IJ Combined Fleet and US Pacific Fleet Commanders
Adm. Isoroku Yamamoto (HQ at Tokyo)
Adm. Chester W. Nimitz (HQ at Pearl Harbor)

The Battle of the Eastern Solomons was fought August 23–25, 1942 in the waters east and northeast of the Solomon Islands by forces of the Imperial Japanese Navy's Combined Fleet and the US Navy's Pacific Fleet. The battle resulted from a major effort by the Japanese to reinforce their troop strength on the island of Guadalcanal. The Japanese high command had realized this reinforcement was necessary following the annihilation of the Ichiki Detachment by the 1st Marines a few days earlier.

The battle can be counted both a tactical and strategic American victory: greater ship losses were inflicted on the Japanese, and the transports were turned back from their mission of landing reinforcements.

Forces deployed

Empire of Japan Japanese forces

Combat ships: 2 fleet carriers, 1 light carrier, 3 old battleships, 13 heavy cruisers, 3 light cruisers, 30 destroyers, 2 1st-class submarines, 1 2nd-class submarine
Aircraft: 69 fighters, 41 dive bombers, 57 torpedo bombers

American forces

Combat ships: 3 fleet carriers, 1 fast battleship, 5 heavy cruisers, 2 anti-aircraft light cruisers, 18 destroyers
Aircraft: 100 fighters, 54 dive bombers, 54 scout bombers, 45 torpedo bombers

Ship losses

IJN : 1 light carrier, 1 destroyer, 1 1st-class submarine
USN : none

Japanese order of battle

Vice Adm. Nobutake Kondo
Battleship Mutsu before the war

Guadalcanal Supporting Forces

Vice Admiral Nobutake Kondo in heavy cruiser Atago[1]

Advanced Force
Vice Admiral Kondo
Main Body
Cruiser Division 4
3 Takao-class heavy cruisers (10 × 8-in. main battery):[lower-alpha 1] Atago, Maya, Takao
Cruiser Division 5 (Vice Adm. Takeo Takagi)
2 Myoko-class heavy cruisers (10 × 8-in. main battery):[lower-alpha 2] Myoko, Haguro
Destroyer Squadron 4 (Rear Adm. Tamotsu Takama):
1 Nagara-class light cruiser (7 × 5.5-in. main battery): Yura
2 Asashio-class destroyers (6 × 5-in. main battery): Asagumo, Yamagumo
3 Kagero-class destroyers (6 × 5-in. main battery): Kuroshio, Oyashio, Hayashio
Support Group
1 Nagato-class battleship (8 × 16-in. main battery):[lower-alpha 3] Mutsu
3 Shiratsuyu-class destroyers (5 × 5-in. main battery): Murasame, Harusame, Samidare
Vice Adm. Chuichi Nagumo
Early-war Japanese naval aircraft
Mitsubishi A6N "Zeke" fighter
Aichi D3A "Val" dive bomber
Nakajima B5N "Kate" torpedo bomber
Striking Force
Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo in fleet carrier Shokaku
Carrier Group
Vice Admiral Nagumo
2 Shōkaku-class fleet carriers
Shōkaku (Capt. Masafumi Arima)
27 Mitsubishi A6M "Zeke" fighters (Lt. Hideki Shingo)
27 Aichi D3A "Val" dive bombers (Lt. Cdr. Mamoru Seki)
18 Nakajima B5N "Kate" torpedo bombers (Lt. Cdr. Shigeharu Murata)
Zuikaku (Capt. Tameteru Notomo)
27 Mitsubishi A6M "Zeke" fighters (Lt. Ayao Shirane)
27 Aichi D3A "Val" dive bombers (Lt. Sadamu Takahashi)
18 Nakajima B5N "Kate" torpedo bombers (Lt. Shigeichirō Imajuku)
Screen
1 Kagero-class (6 × 5-in. main battery): Akigumo
3 Yugumo-class (6 × 5-in. main battery): Yugumo, Makigumo, Kazegumo
2 Fubuki-class (6 × 5-in. main battery): Shikinami, Uranami
Battleship Hiei
Vanguard Group
Rear Admiral Hiroaki Abe
Battleships
2 Kongo-class fast battleships (8 × 14-in. main battery):[lower-alpha 4] Hiei, Kirishima
Cruiser Division 7 (Rear Adm. Shoji Nishimura)
2 Mogami-class (10 × 8-in. main battery):[lower-alpha 5] Kumano, Suzuya
1 Tone-class (8 × 8-in. main battery):[lower-alpha 6] Chikuma
Destroyer Squadron 10 (Rear Admiral Susumu Kimura)
1 Nagara-class light cruiser (7 × 5.5-in. main battery): Nagara
1 Akizuki-class destroyer (8 × 4-in. main battery): Akizuki
5 Kagero-class destroyer (6 × 5-in. main battery): Hatsukaze, Maikaze, Nowaki, Tanikaze, Yukikaze
Light carrier Ryūjō
Diversionary Group
Rear Admiral Chūichi Hara in heavy cruiser Tone
1 light carrier: Ryujo (Capt. Tadao Katō) (sunk)
24 Mitsubishi A6M "Zeke" fighters (Lt. Kenjirō Nōtomi)
9 Nakajima B5N "Kate" torpedo bombers (Lt. Binichi Murakami)
1 Tone-class heavy cruiser (8 × 8-in. main battery):[lower-alpha 7] Tone
2 Kagero-class destroyers (6 × 5-in. main battery): Amatsukaze, Tokitsukaze

Southeast Area Forces

Vice Adm. Gunichi Mikawa
Rear Adm. Raizo Tanaka
Heavy cruiser Furutaka
Light cruiser Jintsu

Vice Admiral Nishizo Tsukahara

Outer South Seas Force
Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa
Reinforcement Group
Rear Admiral Raizo Tanaka[lower-alpha 8]
Transport Unit
1 auxiliary cruiser: Kinryu Maru
Embarking 800 men of the 5th Yokosuka SNLF
4 patrol boats: No. 1, No. 2, No. 34, No. 35
Embarking 700 men of the 2nd echelon of the IJA Ichiki Detachment
Escort Unit
1 Sendai-class light cruiser (7 × 5.5-in. main battery, 1 scout plane): Jintsu
2 Kagero-class destroyers (6 × 5-in. main battery): Kagero, Isokaze
3 Shiratsuyu-class destroyers (5 × 5-in. main battery): Kawakaze, Suzukaze, Umikaze
3 Mutsuki-class destroyers (4 × 4.7-in. main battery): Mutsuki (sunk), Yayoi, Uzuki
Covering Group
Vice Admiral Mikawa[lower-alpha 9]
1 Takao-class heavy cruiser: Chōkai[4]
Cruiser Division 6 (Rear Adm. Aritomo Gotō)
2 Aoba-class heavy cruisers (6 × 8-in. main battery):[lower-alpha 10] Aoba, Kinugasa
1 Furutaka-class heavy cruiser (6 × 8-in. main battery):[lower-alpha 11] Furutaka
Submarine Group
2 1st-class submarines: I-121, I-123 (sunk)
1 2nd-class submarine: Ro-34

American order of battle

Vice Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher
Saratoga underway in 1944.

Task Force 61

Vice Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher in Saratoga[5]

Task Force 11

Vice Admiral Fletcher

1 Lexington-class fleet carrier
Saratoga (Capt. DeWitt C. Ramsey)
Air Group (Cmdr. Harry D. Felt)
VF-5: 27 F4F Wildcat fighters (Lt. Cmdr. Leroy C. Simpler)
VB-3: 17 SBD Dauntless dive bombers (Lt. Cmdr. Dewitt W. Shumway)
VS-3: 15 SBD Dauntless scout bombers (Lt. Cmdr. Louis J. Kirn)
VT-8: 13 TBF Avenger torpedo bombers (Lt. Harold H. Larsen)
Cruisers (Rear Adm. Carleton H. Wright)
2 New Orleans-class heavy cruisers (9 × 8-in./55-cal. main battery)
Minneapolis (Capt. Frank J. Lowry)
New Orleans (Capt. Walter S. DeLany)
Screen (Capt. Samuel B. Brewer)
5 destroyers
1 Porter-class (8 × 5-in./38 SP/low elevation main battery): Phelps
4 Farragut-class (4 × 5-in./38 DP main battery): Farragut, MacDonough, Worden, Dale

Task Force 16

Thomas C. Kinkaid as a vice admiral and commander of US Seventh Fleet
Enterprise underway.

Rear Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid in Enterprise

1 Yorktown-class fleet carrier
Enterprise (Capt. Arthur C. Davis)
Air Group (Lt. Cmdr. Maxwell F. Leslie)
VF-6: 29 F4F Wildcat fighters (Lt. Louis H. Bauer)
VB-6: 17 SBD Dauntless dive bombers (Lt. Ray Davis)
VS-5: 18 SBD Dauntless scout bombers (Lt. Turner F. Caldwell)
VT-3: 15 TBF Avenger torpedo bombers (Lt. Cmdr. Charles M. Jett)
Battleship and Cruisers (Rear Adm. Mahlon S. Tisdale)
1 North Carolina-class fast battleship (9 × 16-in./45-cal. main battery)
North Carolina (Capt. George H. Fort)
1 Portland-class heavy cruiser (9 × 8-in./55-cal. main battery)
Portland (Capt. Laurance T. DuBose)
1 Atlanta-class anti-aircraft light cruiser (16 × 5-in./38-cal. main battery)[lower-alpha 12]
Atlanta (Capt. Samuel P. Jenkins)
Screen (Capt. Edward P. Sauer)
6 destroyers
1 Porter-class (8 × 5-in./38 SP/low elevation main battery): Balch
2 Gleaves-class (5 × 5-in. dual purpose main battery): Grayson, Monssen
1 Gridley-class (4 × 5-in./38 dual purpose main battery): Maury
2 Benham-class (4 × 5-in./38 dual purpose main battery): Benham, Ellet

Task Force 18 (deployed but did not take part in battle)

Leigh Noyes as a captain
Wasp entering Hampton Roads 1942.

Rear Admiral Leigh Noyes in Wasp

1 Wasp-class fleet carrier
Wasp (Capt. Forrest P. Sherman)
Air Group (Lt. Cmdr. Wallace M. Beakley)
VF-71: 28 F4F Wildcat fighters (Lt. Cmdr. Courtney Shands)
VS-71: 18 SBD Dauntless scout bombers (Lt. Cmdr. John Eldridge)
VS-72: 18 SBD Dauntless scout bombers (Lt. Cmdr. Ernest M. Snowden)
VT-7:   15 TBF Avenger torpedo bombers (Lt. Henry A. Romberg)
Cruisers (Rear Adm. Norman Scott)[lower-alpha 13]
1 Pensacola-class heavy cruiser (10 × 8-in. main battery)
Salt Lake City (Capt. Charles H. McMorris)
1 New Orleans-class heavy cruiser (9 × 8-in. main battery)
San Francisco (Capt. Ernest G. Small)
1 Atlanta-class anti-aircraft light cruiser (16 × 5-in. main battery)[lower-alpha 12] S
San Juan (Capt. James E. Maher)
Screen (Capt. Robert G. Tobin)
7 destroyers
1 Porter-class (8 × 5-in. main battery): Selfridge
2 Gleaves-class (5 × 5-in. main battery): Aaron Ward, Buchanan
3 Benham-class (4 × 5-in. main battery): Lang, Stack, Sterett
1 Benson-class (4 × 5-in. main battery): Farenholt

Individual attack waves

Attack on Enterprise (Nagumo carrier group 1st wave)

10 Mitsubishi A6M "Zeke" fighters: 4 from Shokaku, 6 from Zuikaku
27 Aichi D3A "Val" dive bombers: 18 from Shokaku, 9 from Zuikaku[6]

Nagumo carrier group 2nd wave (found no targets)

9 Mitsubishi A6M "Zeke" fighters: 3 from Shokaku, 6 from Zuikaku
27 Aichi D3A "Val" dive bombers: 9 from Shokaku, 18 from Zuikaku[6]

Ryūjō Attack on Henderson Field

6 Nakajima B5N "Kate" torpedo bombers: all from Ryūjō
14 Mitsubishi A6M "Zeke" fighters: all from Ryūjō[7]

B-17 strike on Nagumo carrier group

TBD

Saratoga strike on Ryūjō

TBD

B-17 strike on Ryūjō

TBD

Notes

  1. ↑ Each ship also carried 3 scout planes.
  2. ↑ Each ship also carried 2 scout planes.
  3. ↑ Ship also carried 3 scout planes.
  4. ↑ Each ship also carried 2 scout planes.
  5. ↑ Each ship also carried 3 scout planes.
  6. ↑ Ship also carried 6 scout planes.
  7. ↑ Ship also carried 6 scout planes.
  8. ↑ Departed Truk 16 August[2]
  9. ↑ Departed Shortlands 23 August.[3]
  10. ↑ Each ship also carried 2 scout planes.
  11. ↑ Ship also carried 2 scout planes.
  12. 1 2 These cruisers were intended as destroyer leaders when designed. After the first two to be used in this role, Atlanta and Juneau, were lost at the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, this mission was abandoned and the anti-aircraft mission adopted.[lower-alpha 14]
  13. ↑ Killed three months later at the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal.
  14. Stille 2016, p. 7.

References

  1. ↑ Morison 1948, pp. 84–85.
  2. ↑ "Japanese Auxiliary Cruisers".
  3. ↑ "Imperial Cruisers".
  4. ↑ "Imperial Cruisers".
  5. ↑ Morison 1948, pp. 86–87.
  6. 1 2 "Imperial Flattops".
  7. ↑ "Kido Butai". Combinedfleet.com. Retrieved June 4, 2023.

Bibliography

  • Lundstrom, John B. (2005). First Team and the Guadalcanal Campaign: Naval Fighter Combat from August to November 1942 (New ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-472-8.
  • Morison, Samuel Eliot (1948). The Struggle for Guadalcanal, August 1942 – February 1943. History of United States Naval Operations in World War II. Vol. V. Boston: Little, Brown and Co. ISBN 0-7858-1306-3.
  • Stille, Mark (2016). US Navy Light Cruisers, 1941-45. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 978-1-4728-1140-0.
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