Battle of the Eastern Solomons

Part of the Pacific Theater of World War II

USS Enterprise (center left), maneuvering radically under aerial attack and afire on 24 August 1942. Anti-aircraft shell bursts directed at the attacking Japanese dive bombers are visible above the carrier.

Date	24–25 August 1942
Location	North of Santa Isabel, Solomon Islands
Result	Allied victory

Belligerents

United States

Japan

Commanders and leaders

Frank Jack Fletcher

Chūichi Nagumo

Strength

2 fleet carriers,
1 battleship,
4 cruisers,
11 destroyers,
176 aircraft

2 fleet carriers,
1 light carrier,
2 battleships,
16 cruisers,
25 destroyers,
1 seaplane tender,
4 patrol boats,
3 transports,
171–177 aircraft

Casualties and losses

1 carrier heavily damaged,
20 aircraft destroyed,
90 killed

1 light carrier,
1 destroyer,
1 transport sunk,
1 light cruiser,
1 seaplane tender heavily damaged,
75 aircraft destroyed,
290+ killed

The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons (also known as the Battle of the Stewart Islands and, in Japanese sources, as the Second Battle of the Solomon Sea (第二次ソロモン海戦^?)) took place on 24–25 August 1942, and was the third carrier battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II and the second major engagement fought between the United States Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Guadalcanal Campaign. As at the Battle of the Coral Sea and the Battle of Midway, the ships of the two adversaries were never within sight of each other. Instead, all attacks were carried out by carrier-based or land-based aircraft.

After several damaging air attacks, the naval surface combatants from both America and Japan withdrew from the battle area without either side securing a clear victory. However, the U.S. and its allies gained tactical and strategic advantage. Japan's losses were greater and included dozens of aircraft and their experienced aircrews. Also, Japanese reinforcements intended for Guadalcanal were delayed and eventually delivered by warships rather than transport ships, giving the Allies more time to prepare for the Japanese counteroffensive and preventing the Japanese from landing heavy artillery, ammunition, and other supplies.

On 7 August 1942, Allied forces (primarily U.S. Marine Corps units) landed on Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and the Florida Islands in the Solomon Islands. The landings on the islands were meant to deny their use by the Japanese as bases to threaten supply routes between the U.S. and Australia, and secure the islands as launching points for a campaign with an eventual goal of isolating the major Japanese base at Rabaul while also supporting the Allied New Guinea campaign. The landings initiated the six-month-long Guadalcanal campaign.

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Wikipedia