Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands

Part of the Pacific Theater of World War II

Anti-aircraft shell bursts, fired at attacking Japanese aircraft, fill the sky above USS Enterprise (center left) and her screening ships during the battle on October 26, 1942.

Date	25–27 October 1942
Location	Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Islands
Result	Japanese tactical victory American strategic victory

Belligerents

United States

Japan

Commanders and leaders

William Halsey, Jr.
Thomas C. Kinkaid

Nobutake Kondō
Chūichi Nagumo

Strength

2 carriers,
1 battleship,
6 cruisers,
14 destroyers,
136 aircraft

3 fleet carriers,
1 light carrier,
4 battleships,
10 cruisers,
22 destroyers,
199 aircraft

Casualties and losses

1 carrier sunk,
1 destroyer sunk,
1 carrier heavily damaged,
2 destroyers heavily damaged,
81 aircraft destroyed,
266 dead

1 carrier heavily damaged,
1 light carrier heavily damaged,
1 cruiser heavily damaged,
99 aircraft destroyed
400–500 dead

The Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, fought during 25–27 October 1942, sometimes referred to as the Battle of Santa Cruz or in Japanese sources as the Battle of the South Pacific (南太平洋海戦^?), was the fourth carrier battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II and the fourth major naval engagement fought between the United States Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy during the lengthy and strategically important Guadalcanal campaign. In similar fashion to the battles of Coral Sea, Midway, and the Eastern Solomons, the ships of the two adversaries were rarely in direct visual range of each other. Instead, almost all attacks by both sides were mounted by carrier or land-based aircraft.

In an attempt to drive Allied forces from Guadalcanal and nearby islands and end the stalemate that had existed since September 1942, the Imperial Japanese Army planned a major ground offensive on Guadalcanal for 20–25 October 1942. In support of this offensive, and with the hope of engaging Allied naval forces, Japanese carriers and other large warships moved into a position near the southern Solomon Islands. From this location, the Japanese naval forces hoped to engage and decisively defeat any Allied (primarily U.S.) naval forces, especially carrier forces, that responded to the ground offensive. Allied naval forces also hoped to meet the Japanese naval forces in battle, with the same objectives of breaking the stalemate and decisively defeating their adversary.

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