Battle of Cape Esperance

Battle of Cape Esperance
Part of the Pacific Theater of World War II
The heavily damaged Japanese cruiser Aoba disembarks dead and wounded crew members near Buin, Bougainville and the Shortland Islands a few hours after the battle on October 12, 1942
Date 11–12 October 1942 Location Near Cape Esperance and Savo Island, Guadalcanal Result United States victory
Belligerents
United States	Japan
Commanders and leaders
Norman Scott	Aritomo Gotō †, Takatsugu Jojima
Strength
4 cruisers 5 destroyers	3 cruisers 2 destroyers, reinforcement convoy (indirectly involved): 6 destroyers, 2 seaplane tenders
Casualties and losses
1 destroyer sunk 1 cruiser damaged 1 destroyer damaged 163 killed	1 cruiser sunk 1 destroyer sunk 1 cruiser damaged 341–454 killed 111 captured

The Battle of Cape Esperance, also known as the Second Battle of Savo Island and, in Japanese sources, as the Sea Battle of Savo Island (サボ島沖海戦^?), took place on 11–12 October 1942 in the Pacific campaign of World War II between the Imperial Japanese Navy and United States Navy. The naval battle was the second of four major surface engagements during the Guadalcanal campaign and took place at the entrance to the strait between Savo Island and Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. Cape Esperance (9°15′S 159°42′E / 9.250°S 159.700°E / -9.250; 159.700 (Cape Esperance)) is the northernmost point on Guadalcanal, and the battle took its name from this point.

On the night of 11 October, Japanese naval forces in the Solomon Islands area—under the command of Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa—sent a major supply and reinforcement convoy to their forces on Guadalcanal. The convoy consisted of two seaplane tenders and six destroyers and was commanded by Rear Admiral Takatsugu Jojima. At the same time, but in a separate operation, three heavy cruisers and two destroyers—under the command of Rear Admiral Aritomo Gotō—were to bombard the Allied airfield on Guadalcanal (called Henderson Field by the Allies) with the object of destroying Allied aircraft and the airfield's facilities.

...
Wikipedia