A naval battle is a battle fought using ships or other waterborne vessels. Most naval battles have occurred at sea, but a few have taken place on lakes or rivers.
Although the nature of the ships involved has changed drastically, from triremes to sailing ships to battleships and aircraft carriers, many of the tactical principles remain the same, such as the importance of maneuver before the engagement proper, and the desirability of breaking off combat rather than risking the complete loss of a fleet.
Unlike land combat, naval battles tend to be brief affairs, in some cases lasting less than an hour, as with some of the famous duels between two ships. What constitutes as the largest naval battle of all time is a somewhat controversial issue. See Largest Naval Battle in History for discussion.
The island of Tulagi had been occupied by the Japanese during the Battle of the Coral Sea in May, 1942.
For the next four months, the waters around Guadalcanal would be the unlikely scene of the most bitter, protracted naval struggle of the Pacific War.
Unfortunately, it wasn't just a battle, it was a campaign; a campaign they could not hope to win, as the material superiority of their adversary, and the willingness of the Americans to accept stunning naval losses to hold the island gradually eroded the vital cruiser and destroyer strengths of the Japanese Navy.
Pacific NavalBattles in World War II The Pacific War was the largest naval conflict in history.
Every conceivable type of naval activity was represented: carrier aviation battles, surface engagements, bitterly fought night-fights, the largest amphibious landings of the entire war, and the stealthy, brutal battles waged by and against submarines.
I have compiled information on a number of the more important (and, I think, interesting) battles of the war, including a synopsis, tabular displays of the forces involved, and in some cases ship movement track charts.
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