Naval Academy, The Sullivan Brothers and the Assignment of Family Members, The African American Experience in the U.S. Navy, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. Navy, Contributions of American Indians to the U.S. Navy, Naval Service of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Personnel, The World Cruise of the Great White Fleet, Navy Underwater Archaeology Return Program, Annual Navy History and Heritage Awards - Main, Research Permits for Sunken & Terrestrial Military Craft, Scanning, Copyright & Citation Information, Obtain Duplications of Records and Photos, Extraordinary Heroism and Conspicuous Courage, Imagery: Initial Operations, August–September 1942, Operation Torch: Invasion of North Africa, African Americans in General Service, 1942, Vignette: Lieutenant Commander Joseph W. Callahan and. Though spotting the northern force, Mikawa commenced attacking the southern force with torpedoes around 1:38. The Battle of Savo Island, a crushing World War II naval defeat for the Allies, ended on August 9, 1942. While Fletcher's carrier task force covered the landings, the amphibious force was directed by Rear Admiral Richmond K. Turner. First Battle of Savo Island. 12 January 2019. … 3 Comments. Troops began to invade several of the Solomon Islands on August 7th, one of which was Guadalcanal. Moving through the St. George Channel, Mikawa's ships were spotted by the submarine USS S-38. On August 7 1942, the invasion started, with American marines storming ashore on Guadalcanal, Tulagi, Gavutu, From the island, the Japanese would be able to threaten Allied supply lines to Australia. In return Astoria was soon reduced to the same blazing shambles as the others and she sank at 1215 close by Savo Island … With this information, he informed his captains that they would approach south of Savo Island, attack, and then withdraw to the north of the island. Three months of bitter air-ground-sea action in the Solomon Islands had resulted in a stalemate. The Battle of Savo Island occurred early in the morning on 9 August 1942 when the the Japanese 8 th Fleet surprised the Allied Task Force shortly after the landing at Guadalcanal. Yamamoto was now taking the offensive, and his battleships and destroyer… As their ships were scattered and low on ammunition, it was decided to withdraw back to Rabaul. Japanese painting of the battle. Initially both groups opened fire on these targets. The Japanese planned to approach Savo Island under the cover of darkness, pass south of Savo, initiate their attack against the Allied Southern Force, then turn to the northwest in order to engage the Northern Force. (Animated Map) - WARNING: lower the volume if you are using headphones. Aritomo Goto. Commander Greg Swinden and his expert panel discuss the brutal Battle of Savo Island in which HMAS Canberra and three US heavy cruisers were sunk. 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. The Battle of Savo Island – Vol. The Allied surface forces were caught unaware and routed, losing one Australian and three American cruisers. The Battle of Savo was right at the beginning of the campaign. Having sustained losses in these engagements and concerned about fuel levels, Fletcher informed Turner that he would be leaving the area late on August 8 to resupply. ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. by Warfare History Network Amid rain, lightning, and … World War II: Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, World War II: Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, World War II: Battle of the Eastern Solomons, World War II and the Battle of the Java Sea, World War II Pacific: The Japanese Advance Stopped, World War II: Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher, M.S., Information and Library Science, Drexel University, B.A., History and Political Science, Pennsylvania State University, 6 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers, 15 destroyers, 5 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers, 1 destroyer. So the Allies attacked the islands. In leaving for the meeting, Crutchley departed the screening force aboard the heavy cruiser HMAS Australia without informing his command of his absence. If the Japanese commander, Vice Admiral Mikawa Gunichi, had also elected to destroy the Allied transports before returning to his task force’s bases, the campaign of Guadalcanal—and possibly the next phase of the Pacific War—might have evolved differently. The Japanese only suffered light damage. Ohmae’s recollections of the fight appeared in his article “The Battle of Savo Island” in the December 1957 issue of Naval History’s sister publication, Proceedings. Category:Battle of Savo Island. As he moved southeast, Mikawa launched floatplanes which provided him with a fairly accurate picture of the Allied dispositions. Five minutes later, Patterson was the first Allied ship to spot the enemy and immediately went into action. Flying his flag from the heavy cruiser Chokai, he departed with the light cruisers Tenryu and Yubari, as well as a destroyer with the goal of attacking the Allied transports on the night of August 8/9. The Japanese Response. 8th Fleet. Hickman, Kennedy. Moving to the offensive after the victory at Midway in June 1942, Allied forces targeted Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. In addition, he believed that the American carriers were still in the area. Japanese cruiser Chokai before the war. The Allied forces wanted these islands for support and supply reasons. Chokai (force flagship) Commanding officer: Capt. This product is not licensed, endorsed, and/or affiliated with any branch of Federal, State, and/or sovereign government, or any military branch or service thereof, throughout the world. Responsibility for responding to the invasion fell to … In doing so, Tenryu, Yubari, and Furutaka took a more westerly course than the rest of the fleet. The Japane… First Battle of Savo Island. Savo Island. Our heroes return next Friday, to deliver a hefty payload of knowledge surrounding the 1942 battle of Savo Island. Situated at the eastern end of the island chain, Guadalcanal had been occupied by a small Japanese force that was constructing an airfield. The Battle of Savo Island was naval action fought in the early hours of 9 August 1942 in which the Japanese surprised US and Australian warships sinking four allied cruisers including HMAS Canberra. Drifting to a halt, the cruiser was soon on fire but managed to inflict moderate damage on Chokai. The final naval battle, the Battle of Rennell Island (Japanese: レンネル島沖海戦), took place months later on January 29–30, 1943 by which time the Japanese were preparing to withdraw and evacuate their remaining land forces. Battle of Savo Island, 9 August 1942. . In addition, Chicago and three destroyers were damaged. 221. The Imperial Japanese Navy, in response to Allied amphibious landings in the eastern Solomon Islands, undertook a night surface attack on the ships screening the Allied landing force. 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