisers heavily damaged, 89 killed[1] 1 light cruiser sunk, 482 killed[2] The Battle of Kolombangara (Japanese: ã‚³ãƒãƒ³ãƒãƒ³ã‚¬ãƒ©å³¶æ²–æµ·æˆ¦) was a naval... Combatants United States Japan Commanders Frederick Moosbrugger Kaju Sugiura Strength 6 destroyers 4 destroyers Casualties None 3 destroyers sunk, 1,210 killed[1] The Battle of Vella Gulf (Japanese: ãƒ™ãƒ©æ¹¾å¤œæˆ¦) was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II fought on the night of August 6, 1943 â€“ August... Battle off Horaniu Conflict World War II, Pacific War Date August 17, 1943 – August 18, 1943 Place Near Vella Lavella in the Solomon Islands Result Japanese strategic victory The Battle off Horaniu was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II fought on the night of... New Zealand soldiers land at Baka Baka, Vella Lavella to relieve the U.S. 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Division, on September 17, 1943. ... Battle of Vella Lavella Conflict World War II, Pacific War Date October 7, 1943 Place Vella Lavella in the Solomon Islands Result Japanese victory The Battle of Vella Lavella was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II fought on the night of October 6, 1943 near... The Battle of the Treasury Islands was fought from October 25 to October 27 of 1943 between New Zealand and Japan in the Solomon Islands. ... Combatants United States Australia Empire of Japan Commanders Victor H. Krulak Harukichi Hyakutake Strength 750[1] 3,000-7,000[2] Casualties 13 killed[3] 143 killed, two barges sunk[4] The Raid on Choiseul was a small unit engagement that occurred from October 28 to November 3, 1943, during... Combatants United States Australia New Zealand Fiji Empire of Japan Commanders Roy Geiger Theodore S. Wilkinson Oscar Griswold Stanley Savige Harukichi Hyakutake Masatane Kanda Strength 126,000 troops,[1] 728 aircraft[2] 65,000 troops,[3] 154 aircraft[4] Casualties 1,243 dead[5] 44,000 dead[6] The Bougainville... Combatants United States, Australia, New Zealand Empire of Japan Commanders George Kenney (land air forces), William Halsey, Jr. ... Battle of Cape St. ... Troops from New Zealand disembark from U.S. Landing Craft Infantry ship LCI-444 to occupy Green Island on February 16, 1944. ... is the 220th day of the year (221st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 221st day of the year (222nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... The French battleship Orient burns, 1 August 1798, during the Battle of the Nile A naval battle is a battle fought using ships or other waterborne vessels. ... Combatants China (from 1937) United States (1941) U.K. (1941) Australia (from 1941) Free France (1941) Netherlands (1941) New Zealand (1941) Canada (1941) Soviet Union (1945) Japan (from 1937) Germany (1941) Thailand (from 1942) Manchukuo Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Franklin D. Roosevelt Winston Churchill John Curtin Fumimaro Konoe Hideki Tojo... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) (: å¤§æ—¥æœ¬å¸åœ‹æµ·è» Shinjitai: å¤§æ—¥æœ¬å¸å›½æµ·è» or æ—¥æœ¬æµ·è» Nippon Kaigun), officially Navy of Empire of Greater Japan, also known as the Japanese Navy or Combined Fleet was the Navy of Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japans constitutional renunciation of the use of force... The Allies of World War II were the countries officially opposed to the Axis powers during the Second World War. ... Combatants Allied forces including: United States Australia New Zealand British Solomon Is. ...

In the battle, a Japanese warship task force surprised and routed the Allied naval force, sinking one Australian and three American cruisers, while taking only moderate damage in return. The Japanese force consisted of seven cruisers and one destroyer, commanded by Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa. In response to Allied amphibious landings in the eastern Solomon Islands, Mikawa brought his task force down "the Slot" to attack the Allied amphibious fleet and its screening force. The screening force consisted of eight cruisers and fifteen destroyers, commanded by British Rear Admiral Victor Crutchley, but only five cruisers and seven destroyers were actually involved in the battle. USS Port Royal (CG-73), a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser (really an uprated guided missile destroyer), launched in 1992. ... Vice Admiral is a naval rank of three star level, equivalent to Lieutenant General in seniority. ... Gunichi Mikawa Gunichi Mikawa (三河 軍一 Mikawa Gunichi, August 29, 1888 - February 25, 1981) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. External links Naval Historical Center biography of Gunichi Mikawa FUTURA DTP biography of Gunichi Mikawa Categories: Japanese people stubs | 1888 births... This article is about a military strategy involving land troops dispatched from naval ships. ... Categories: Oceania geography stubs | Solomon Islands ... The term Rear Admiral originated from the days of Naval Sailing Squadrons, and can trace its origins to the British Royal Navy. ... Victor Alexander Charles Crutchley (November 2, 1893 - January 24, 1986) was a British admiral in World War II. World War I Crutchley (VC, KCB, DSC, Croix de Guerre (France)) was a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy...

As a result of the defeat, the remaining Allied warships and the amphibious force withdrew from the Solomon Islands. This temporarily conceded control of the seas around Guadalcanal to the Japanese. Allied ground forces had landed on Guadalcanal and nearby islands only the day before. The withdrawal of the fleet left them in a precarious situation, with barely enough supplies, equipment, and food to hold their beachhead. A beachhead is a military term used to describe the line created when a unit (by sea) reaches a beach, and begins to defend that area of beach, while other reinforcements (hopefully) help out, until a unit large enough to begin advancing has arrived. ...

Background

Operations at Guadalcanal

On August 7, 1942, Allied forces (primarily U.S. Marines) landed on Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and Florida Island in the eastern Solomon Islands. The landings were meant to deny their use to the Japanese as bases. From the eastern Solomons, Japanese forces threatened the supply routes between the U.S. and Australia. The Allies also wanted to use the islands as starting points for a campaign to recapture the Solomons, isolate the major Japanese base at Rabaul, and support the Allied New Guinea campaign. The landings initiated the six-month-long Battle of Guadalcanal.^[6] August 7 is the 219th day of the year (220th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the United States military responsible for providing power projection from the sea,[1] utilizing the mobility of the U.S. Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces. ... Tulagi, less commonly Tulaghi, is a small island (5. ... The Florida Islands are a small island group in Solomon Islands, a nation in the Pacific Ocean. ... A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by and/or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. ... Materiel (from the French for material) is the equipment and supplies in Military and commercial supply chain management. ... A view from Rabaul Volcano Observatory across the relatively undamaged western half of Rabaul and towards Tavurur Rabaul, Papua New Guinea, was the headquarters of German New Guinea and then the Australian mandatory territory of New Guinea from 1910 until 1937, the base of Japanese activities in the South Pacific... The New Guinea campaign was one of the major military campaigns of World War II. Fighting in the Australian mandated Territory of New Guinea (the north-eastern part of the island of New Guinea and surrounding islands) and Dutch New Guinea, between Allied and Japanese forces, commenced with the Japanese... Operation Watchtower On August 7, 1942, the 1st Marine Division performed an amphibious landing east of the Tenaru River. ...

The overall commander of Allied naval forces in the Guadalcanal and Tulagi operation was U.S. Vice Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher. He also commanded the carrier task groups providing air cover. U.S. Rear Admiral Richmond K. Turner commanded the amphibious fleet that delivered the 16,000 Allied troops to Guadalcanal and Tulagi.^[7] Also under Turner was British Admiral Victor Crutchley's screening force of eight cruisers, fifteen destroyers, and five minesweepers. This force was to protect Turner's "amphibs" and provide gunfire support for the landings. Most of Crutchley's ships were American, but he used HMAS Australia as his flagship.^[8] Vice Admiral is a naval rank of three star level, equivalent to Lieutenant General in seniority. ... Vice Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher, USN Photographed on board ship, 17 September 1942. ... Four aircraft carriers, (bottom-to-top) Principe de Asturias, amphibious assault carrier USS Wasp, supercarrier USS Forrestal and light V/STOL carrier HMS Invincible, showing size differences of late 20th century carriers An aircraft carrier is a warship designed to deploy and recover aircraft â€” in effect acting as a sea... The term Rear Admiral originated from the days of Naval Sailing Squadrons, and can trace its origins to the British Royal Navy. ... Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner (27 May 1885 â€“ 12 February 1961) served in the United States Navy during World War II. Vice Admiral Turner, on board Eldorado Turner was born in Portland, Oregon. ... Admiral Sir Victor Alexander Charles Crutchley, VC, KCB, DSC, RN (November 2, 1893 â€“ January 24, 1986) was a British admiral in World War II and a hero of the First World War. ... HMAS Australia [1] , launched in 1927, was a County-class heavy cruiser in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). ... A flagship is the ship used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships. ...

The Allied landings took the Japanese by surprise. The Allies secured Tulagi, nearby islets Gavutu and Tanambogo, and the airfield under construction on Guadalcanal by nightfall on August 8.^[9] On August 7 and August 8, Japanese aircraft based at Rabaul attacked the Allied amphibious forces several times, setting afire the U.S. transport ship George F. Elliot (which sank later) and heavily damaging the destroyer USS Jarvis.^[10] In these air attacks, the Japanese lost 36 aircraft, while the U.S. lost 19 aircraft, including 14 carrier fighter aircraft.^[11] Combatants United States Australia Empire of Japan Commanders Alexander Vandegrift, William H. Rupertus Isoroku Yamamoto, Shigeyoshi Inoue Strength 3,000[1] 886[2] Casualties 122 killed[3] 863 killed, 23 captured[4] The Battle of Tulagi and Gavutu-Tanambogo was a land battle of the Pacific campaign of World War... is the 220th day of the year (221st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... August 7 is the 219th day of the year (220th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 220th day of the year (221st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... USS Jarvis (DD-393), a Bagley-class destroyer, was the 2nd ship of the United States Navy to be named for James C. Jarvis, WhoHeWas. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Concerned over the losses to his carrier fighter aircraft strength, "anxious" about the threat to his carriers from further Japanese air attacks, and worried about his ships' fuel levels, Fletcher announced that he would be withdrawing his carrier task forces on the evening of August 8.^[12] Image File history File links CanberraTulagi1. ... Image File history File links CanberraTulagi1. ... is the 220th day of the year (221st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Some historians contend that Fletcher's fuel situation wasn't at all critical but that Fletcher implied that it was to justify his withdrawal from the battle area.^[13] Fletcher's biographer notes that Fletcher concluded that the landing was a success and that no important targets for close air support were at hand. But concerned over the loss of 21 of his carrier fighters, he assessed that his carriers were threatened by torpedo-bomber strikes and wanting to refuel before Japanese naval forces arrived, withdrew as he had previously forewarned Turner and Vandegrift. Turner, however, believed that Fletcher understood that he was to provide air cover until all the transports were unloaded on August 9. ^[14] is the 221st day of the year (222nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Even though the unloading was going slower than planned, Turner decided that without carrier air cover, he would have to withdraw his ships from Guadalcanal. He planned to unload as much as possible during the night and depart sometime during the next day.^[15]

Japanese response

Unprepared for the Allied operation at Guadalcanal, the initial Japanese response included airstrikes and an attempted reinforcement. Mikawa, commander of the newly formed Japanese Eighth Fleet headquartered at Rabaul, loaded 519 naval troops on two transports and sent them towards Guadalcanal on August 7. However, when the Japanese learned how many Allied troops had landed on Guadalcanal, the transports were recalled.^[16]

Mikawa also assembled all the available warships in the area to attack the Allied forces at Guadalcanal. At Rabaul were the heavy cruiser Chōkai (Mikawa's flagship), light cruisers Tenryū and Yubari, and one destroyer, Yunagi. En route from Kavieng were four heavy cruisers under Rear Admiral Aritomo Goto, Aoba, Furutaka, Kako, and Kinugasa.^[17] ChÅkai (Japanese: ã¡ã‚‡ã†ã‹ã„ Kanji: é³¥æµ·) was a Takao-class heavy cruiser, armed with ten 8 guns, four 4. ... IJN TenryÅ« (å¤©é¾) was the lead ship in the TenryÅ« class of light cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... The Yubari was a single light cruiser built between 1922 and 1923 for the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... HMCS Algonquin, a Canadian Iroquois-class destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet or battle group and defend them against smaller, short-range but powerful attackers (originally torpedo boats, later submarines and aircraft). ... Kavieng is the capital of the Papua New Guinean province of New Ireland and the largest town on the island of the same name. ... Aritomo GotÅ (äº”è—¤ å˜çŸ¥, GotÅ Aritomo; 1884 - October 12,[1] 1942) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. From the beginning of the war he was in command of Cruiser Division 6 (CruDiv6), consisting of the four heavy cruisers Aoba (Gotos flagship), Furutaka, Kinugasa, and Kako. ... Aoba was the lead ship in a heavy cruiser class of two vessels in the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... Furutaka was a Japanese cruiser sunk in Ironbottom Sound during the Battle of Cape Esperance in World War II. Categories: Naval ship stubs | World War II Japanese cruisers ... The Kako (åŠ å¤) was the second ship in the Furutaka-class of heavy cruisers in the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... Kinugasa was an Aoba-class heavy cruiser in the Imperial Japanese Navy, named after a mountain in Kanagawa prefecture. ...

The Japanese Navy trained extensively in night fighting tactics before the war, a fact that the Allies were unaware of.^[18] Mikawa hoped to engage the Allied naval forces off Guadalcanal and Tulagi on the night of August 8 and August 9, when he could employ his night battle expertise while avoiding attacks from Allied aircraft, which could not operate effectively at night. Mikawa's warships rendezvoused at sea near Cape St. George in the evening of August 7 and then headed east-southeast. ^[19] is the 220th day of the year (221st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 221st day of the year (222nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Cape St. ... August 7 is the 219th day of the year (220th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Battle

Prelude

Mikawa decided to lead his fleet north of Buka Island and then down the east coast of Bougainville. The fleet would pause east of Kieta for six hours on the morning of August 8. (This would avoid daytime air attacks during their final approach to Guadalcanal.) ^[20] Then they would proceed along the dangerous channel known as "The Slot", hoping that no Allied plane would sight him in the fading light. But the Japanese fleet was sighted in St. George Channel, where their column almost ran into the submarine USS S-38, lying in ambush. She was too close to fire torpedoes, though, but her captain, Lieutenant Commander H.G. Munson, radioed: Image File history File links SavoMikawaApproach. ... Image File history File links SavoMikawaApproach. ... is the 220th day of the year (221st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Buka Island is the second largest island in the Papua New Guinean province of Bougainville. ... Bougainville and neighbouring islands Bougainville is part of Papua New Guinea and is the largest island of the Solomon Islands group. ... Kieta is located on the eastern coast of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea, near the township of Arawa. ... is the 220th day of the year (221st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... USS S-38 (SS-143) was a S-class submarine of the United States Navy. ...

TWO DESTROYERS AND THREE LARGER SHIPS OF UNKNOWN TYPE HEADING ONE FOUR ZERO TRUE AT HIGH SPEED EIGHT MILES WEST OF CAPE ST. GEORGE.^[21]

Once at Bougainville, Mikawa spread his ships out over a wide area to mask the composition of his force and launched four floatplanes from his cruisers to scout for Allied ships in the southern Solomons.

At 10:20 and 11:10, his ships were spotted by Australian Hudson reconnaissance aircraft based at Milne Bay in New Guinea.^[22] The first Hudson to sight Mikawa's warships identified them as "three cruisers, three destroyers, and two seaplane tenders." Lockheed Hudson Mk V The Lockheed Hudson was a light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built initially for the Royal Air Force shortly before the outbreak of World War II. The Hudson was the first significant aircraft construction contract for the Lockheed Aircraft Corporationâ€”the initial RAF order for 200... Battle of Milne Bay Conflict World War II, Pacific War Date August 25, 1942 – September 5, 1942 Place Milne Bay, New Guinea Result Allied victory The Battle of Milne Bay was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II. Japanese marines attacked the Australian base at Milne...

The Hudson's crew tried to report the sighting to the Allied radio station at Fall River, New Guinea. But receiving no acknowledgment, they abandoned the patrol and returned to Milne Bay (at 12:42) to ensure that the report was received as soon as possible.

The second Hudson also failed to report its sighting by radio but completed its patrol, landing at Milne Bay at 15:00, and then reported sighting "two heavy cruisers, two light cruisers, and one unknown type."

For unknown reasons, these reports were not relayed to the Allied fleet off Guadalcanal until 18:45 and 21:30, respectively, on August 8.^[23] is the 220th day of the year (221st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Mikawa's cruiser's aircraft returned by 12:00 and reported two groups of Allied ships, one off Guadalcanal and the other off Tulagi. Mikawa reassembled his warships and began his run towards Guadalcanal, entering the Slot near Choiseul by 16:00 on August 8. Mikawa communicated the following battle plan to his warships, Choiseul Island seen from space Choiseul Island is the largest island (2 971 kmÂ²) of the Choiseul Province, Solomon Islands, at . ... is the 220th day of the year (221st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Mikawa's run down the Slot was not detected by Allied forces. Turner had requested that U.S. Admiral John S. McCain, Sr., commander of Allied air forces for the South Pacific area, conduct extra reconnaissance missions over the The Slot in the afternoon of August 8. But, for unexplained reasons, McCain did not order the missions, nor did he tell Turner that they were not carried out. Thus, Turner mistakenly believed that the Slot was under Allied observation throughout the day.^[25] John S. (Slew) McCain, Sr. ... is the 220th day of the year (221st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

To protect the unloading transports during the night, Crutchley divided the Allied warship forces into three groups. A "southern" group, consisting of the Australian cruisers Australia and HMAS Canberra, cruiser USS Chicago, and destroyers USS Patterson and USS Bagley, patrolled between Lunga Point and Savo Island to block the entrance between Savo Island and Cape Esperance on Guadalcanal. A "northern" group, consisting of the cruisers USS Vincennes, USS Astoria and USS Quincy, and destroyers USS Helm and USS Wilson, conducted a box-shaped patrol between the Tulagi anchorage and Savo Island to defend the passage between Savo and Florida Islands. An "eastern" group consisting of two U.S. cruisers and two U.S. destroyers guarded the eastern entrances to the sound between Florida and Guadalcanal Islands.^[26] Crutchley placed two radar-equipped U.S. destroyers to the west of Savo Island to provide early warning for any approaching Japanese ships. The destroyer USS Ralph Talbot patrolled the northern passage and the destroyer USS Blue patrolled the southern passage, with a gap of 12-30 kilometres (8-20 mi) between their uncoordinated patrol patterns. At this time, the Allies were unaware of all of the limitations of their primitive ship-born radars, such as the effectiveness of the radar could be greatly degraded by the presence of nearby landmasses.^[27] Wary of the potential threat from Japanese submarines to the transport ships, Crutchley placed his remaining seven destroyers as close-in protection around the two transport anchorages.^[28] Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (804x548, 81 KB) U.S. Navy map from 1943 showing disposition of Allied ships before Battle of Savo Island, August 8-9, 1942. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (804x548, 81 KB) U.S. Navy map from 1943 showing disposition of Allied ships before Battle of Savo Island, August 8-9, 1942. ... See HMAS Canberra for other ships of this name. ... USS Chicago (CA-29), a Northampton-class heavy cruiser, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named after the city of Chicago, Illinois. ... USS Patterson (DD-392), a Bagley-class destroyer, was the 2nd ship of the United States Navy to be named for Daniel Todd Patterson, an officer of the US Navy that served in the Quasi-War with France, First Barbary War, and the War of 1812. ... USS Bagley (DD-386), a Bagley-class destroyer, was the 3rd ship of the United States Navy to be named for Worth Bagley, officer during the Spanish-American War, distinguished as the only U.S. naval officer killed in action during that war. ... Savo Island is a minor island in the Solomon Islands group in the South Pacific ocean. ... Chart of Ironbottom Sound and surrounding waters and islands. ... The second USS Vincennes (CA-44) was a United States Navy New Orleans-class heavy cruiser sunk at the Battle of Savo Island in 1942. ... The second USS Astoria (CA-34) was a United States Navy New Orleans-class heavy cruiser that participated in both the Battle of the Coral Sea and the Battle of Midway, but was then sunk in August 1942 at the Battle of Savo Island. ... The USS Quincy (CA-39) was a United States Navy New Orleans-class heavy cruiser sunk at the Battle of Savo Island in 1942. ... External links History of Helm Navy Photos of Helm (DD-388) USS Helm, Report of Pearl Harbor Attack Categories: Bagley class destroyers | World War II ships ... USS Wilson (DD-408), a Benham-class destroyer, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Charles Wilson, a seaman in the Union Navy during the American Civil War. ... USS Ralph Talbot (DD-390) was a Bagley-class destroyer in the United States Navy, named for USMC Second Lieutenant Ralph Talbot (1897â€“1918), who was awarded the Medal of Honor during World War I. Talbot served in the Pacific Theater during World War II, from the attack on Pearl... USS Blue (DD-387), a Bagley-class destroyer, was the 1st ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor of Rear Admiral Victor Blue. ... This long range radar antenna, known as ALTAIR, is used to detect and track space objects in conjunction with ABM testing at the Ronald Reagan Test Site on the Kwajalein atoll. ...

The crews of the Allied ships were fatigued after two days of constant alert and action in supporting the landings. Also, the weather was extremely hot and humid, inducing further fatigue and "inviting weary sailors to slackness." In response, most of Crutchley's warships went to "Condition II" the night of August 8, which meant that half the crews were on duty while the other half rested, either in their bunks or near their battle stations.^[29] is the 220th day of the year (221st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

In the evening, Turner called a conference on his command ship off Guadalcanal with Crutchley and Marine commander Major General Alexander A. Vandegrift to discuss the withdrawal of Fletcher's carriers and the resulting withdrawal schedule for the transport ships. At 20:55, Crutchley left the southern group in Australia to attend the conference, leaving Captain Howard D. Bode of Chicago in charge of the southern group. Bode, awakened from sleep in his cabin, decided not to place his ship in the lead of the southern group of ships, the customary place for the senior ship, and went back to sleep. At the conference, Turner, Crutchley, and Vandegrift discussed the reports of the "seaplane tender" force. They decided it would not be a threat that night, because seaplane tenders did not normally engage in a surface action. Vandegrift said that he would need to inspect the transport unloading situation at Tulagi before recommending a withdrawal time for the transport ships, and he departed at midnight to conduct the inspection. Crutchley elected not to return with Australia to the southern force but instead stationed his ship just outside the Guadalcanal transport anchorage, without informing the other Allied ship commanders of his intentions or location.^[30] Gen. ...

As Mikawa's force neared the Guadalcanal area, the Japanese ships launched three floatplanes for one final scout of the Allied ships, and to provide illumination by dropping flares during the upcoming battle. Although several of the Allied ships heard and/or observed one or more of these floatplanes, starting at 23:45 on August 8, none of them interpreted the presence of unknown aircraft in the area as an actionable threat, and no one reported the sightings to Crutchley or Turner.^[31] Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (640x866, 112 KB) Public domain chart of the Battle of Savo Island showing Japanese movements based on testimony from a surviving Japanese participant, modified by Cla68 on August 31, 2006 to show participation of cruiser Yubari and track of Japanese destroyer... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (640x866, 112 KB) Public domain chart of the Battle of Savo Island showing Japanese movements based on testimony from a surviving Japanese participant, modified by Cla68 on August 31, 2006 to show participation of cruiser Yubari and track of Japanese destroyer... is the 220th day of the year (221st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Mikawa's force approached in a single 3 kilometre (2 mi) column led by Chōkai, with Aoba, Kako, Kinugasa, Furutaka, Tenryū, Yubari, and Yunagi following. Sometime between 00:44 and 00:54 on August 9, lookouts in Mikawa's ships spotted Blue about 9 kilometres (5.5 mi) ahead of the Japanese column.^[32] is the 221st day of the year (222nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Action south of Savo

To avoid Blue, Mikawa changed course to pass north of Savo Island.^[33] He also ordered his ships to slow to 22 knots, to reduce wakes that might make his ships more visible.^[34] Four minutes later, Mikawa's lookouts spied either Ralph Talbot about 16 kilometres (10 mi) away or a small schooner of unknown nationality.^[35]^[36] The Japanese ships held their course while pointing more than 50 guns at Blue, ready to open fire at the first indication that Blue had sighted them.^[33] When Blue was less than 2 kilometres (1 mi) away from Mikawa's force, she suddenly reversed course, having reached the end of her patrol track, and steamed away, apparently oblivious to the long column of large Japanese ships sailing by her.^[37] Seeing that his ships were still undetected, Mikawa turned back to a course south of Savo Island and increased speed, first to 26 knots, and then to 30 knots. At 01:25, Mikawa released his ships to operate independently of his flagship, and at 01:31, he ordered, "Every ship attack."^[38] Two-masted fishing schooner A schooner (IPA: ) is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts. ...

At about this time, Yunagi detached from the Japanese column and reversed direction, perhaps because she lost sight of the other Japanese ships ahead of her, or perhaps she was ordered to provide a "rear guard" for Mikawa's force. One minute later, Japanese lookouts sighted a warship to port. This ship was the destroyer Jarvis, heavily damaged the day before and now departing Guadalcanal independently for repairs in Australia. Whether Jarvis sighted the Japanese ships is unknown, since her radios had been destroyed. Furutaka launched torpedoes at Jarvis, which all missed.^[39] The Japanese ships passed as close to 1,100 metres of Jarvis, close enough for officers on Tenryū to look down onto the destroyer's decks without seeing any of her crew moving about. If Jarvis was aware of the Japanese ships passing by, she did not respond in any noticeable way.^[40] Port is the nautical term (used on boats and ships) that refers to the left side of a ship, as perceived by a person facing towards the bow (the front of the vessel). ...

Two minutes after sighting Jarvis, the Japanese lookouts sighted the Allied destroyers and cruisers of the southern force about 12,500 metres away, silhouetted by the glow from the burning George F. Elliot.^[41] Several minutes later, at about 01:38, the Japanese cruisers began launching salvos of torpedoes at the Allied southern force ships.^[42] At this same time, lookouts on Chōkai spotted the ships of the Allied northern force at a range of 16 kilometres (10 mi).^[43] Chōkai turned to face this new threat, and the rest of the Japanese column followed, while still preparing to engage the Allied southern force ships with gunfire.^[44] Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (800x999, 87 KB) U.S. Navy map from 1943 of engagement between Japanese ships and southern force of Allied ships in battle on August 8-9, 1942. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (800x999, 87 KB) U.S. Navy map from 1943 of engagement between Japanese ships and southern force of Allied ships in battle on August 8-9, 1942. ...

Patterson's crew was alert because the destroyer's captain had taken seriously the earlier daytime sightings of Japanese warships and evening sightings of unknown aircraft, and told his crew to be ready for action. At 01:43, Patterson spotted a ship, probably Kinugasa, 5,000 meters dead ahead and immediately sent a warning by radio and signal lamp: "Warning! Warning! Strange ships entering the harbor!" Patterson increased speed to full, and fired star shells towards the Japanese column. Her captain ordered a torpedo attack, but his order was not heard over the noise from the destroyer's guns.^[45]

At about the same moment that Patterson sighted the Japanese ships and went into action, the Japanese floatplanes overhead, on orders from Mikawa, dropped aerial flares directly over Canberra and Chicago.^[46] Canberra responded immediately, with Captain Frank Getting ordering an increase in speed, a reversal of an initial turn to port, which kept Canberra between the Japanese and the Allied transports, and for her guns to train out and fire at any targets that could be sighted.^[47] Less than one minute later, as Canberra's guns took aim at the Japanese, Chōkai and Furutaka opened fire on her, scoring numerous hits within a few seconds. Aoba and Kako joined in with gunfire, and within the next three minutes Canberra took up to 24 large caliber hits. Early hits killed her gunnery officer, mortally wounded Getting, and destroyed both boiler rooms, knocking out power to the entire ship before Canberra could fire any of her guns or communicate a warning to other Allied ships. The cruiser glided to a stop, on fire, with a 5- to 10-degree list to starboard, and unable to fight the fires or pump out flooded compartments because of lack of power. Since all of the Japanese ships were on the port side of Canberra, the damage to the ship's starboard side occurred either from shells entering low on the port side and exiting below the waterline on the starboard side, or from one or two torpedo hits on the starboard side.^[48] If torpedoes did hit Canberra on the starboard side, then they may have come from a nearby Allied ship, and at this time the U.S. destroyer Bagley was the only ship on that side of the Australian cruiser and had fired torpedoes moments earlier.^[49]

The crew of Chicago, observing the illumination of their ship by air-dropped flares and the sudden turn by Canberra in front of them, came alert and awakened Captain Bode from "a sound sleep". Bode ordered his five-inch guns to fire star shells towards the Japanese column, but the shells did not function.^[50] At 01:47, a torpedo, probably from Kako, hit Chicago's bow, sending a shock wave throughout the ship that damaged the main battery director. A second torpedo hit but failed to explode, and a shell hit the cruiser's mainmast, killing two crewmen. Chicago steamed west for 40 minutes,^[51] leaving behind the transports she was assigned to protect. The cruiser fired her secondary batteries at the trailing ships in the Japanese column and may have hit Tenryū, causing slight damage. Bode did not try to assert control over any of the other Allied ships in the southern force, of which he was still technically in command. More significantly, Bode made no attempt to warn any of the other Allied ships or personnel in the Guadalcanal area as his ship headed away from the battle area.^[52] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 545 pixelsFull resolution (1879 Ã— 1280 pixel, file size: 638 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) View from the Japanese cruiser Chokai of the battle with the Allied southern force as aerial flares illuminate the Allied cruisers Canberra and Chicago on August... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 545 pixelsFull resolution (1879 Ã— 1280 pixel, file size: 638 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) View from the Japanese cruiser Chokai of the battle with the Allied southern force as aerial flares illuminate the Allied cruisers Canberra and Chicago on August...

During this time, Patterson engaged in a gun duel with the Japanese column. Patterson received a shell hit aft, causing moderate damage and killing 10 crew members. Patterson continued to pursue and fire at the Japanese ships and may have hit Kinugasa, causing moderate damage.^[53] Patterson then lost sight of the Japanese column as it headed northeast along the eastern shore of Savo Island.^[54] Bagley, whose crew sighted the Japanese shortly after Patterson and Canberra, circled completely around to port before firing torpedoes in the general direction of the rapidly disappearing Japanese column; one or two of which may have hit Canberra. Bagley played no further role in the battle.^[55] Yunagi exchanged non-damaging gunfire with Jarvis before exiting the battle area to the west with the intention of eventually rejoining the Japanese column north and west of Savo Island.^[56]

At 01:44, as Mikawa's ships headed towards the Allied northern force, Tenryū and Yubari split from the rest of the Japanese column and took a more westward course. Furutaka, either because of a steering problem,^[57] or to avoid a possible collision with Canberra, followed Yubari and Tenryū. Thus, the Allied northern force was about to be enveloped and attacked from two sides.^[58]

Action north of Savo

When Mikawa's ships attacked the Allied southern force, the captains of all three U.S. northern force cruisers were asleep, with their ships "steaming quietly at 10 knots."^[59] Although crewmen on all three ships observed flares or gunfire from the battle south of Savo or else received Patterson's warning of threatening ships entering the area, it took some time for the crews to go from Condition II to full alert.^[60] At 01:44, the Japanese cruisers began firing torpedoes at the northern force. At 01:50, they aimed powerful searchlights at the three northern cruisers and opened fire with their guns.^[53] Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (800x758, 83 KB) U.S. Navy map from 1943 showing battle between Japanese ships and Allied northern force ships near Savo Island on August 9, 1942. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (800x758, 83 KB) U.S. Navy map from 1943 showing battle between Japanese ships and Allied northern force ships near Savo Island on August 9, 1942. ...

Astoria's bridge crew called general quarters upon sighting the flares south of Savo, around 01:49. At 01:52, shortly after the Japanese searchlights came on and shells began falling around the ship, Astoria's main gun director crews spotted the Japanese cruisers and opened fire. Astoria's captain, awakened to find his ship in action, rushed to the bridge and ordered a cease fire, fearful that his ship might be firing on friendly forces. As shells continued to cascade around his ship, the captain ordered firing resumed less than a minute later. However, Chōkai had found the range, and Astoria was quickly hit by numerous shells and set afire.^[61] Between 02:00 and 02:15, Aoba, Kinugasa, and Kako joined Chōkai in pounding Astoria, destroying the cruiser's engine room and bringing the flaming ship to a halt. At 02:16, one of Astoria's remaining operational main gun turrets fired at Kinugasa's searchlight, but missed and hit Chōkai's forward turret, causing moderate damage.^[62] Audio sample: General quarters ( file info) â€” A call to general quarters aboard a United States Navy vessel. ...

Quincy had also seen the aircraft flares over the southern ships, received Patterson's warning, and had just sounded general quarters and was coming alert when the searchlights from the Japanese column came on. Quincy's captain gave the order to commence firing, but the gun crews were not ready. Within a few minutes, Quincy was caught in a crossfire between Aoba, Furutaka, and Tenryū, and was hit heavily and set afire. Quincy's captain ordered his cruiser to charge towards the eastern Japanese column, but as she turned to do so Quincy was hit by two torpedoes from Tenryū, causing severe damage. Quincy managed to fire a few main gun salvos, one of which hit Chōkai's chart room 6 meters (20 ft) from Admiral Mikawa and killed or wounded 36 men, although Mikawa was not injured. At 02:10, incoming shells killed or wounded almost all of Quincy's bridge crew, including the captain. At 02:16, the cruiser was hit by a torpedo from Aoba, and the ship's remaining guns were silenced. Quincy's assistant gunnery officer, sent to the bridge to ask for instructions, reported on what he found:

Like Quincy and Astoria, Vincennes also sighted the aerial flares to the south, and furthermore, actually sighted gunfire from the southern engagement. At 01:50, when the U.S. cruisers were illuminated by the Japanese searchlights, Vincennes hesitated to open fire, believing that the searchlight's source might be friendly ships. Shortly thereafter, Kako opened fire on Vincennes which responded with her own gunfire at 01:53.^[64] As Vincennes began to receive damaging shell hits, her commander, U.S. Captain Frederick L. Riefkohl, ordered an increase of speed to 25 knots, but shortly thereafter, at 01:55, two torpedoes from Chōkai hit, causing heavy damage. Kinugasa now joined Kako in pounding Vincennes. Vincennes scored one hit on Kinugasa causing moderate damage to her steering engines. The rest of the Japanese ships also fired and hit Vincennes up to 74 times, and, at 02:03, another torpedo hit her, this time from Yubari. With all boiler rooms destroyed, Vincennes came to a halt, burning "everywhere" and listing to port. At 02:16, Riefkohl ordered the crew to abandon ship, and Vincennes sank at 02:50.^[65] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 473 pixelsFull resolution (1240 Ã— 733 pixel, file size: 285 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Japanese cruiser Yubari shines searchlights towards the northern force of Allied warships during the Battle of Savo Island on August 9, 1942. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 473 pixelsFull resolution (1240 Ã— 733 pixel, file size: 285 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Japanese cruiser Yubari shines searchlights towards the northern force of Allied warships during the Battle of Savo Island on August 9, 1942. ... Admiral Frederick Lois Riefkohl (February 27, 1889 - September, 1969) was a Navy admiral who was born in Puerto Rico; he died in Brevard, Florida. ...

During the engagement, the U.S. destroyers Helm and Wilson struggled to see the Japanese ships. Both destroyers briefly fired at Mikawa's cruisers but caused no damage and received no damage to themselves.^[66]

At 02:16, the Japanese columns ceased fire on the northern Allied force as they moved out of range around the north side of Savo Island. Ralph Talbot encountered Furutaka, Tenryū, and Yubari as they cleared Savo Island. The Japanese ships fixed the U.S. destroyer with searchlights and hit her several times with gunfire, causing heavy damage, but Ralph Talbot escaped into a nearby rain squall, and the Japanese ships left her behind.^[67]

Mikawa's decision

At 02:16, Mikawa conferred with his staff about whether they should turn to continue the battle with the surviving Allied warships and try to sink the Allied transports in the two anchorages. Several factors influenced his ultimate decision. His ships were scattered and would take some time to regroup.^[68] Mikawa did not know the number and locations of any remaining Allied warships.^[69] More importantly, Mikawa believed that U.S. aircraft carriers were in the area and that his ships had no air cover. Mikawa was probably aware that the Japanese Navy had no more cruisers in production, and thus would be unable to replace any that he believed he might lose to air attack the next day if he remained near Guadalcanal.^[70] He was unaware that the U.S. carriers had withdrawn from the battle area and would not be a threat the next day. Although several of Mikawa's staff urged an attack on the Allied transports, the consensus was to withdraw from the battle area.^[71] Therefore, at 02:20, Mikawa ordered his ships to retire.^[72]

Aftermath

At 04:00 on August 9, Patterson came alongside Canberra to assist the cruiser in fighting her fires. By 05:00, it appeared that the fires were almost under control, but Turner, who at this time intended to withdraw all Allied ships by 06:30, ordered the ship to be scuttled if it was not able to accompany the fleet. After the survivors were removed, the destroyers USS Selfridge and USS Ellet sank Canberra with torpedoes and gunfire.^[73] Destroyers removing crew from the HMAS Canberra after the Battle of Savo Island, 9 August 1942 Photo: 80-G-13488 Source: http://www. ... Destroyers removing crew from the HMAS Canberra after the Battle of Savo Island, 9 August 1942 Photo: 80-G-13488 Source: http://www. ... is the 221st day of the year (222nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The second USS Selfridge (DD-357) was a Porter-class destroyer in the United States Navy. ... USS Ellet (DD-398) was a Benham-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for five members of the Ellet family of Pennsylvania who rendered service during the American Civil War: Colonel Charles Ellet, Jr. ...

Later in the morning of August 9, General Vandegrift advised Admiral Turner that he needed more supplies unloaded from the transports before they withdrew. Therefore, Turner postponed the withdrawal of his ships until mid-afternoon. In the meantime, Astoria's crew tried to save their sinking ship. Astoria's fires, however, eventually became completely out of control, and the ship sank at 12:15.^[74] is the 221st day of the year (222nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

On the morning of August 9, an Australian coastwatcher on Bougainville radioed a warning of a Japanese airstrike on the way from Rabaul. The Allied transports ceased unloading for a time but were puzzled when the airstrike did not materialize. Allied forces did not discover until after the war was over that this Japanese airstrike instead concentrated on Jarvis south of Guadalcanal, sinking her with all hands. The Allied transports and warships all departed the Guadalcanal area by nightfall on August 9.^[75] is the 221st day of the year (222nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Captain Martin Clemens, Australian Coastwatcher on Guadalcanal, rendered services to Allied forces during the battle for the island (August, 1942-February, 1943). ... is the 221st day of the year (222nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

In the late evening of August 9, Mikawa on Chōkai released the four cruisers of Cruiser Division 6 to return to their home base at Kavieng. At 08:10 on August 10, Kako was torpedoed and sunk by the submarine USS S-44 110 kilometers (70 mi) from its destination. The other three Japanese cruisers picked up all but 71 of her crew and went on to Kavieng.^[76] is the 221st day of the year (222nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 222nd day of the year (223rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... USS S-44 (SS-155) was a third-group (S-42) S-class submarine of the United States Navy. ...

From the time of the battle until several months later, almost all Allied supplies sent to Guadalcanal came by transports in small convoys, mainly during daylight hours, while Allied aircraft from the New Hebrides and Henderson Field and any available aircraft carriers flew covering missions. During this time, Allied forces on Guadalcanal received barely enough ammunition and provisions to withstand the several Japanese drives to retake the islands. ^[77] Several airports have been named Henderson Field, most famously on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands, where control of the airstrip was the focus of months of fighting in the Battle of Guadalcanal during World War II. It was renamed to Honiara International Airport in 2003, but the name lives on...

Despite their defeat in this battle, the Allies eventually won the battle for Guadalcanal, an important step in the eventual defeat of Japan. In hindsight, if Mikawa had elected to risk his ships to go after the Allied transports on the morning of August 9, he could have ended the Guadalcanal campaign at its inception, and the course of the war in the southern Pacific could have gone much differently. Although the Allied warships at Guadalcanal that night were completely routed, they did accomplish their mission, which was to protect the vital transports from harm. Many of these same transports were used many times to bring crucial supplies to Allied forces on Guadalcanal over succeeding months.^[78] is the 221st day of the year (222nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

A formal U.S. Navy board of inquiry, known as the Hepburn Investigation, subsequently prepared a report of the battle. The board interviewed most of the major Allied officers involved over several months, beginning in December 1942.^[79] The report recommended official censure for only one officer: Captain Howard D. Bode. The report stopped short of recommending formal action against other Allied officers, including Admirals Fletcher, Turner, McCain, and Crutchley, and Captain Riefkohl. The careers of Turner, Crutchley, and McCain do not appear to have been affected by the defeat or the mistakes they made in contributing to it. Riefkohl, however, never commanded ships again. Captain Bode, upon learning that the report was going to be especially critical of his actions, shot himself in his quarters at Balboa, Panama Canal Zone, on April 19, 1943, and died the next day.^[80] Image File history File links SavoJapaneseWarArt. ... Image File history File links SavoJapaneseWarArt. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... Balboa is a part of Panama City, located at the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal. ... The Panama Canal Zone (Spanish: ), was a 553 square mile (1,432 kmÂ²) territory inside of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles (8. ... April 19 is the 109th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (110th in leap years). ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Admiral Yamamoto signaled a congratulatory note to Mikawa on his victory, stating: Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku Yamamoto (山本 五十六 Yamamoto Isoroku) (April 4, 1884 - April 18, 1943) was the outstanding Japanese naval commander of World War II. Family background Yamamoto was born Isoroku Takano (高野 五十六 Takano Isoroku) in Nagaoka in Niigata. ...

Later on, though, when it became apparent that Mikawa had missed a "golden" opportunity to destroy the Allied transports, he was intensely criticised by his comrades.^[81]

Admiral Turner later assessed why his forces were so soundly defeated in the battle:

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... The Wikimedia Commons (also called Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ...

Notes

^ Frank, Guadalcanal, p. 306–7.
^ Frank, Guadalcanal, p. 100–101
^ Frank, Guadalcanal, p. 100.
^ Frank, Guadalcanal, p. 121. Breakdown of Allied deaths by ship: Quincy-389, Vincennes-342, Astoria-235, Canberra-85, Ralph Talbot-14, Patterson-10, and Chicago-2. Although Jarvis was sunk later on August 9 with the loss of her entire crew of 233, this loss is usually considered a separate action from the battle. Chicago was under repair until January, 1943. Ralph Talbot was under repair in the U.S. until November, 1942. Patterson was repaired locally.
^ Frank, Guadalcanal, p. 117. Breakdown of Japanese deaths by ship: Chōkai-34, Tenryū-23, and Kinugasa-1. Although Kako was sunk the next day (August 10) before reaching home port at Kavieng with 71 personnel killed, this loss is usually considered a separate action from the battle. All of the other damage to the Japanese cruisers was repaired locally.
^ Hogue, Pearl Harbor to Guadalcanal, p. 235-236.
^ Morison, Struggle for Guadalcanal, p. 14.
^ Frank, Guadalcanal, pp. 621–24.
^ Morison, Struggle for Guadalcanal, pp. 14–15.
^ Loxton, Shame of Savo, pp. 90–103.
^ Frank, Guadalcanal, p. 80.
^ Hammel, Carrier Clash, p. 99.
^ Loxton, Shame of Savo, pp. 104–5; Frank Guadalcanal p. 94; and Morison Struggle for Guadalcanal, p. 28.
^ Lundstrom, Black Shoe Carrier Admiral, p. 368-385.
^ Morison, Struggle for Guadalcanal, p. 59
^ Newcomb, The Battle of Savo Island p. 13. The Eighth Fleet was also known as the Outer South Seas Force and included Cruiser Divisions 6 and 18.
^ Dull, Imperial Japanese Navy, pp. 193–94. After the two transports were recalled, one of them, Meiyo Maru, was sunk near Cape St. George, Bougainville at 21:25 on August 8 by S-38 with the loss of 373 personnel. This loss is usually regarded as a separate action from the Battle of Savo Island.
^ Loxton, Shame of Savo, pp. 43–44. Japanese night battle preparations included the use of lookouts intensively trained for night operations, specially designed optical devices for nighttime observation, the long-range Type 93 torpedo, use of battleship and cruiser-carried floatplanes to drop flares, and frequent and realistic fleet night training exercises.
^ Morison, Struggle for Guadalcanal, p. 19
^ Loxton, Shame of Savo, p. 126.
^ Toland, John, The Rising Sun: The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire 1936-1945, Random House, 1970, p. 355
^ Frank, Guadalcanal, p. 88. The floatplanes launched by Mikawa included three Aichi E13A "Jakes" and one Kawanishi E7K2 ``Alf``. One Jake was shot down by aircraft from USS Wasp, and its crew was killed. (Loxton, Shame of Savo, p. 129).
^ Loxton, Shame of Savo, pp. 139–50. The misidentification of two of Mikawa's cruisers as seaplane tenders by the first Hudson may have been because of the wide dispersal of the Japanese warships; also, the Hudson's crew sighted a floatplane returning. The first Hudson's report was not received by radio because the Fall River station was shut down at that time for an air raid alert. When the second Hudson tried to radio its sighting of Mikawa's force, Fall River refused to receive the report and rebuked the Hudson's crew for breaking radio silence. Loxton calls the claims by Morison, Dull, Richard Newcomb, and other historians that the first Hudson crew made no attempt to radio their sighting report, routinely and leisurely completed their patrol, and then "had tea" before submitting their report at Milne Bay an "outrageous rumor" and "calumny" that is at odds with what he found in his research.
^ Morison, Struggle for Guadalcanal, p. 20.
^ Frank, Guadalcanal, pp. 89–92.
^ Dull, Imperial Japanese Navy, p. 195.
^ Frank, Guadalcanal, p. 99.
^ Loxton, Shame of Savo, pp. 80–81.
^ Morison, Struggle for Guadalcanal, p. 32
^ Frank, Guadalcanal, pp. 96–97.
^ Loxton, Shame of Savo, pp. 165–66.
^ Dull, Imperial Japanese Navy, p. 197. Dull says the time was 00:44, Loxton 00:53 (Shame of Savo, p. 171), Morison 00:54 (Struggle for Guadalcanal, p. 35), and Frank says 00:50 (Guadalcanal, p. 103).
^ ^a ^b Morison, Struggle for Guadalcanal, p. 36.
^ Frank, Guadalcanal, p. 103.
^ Loxton, Shame of Savo, p. 171.
^ Frank, Guadalcanal, p. 103. Morison claims that Blue later sighted a "Japanese auxiliary schooner" in that same area but gives no supporting evidence for why he or Blue believed that the schooner was of Japanese nationality (Struggle for Guadalcanal, p. 55). Loxton states that Blue found the schooner to be "harmless" (Loxton, Shame of Savo, p. 216).
^ Loxton, Shame of Savo, pp. 171–73.
^ Dull, Imperial Japanese Navy, p. 197.
^ Frank, Guadalcanal, pp. 103–4.
^ Loxton, Shame of Savo, pp. 176–77.
^ Loxton, Shame of Savo, p. 178.
^ Morison, Struggle for Guadalcanal, pp. 36–37.
^ Frank, Guadalcanal, p. 104.
^ Loxton, Shame of Savo, pp. 179–80.
^ Loxton, Shame of Savo, pp. 206–7.
^ Morison, Struggle for Guadalcanal, p. 37.
^ Loxton, Shame of Savo, pp. 180–84.
^ Frank, Guadalcanal, p. 105. Frank doesn't believe that Japanese torpedoes hit Canberra and doesn't discuss the possibility that Allied torpedoes hit the ship.
^ Loxton, Shame of Savo, pp. 185–205. Loxton firmly believes that Canberra was hit by a torpedo from Bagley, citing survivor accounts, ship's records, and damage assessments. Morison (Struggle for Guadalcanal, pp. 37–38.) states that Canberra was hit by two torpedoes on the starboard side but believes they were of Japanese origin.
^ Morison, Struggle for Guadalcanal, p. 39.
^ Loxton, Shame of Savo, p. 213.
^ Frank, Guadalcanal, pp. 105–6.
^ ^a ^b Frank, Guadalcanal, p. 107.
^ Loxton, Shame of Savo, p. 207.
^ Morison, Struggle for Guadalcanal, pp. 38–39.
^ Dull, Imperial Japanese Navy, p. 199. Chicago's crew witnessed the gun battle between Jarvis and Yunagi (Loxton, Shame of Savo, p. 208).
^ Loxton, Shame of Savo, p. 208.
^ Frank, Guadalcanal, pp. 107–8.
^ Morison, Struggle for Guadalcanal, pp. 40–47.
^ Loxton, Shame of Savo, pp. 217–21.
^ Morison, Struggle for Guadalcanal, pp. 41–44. Astoria's captain's exact words upon arriving on the bridge were, "Topper, I think we are firing on our own ships. Let's not get excited and act too hasty! Cease firing!" Astoria's gunnery officer replied to this command with, "For God's sake give the word to commence firing!" The captain, after witnessing Chōkai's fourth salvo straddle his ship, declared, "Whether our ships or not, we will have to stop them. Commence firing!" (Loxton, Shame of Savo, pp. 226–27.)
^ Loxton, Shame of Savo, p. 231.
^ Frank, Guadalcanal, pp. 111–13.
^ Morison, Struggle for Guadalcanal, p. 47.
^ Loxton, Shame of Savo, pp. 225–28.
^ Frank, Guadalcanal, p. 114.
^ Morison, Struggle for Guadalcanal, pp. 50–51.
^ Frank, Guadalcanal, p. 115.
^ Dull, Imperial Japanese Navy, p. 201.
^ Toland, John, ibid, p. 362
^ Loxton, Shame of Savo, pp. 237–39.
^ Morison, Struggle for Guadalcanal, p. 53.
^ Frank, Guadalcanal, pp. 117–18.
^ Morison, Struggle for Guadalcanal, pp. 57–59.
^ Loxton, Shame of Savo, pp. 250–53. Jarvis shot down two of the attacking Japanese aircraft, whose crews weren't recovered.
^ Dull, Imperial Japanese Navy, p. 203.
^ Murray, War to be Won, pp. 211–15.
^ Frank, Guadalcanal, p. 121.
^ Frank, Guadalcanal, p. 122.
^ Shanks, Sandy, The Bode Testament: Author's Interview, [1] and Hackett, CombinedFleet.com.
^ Loxton, Shame of Savo, p. 267.
^ ^a ^b Frank, Guadalcanal, p. 123.

Kavieng is the capital of the Papua New Guinean province of New Ireland and the largest town on the island of the same name. ... Location of North Solomons (Bougainville) Province in Papua New Guinea This article is about the island; Bougainville is also the name of a commune in the Somme dÃ©partement of France. ... is the 220th day of the year (221st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Type 93 was a 610 mm (24 inch) diameter torpedo of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... The Aichi E13A (Allied reporting name: Jake) was a longe-range reconaissance seaplane used by the Japanese Imperial Navy from 1941 to 1945. ... The eighth USS Wasp (CV-7) was a United States Navy aircraft carrier. ...

References

Richard B. Frank (born 1947 in Kansas) is an American lawyer and military historian. ... Penguin Group is the second largest trade book publisher in the world. ... Eric M. Hammel is a popular military historian, with a focus on the military campaigns of the United States Marine Corps, and military action in World War II. Bibliography Carrier Clash: The Invasion of Guadalcanal & The Battle of the Eastern Solomons August 1942, 2004 ISBN 0760320527 Chosin : Heroic Ordeal of... RAdm Samuel Eliot Morison (1887-1976), USN historian Samuel Eliot Morison, RAdm, USNR (July 9, 1887 â€“ May 15, 1976) was an American historian, notable for producing scholarly works that were both authoritative and highly readable, an ability recognized with two Pulitzer Prizes. ... The History of United States Naval Operations in World War II is a 15-volume account of the United States Navy in World War II, written by eminent historian Samuel Eliot Morison and published by Little, Brown and Company between 1947 and 1962. ... Little, Brown and Company is a publishing house established by Charles Coffin Little and his partner, James Brown. ...

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