Eastern Solomons order of battle
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.
IJ Combined Fleet and US Pacific Fleet Commanders
Adm. Chester W. Nimitz (HQ at Pearl Harbor)
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
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
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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
Guadalcanal Supporting Forces
Vice Adm. Nobutake Kondo
Vice Adm. Chuichi Nagumo
Mitsubishi A6M "Zeke" fighter
Aichi D3A "Val" dive bomber
Nakajima B5N "Kate" torpedo bomber
Light carrier Ryūjō
Battleship Hiei
Vice Admiral Nobutake Kondo[1]
Advanced Force
Vice Admiral Nobutake Kondo
Main Body
- Cruiser Division 4
- 3 Takao-class heavy cruisers (10 x 8-inch main guns, 3 scout planes):
- Cruiser Division 5 (Vice Adm. Takeo Takagi)
- 2 Myoko-class heavy cruisers (10 x 8-inch main guns, 2 scout planes):
- Screen
- Destroyer Squadron 4 (Rear Admiral Tamotsu Takama):
- 1 Nagara-class light cruiser (7 x 5.5-inch main guns):
- 2 Asashio-class destroyers (6 x 5-inch main guns):
- 3 Kagero-class destroyers (6 x 5-inch main guns):
- Destroyer Squadron 4 (Rear Admiral Tamotsu Takama):
Support Group
- 1 Nagato-class battleship (8 x 16-inch main gun, 3 scout planes):
- 3 Shiratsuyu-class destroyers (5 x 5-inch main gun):
Striking Force
Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo
Carrier Group (Vice Admiral Nagumo)
- 2 Shōkaku-class fleet carriers (16 x 5-inch main guns):
- Shōkaku (Capt. Masafumi Arima, Nagumo's flagship):
- 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)
- Shōkaku (Capt. Masafumi Arima, Nagumo's flagship):
- Screen
- 6 destroyers:
- 1 Kagero-class (6 x 5-inch main guns): Akigumo
- 3 Yugumo-class (6 x 5-inch main guns): Yugumo, Makigumo, Kazegumo
- 2 Fubuki-class (6 x 5-inch main guns): Shikinami, Uranami
- 6 destroyers:
Vanguard Group (Rear Admiral Hiroaki Abe)
- 2 Kongo-class fast battleships (8 x 14-inch main guns, 2 scout planes):
- Cruiser Division 7 (Rear Admiral Shoji Nishimura)
- 3 heavy cruisers:
- 2 Mogami-class (10 x 8-inch main guns, 3 scout planes): Kumano, Suzuya
- 1 Tone-class (8 x 8-inch main guns, 6 scout planes): Chikuma
- 3 heavy cruisers:
- Destroyer Squadron 10 (Rear Admiral Susumu Kimura)
- 1 Nagara-class light cruiser (7 x 5.5-inch main guns): Nagara
- 6 destroyers:
- 1 Akizuki-class (8 x 4-inch main guns): Akizuki
- 5 Kagero-class (6 x 5-inch main guns): Hatsukaze, Maikaze, Nowaki, Tanikaze, Yukikaze
Diversionary Group (Rear Admiral Chūichi Hara)
- 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 x 8-inch main guns, 6 scout planes): Tone (Hara's flagship)
- 2 Kagero-class destroyers (6 x 5-inch main guns): 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) (departs Truk on 16 August[2])
- Transport Unit
- 1 auxiliary cruiser: Kinryu Maru
- Embarking 800 men of the 5th Yokosuka SNLF
- 4 patrol boats: #1, #2, #34, #35
- Embarking 700 men of the 2nd echelon of the IJA Ichiki Detachment
- 1 auxiliary cruiser: Kinryu Maru
- Escort Unit
- 1 Sendai-class light cruiser (7 x 5.5-inch main guns, 1 scout plane): Jintsu
- 8 destroyers:
- 2 Kagero-class (6 x 5-inch main guns): Kagero, Isokaze
- 3 Shiratsuyu-class (5 x 5-inch main gins): Kawakaze, Suzukaze, Umikaze
- 3 Mutsuki-class (4 x 4.7-inch main guns): Mutsuki (sunk), Yayoi, Uzuki
Covering Group (Vice Admiral Mikawa) (departs Shortlands on 23 August[3])
- Takao-class heavy cruiser Chōkai[4]
- Cruiser Division 6 (Rear Adm. Aritomo Goto)
- 3 heavy cruisers:
- 2 Aoba-class (6 x 8-inch main guns, 2 scout planes): Aoba, Kinugasa
- 1 Furutaka-class (6 x 8-inch main guns, 2 scout planes): Furutaka
- 3 heavy cruisers:
Submarine Group
American order of battle
Task Force 61
Vice Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher
Rear Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid
Grumman F4F Wildcat fighter
Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bomber
Grumman TBF Avenger torpedo bomber
Vice Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher in Saratoga[5]
Task Force 11
Vice Admiral Fletcher
1 Lexington-class fleet carrier:
- Saratoga (Capt. DeWitt C. Ramsey)
- Saratoga Air Group (Cmdr. Harry D. Felt)
- 27 F4F Wildcat fighters (VF-5 – Lt. Cmdr. Leroy C. Simpler)
- 17 SBD Dauntless dive bombers (VB-3 – Lt. Cmdr. Dewitt W. Shumway)
- 15 SBD Dauntless scout bombers (VS-3 – Lt. Cmdr. Louis J. Kirn)
- 13 TBF Avenger torpedo bombers (VT-8 – Lt. Harold H. Larsen)
- 12x 5-inch/25 guns
- Saratoga Air Group (Cmdr. Harry D. Felt)
Cruisers (Rear Admiral Carleton H. Wright):
- 2 New Orleans-class heavy cruisers
- Minneapolis (Capt. Frank J. Lowry)
- New Orleans (Capt. Walter S. DeLany)
- 16x 5-inch/25 guns
Screen (Capt. Samuel B. Brewer):
- 5 destroyers
- 1 Porter-class: Phelps
- [8x 5-inch/38 SP/low elevation guns]
- 4 Farragut-class: Farragut, MacDonough, Worden, Dale
- 16x 5-inch/38 guns
- 1 Porter-class: Phelps
Task Force 16
Rear Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid in Enterprise
1 Yorktown-class fleet carrier:
- Enterprise (Capt. Arthur C. Davis)
- Enterprise Air Group (Lt. Cmdr. Maxwell F. Leslie)
- 29 F4F Wildcat fighters (VF-6 – Lt. Louis H. Bauer)
- 17 SBD Dauntless dive bombers (VB-6 – Lt. Ray Davis)
- 18 SBD Dauntless scout bombers (VS-5 – Lt. Turner F. Caldwell)
- 15 TBF Avenger torpedo bombers (VT-8 – Lt. Cmdr. Charles M. Jett)
- 8x 5-inch/38 guns
- Enterprise Air Group (Lt. Cmdr. Maxwell F. Leslie)
Battleship and Cruisers (Rear Admiral Mahlon S. Tisdale):
- 1 North Carolina-class fast battleship: North Carolina (Capt. George H. Fort)
- 1 Portland-class heavy cruiser: Portland (Capt. Laurance T. DuBose)
- 1 Atlanta-class anti-aircraft light cruiser:[lower-alpha 1] Atlanta (Capt. Samuel P. Jenkins)
- 36x 5-inch/38 guns (Mk 37 GFCS)
- 8x 5-inch/25 guns
Screen (Capt. Edward P. Sauer):
- 6 destroyers
- 1 Porter-class: Balch
- [8x 5-inch/38 SP/low elevation guns]
- 2 Gleaves-class: Grayson, Monssen
- 1 Gridley-class: Maury
- 2 Benham-class: Benham, Ellet
- 10x 5-inch/38 guns (Mk37 GFCS)
- 12x 5-inch/38 guns
- 1 Porter-class: Balch
Task Force 18
Rear Admiral Leigh Noyes in Wasp
1 Wasp-class fleet carrier:
- Wasp (Capt. Forrest P. Sherman)
- Wasp Air Group (Lt. Cmdr. Wallace M. Beakley)
- 28 F4F Wildcat fighters (VF-71 – Lt. Cmdr. Courtney Shands)
- 18 SBD Dauntless scout bombers (VS-71 – Lt. Cmdr. John Eldridge)
- 18 SBD Dauntless scout bombers (VS-72 – Lt. Cmdr. Ernest M. Snowden)
- 15 TBF Avenger torpedo bombers (VT-7 – Lt Henry A. Romberg)
- Wasp Air Group (Lt. Cmdr. Wallace M. Beakley)
Cruisers (Rear Admiral Norman Scott):
- 2 heavy cruisers:
- 1 Pensacola-class: Salt Lake City (Capt. Charles H. McMorris)
- 1 New Orleans-class: San Francisco (Capt. Ernest G. Small)
- 1 Atlanta-class anti-aircraft light cruiser:[lower-alpha 1] San Juan (Capt. James E. Maher)
Screen (Captain Robert G. Tobin):
- 7 destroyers
- 1 Porter-class (8 x 5-in. main battery): Selfridge
- 2 Gleaves-class (5 x 5-in. main battery): Aaron Ward, Buchanan
- 3 Benham-class (4 x 5-in. main battery): Lang, Stack, Sterett
- 1 Benson-class (4 x 5-in. main battery): Farenholt
Individual attack waves
Attack on Enterprise (Nagumo carrier group 1st wave)
- 10 Mitsubishi A6M "Zeke" fighters
- Shokaku: 4
- Zuikaku: 6
- 27 Aichi D3A "Val" dive bombers
- Shokaku: 18
- Zuikaku: 9[6]
Nagumo carrier group 2nd wave (found no targets)
- 9 Mitsubishi A6M "Zeke" fighters
- Shokaku: 3
- Zuikaku: 6
- 27 Aichi D3A "Val" dive bombers
- Shokaku: 9
- Zuikaku: 18[7]
Ryūjō Attack on Henderson Field
- 6 Nakajima B5N "Kate" torpedo bombers (Ryūjō)
- 14 Mitsubishi A6M "Zeke" fighters (Ryūjō)[8]
B-17 strike on Nagumo carrier group
TBD
Saratoga strike on Ryūjō
TBD
B-17 strike on Ryūjō
TBD
Notes
- 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 2]
- Stille 2016, p. 7.
References
Bibliography
- 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.
- 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.
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