Battle of Savo Island

Part of the Pacific Theater of World War II

USS Quincy, caught in the searchlights from attacking Japanese cruisers, on fire and sinking as a result of numerous gunfire and torpedo hits. The flames at the far left of the picture are probably from USS Vincennes, also on fire from gunfire and torpedo damage.

Date	August 8–9, 1942
Location	Vicinity of Savo Island, Solomon Islands 9°8′0″S 159°49′0″E / 9.13333°S 159.81667°E / -9.13333; 159.81667 (Savo Island)Coordinates: 9°8′0″S 159°49′0″E / 9.13333°S 159.81667°E / -9.13333; 159.81667 (Savo Island)
Result	Tactical Japanese victory

Belligerents

United States

Australia

Japan

Commanders and leaders

Richmond K. Turner (USN)

Victor Crutchley (RN)

Gunichi Mikawa (IJN)

Strength

6 heavy cruisers,
2 light cruisers,
15 destroyers

5 heavy cruisers,
2 light cruisers,
1 destroyer

Casualties and losses

3 heavy cruisers sunk,
1 heavy cruiser heavily damaged (later scuttled),
2 destroyers damaged,
1,077 killed

3 cruisers lightly damaged,
129 killed

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, Dai-ichi-ji Soromon Kaisen^?), and colloquially among Allied Guadalcanal veterans as The Battle of the Five Sitting Ducks, was a naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II between the Imperial Japanese Navy and Allied naval forces. The battle took place on August 8–9, 1942 and was the first major naval engagement of the Guadalcanal campaign, and the first of several naval battles in the straits later named Ironbottom Sound, near the island of Guadalcanal.

The Imperial Japanese Navy, in response to Allied amphibious landings in the eastern Solomon Islands, mobilized a task force of seven cruisers and one destroyer under the command of Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa. The task forces sailed from Japanese bases in New Britain and New Ireland down New Georgia Sound (also known as "the Slot"), with the intention of interrupting the Allied landings by attacking the supporting amphibious fleet and its screening force. The Allied screen consisted of eight cruisers and fifteen destroyers under British Rear Admiral Victor Crutchley VC, but only five cruisers and seven destroyers were involved in the battle. In a night action, Mikawa thoroughly surprised and routed the Allied force, sinking one Australian and three American cruisers, while suffering only light damage in return. The battle has often been cited as the worst defeat in a fair fight in the history of the United States Navy.

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