battle of savo island

Troops began to invade several of the Solomon Islands on August 7th, one of which was Guadalcanal. RAdm. Quincy, seen here burning and illuminated by Japanese searchlights, was sunk in this action (NH 50346). Astoria came into action but was hit hard by fire from Chokai which disabled its engines. It was Mikawa's plan to move along the east coast of Bougainville before advancing down "The Slot" to Guadalcanal. USS Quincy (CA-39) photographed from a Japanese cruiser during the Battle of Savo Island, off Guadalcanal, 9 August 1942. 4 No. 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. Battle of Savo Island, 9 August 1942. Situated at the eastern end of the island chain, Guadalcanal had been occupied by a small Japanese force that was constructing an airfield. From the island, the Japanese would be able to threaten Allied supply lines to Australia. 35 Morison, 28-31. Savo Island. As he lacked air cover, it was necessary for him to clear the area before daylight. Spotting the Japanese Fleet. https://www.thoughtco.com/battle-of-savo-island-2361426 (accessed April 16, 2021). The Japanese task force, consisting of seven cruisers and one destroyer sailed from Rabaul, New Britain, and Kavieng, New Ireland, down New Georgia Sound (also known as "the Slot"). The Japanese only suffered light damage. Opening Salvos: The Battle of Savo Island, August 9th, 1942 Prologue, Battle, Epilogue. 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At 1:44, the Japanese began launching torpedoes at the American cruisers and six minutes later illuminated them with searchlights. Japanese cruiser Tenryu before the war. 221. Amid rain, lightning, and … News of the American landings on Guadalcanal and Tulagi came as a surprise to the Japanese. Marine Corps combat veterans relive the dangerous and deadly work in some of the war’s toughest fighting. Japanese cruiser Yubari before the war. Around 1:35 AM on August 9, Mikawa spotted the ships of the southern force silhouetted by the fires from the burning. If the American naval forces and in particular the carriers could be destroyed, then Guadalcanal would fall. Unable to remain in the area without cover, Turner decided to continue unloading supplies at Guadalcanal through the night before withdrawing on August 9. On August 7 1942, the invasion started, with American marines storming ashore on Guadalcanal, Tulagi, Gavutu, The Japane… On 7 August 1942, the US Marine 1st Division landed on the Japanese held islands of Guadalcanal and Tulagi in the Solomons. The Battle of Savo was right at the beginning of the campaign. sorry for the audio.I do not own the rights to the songs or images. In return Astoria was soon reduced to the same blazing shambles as the others and she sank at 1215 close by Savo Island … He has appeared on The History Channel as a featured expert. Before departing for the meeting with Turner, Crutchley deployed his force to cover the channels north and south of Savo Island. Our heroes return next Friday, to deliver a hefty payload of knowledge surrounding the 1942 battle of Savo Island. Allied dead totaled 1,023; 709 personnel were wounded. Proceeding southeast, he was soon joined by Rear Admiral Aritomo Goto's Cruiser Division 6 which consisted of the heavy cruisers Aoba, Furutaka, Kako, and Kinugasa. Japanese 8th Fleet Headquarters, responsible for the defense of the Solomons, the Coral Sea, and the Rabaul area, prepared for operations against the American invaders. On the evening of August 8, Turner called a meeting with Crutchley and Marine Major General Alexander A. Vandegrift to discuss the withdrawal. 221. Carl Gnam. Sep 30, 2017 - The Japanese Navy were well trained to fight in Night battles at sea and they caught the allied ships By surprise and raked Havoc on there Destroyers, cruisers and sinking 4 allied ships and killing more than a thousand sailors. Category:Battle of Savo Island. Conflict & Dates: The Battle of Savo Island was fought August 8-9, 1942, during World War II (1939-1945). Phase 1A consisted of shooting at what at first appeared to be shore batteries on Savo Island but later identified as surface craft. Mikio Hayakawa. Vincennes was hesitant to enter the fight for fear of friendly fire. A force of Japanese cruisers and destroyers engaged the Allied fleet in a furious night battle that came to be called the Battle of Savo Island. Aoba (flagship) News of the American landings on Guadalcanal and Tulagi came as a surprise to the Japanese. The Allied forces wanted these islands for support and supply reasons. The southern approach was guarded by the heavy cruisers USS Chicago and HMAS Canberra along with the destroyers USS Bagley and USS Patterson. Moving through the southern passage, Mikawa turned north to engage the other Allied ships. The landings were meant to deny their use to the Japanese as bases, especially the nearly completed airfield at Henderson Field that was being constructed on Guadalcanal. 1441 (Animated Map) - WARNING: lower the volume if you are using headphones. In addition, Chicago and three destroyers were damaged. As he moved southeast, Mikawa launched floatplanes which provided him with a fairly accurate picture of the Allied dispositions. The result was a disaster for the Allies. RAdm. Montemayor Published at : 31 Dec 2020 . DISASTER AT SAVO ISLAND, 1942 The Battle of Savo Island. Hickman, Kennedy. These were largely defeated by Fletcher's carrier aircraft, though they did set afire the transport. VAdm. The Allied contingent, eight cruisers and fifteen destroyers, paid dearly. Later in the morning, they were located by Australian scout aircraft which radioed sighting reports. Hickman, Kennedy. Japanese painting of the battle. . Responsibility for responding to the invasion fell to Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa who led the newly-formed Eighth Fleet based at Rabaul. By using ThoughtCo, you accept our. 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. At 2:16, Mikawa met with his staff about pressing the battle to attack the Guadalcanal anchorage. World War II. by Warfare History Network. Subscribe to Montemayor. Japanese cruiser Chokai before the war. The USS Chicago was heavily damaged. The latter ship attempted to attack, but quickly came under heavy fire and was put out of action, listing and on fire. In doing so, Tenryu, Yubari, and Furutaka took a more westerly course than the rest of the fleet. (U.S. 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. The panel consists of Dr Greg Gilbert, Vice Admiral Peter Jones & Dr Kathryn Spurling. Initially both groups opened fire on these targets. World War II. 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 first night, after the landings on Guadalcanal, a small Japanese naval force of seven cruisers and a destroyer surprised a larger American force and decisively defeated them at the Battle of Savo Island. In leaving for the meeting, Crutchley departed the screening force aboard the heavy cruiser HMAS Australia without informing his command of his absence. On August 7, 1942, Allied forces (primarily U.S. Marines) landed on Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and Florida Island in the eastern Solomon Islands. The Battle of Savo Island, a crushing World War II naval defeat for the Allies, ended on August 9, 1942. The lookouts in the Japanese masts had already found and fixed a number of ships and fed the data to their fire control stations. This is an extract from his web site, reproduced with his kind permission. Aritomo Goto. 86 relations. 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? The Allied surface forces were caught unaware and routed, losing one Australian and three American cruisers. 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. Battle of Savo Island: | | | | | | Battle of Savo Isla... World Heritage Encyclopedia, the aggregation of the largest online encyclopedias available, and the most definitive collection ever assembled. 9-10 August 1942 Contributed by Richard Worth. The USS Quincy is illuminated by Japanese searchlights during the Battle of Savo Island on August 9, 1942. In view of the fact that Group I appeared to be shooting "over," Mounts 1 and 3 were … First Battle of Savo Island. … Aoba (flagship) It provides a first-hand account of the battle, together with some useful background material. As a result, the Allied northern force was soon bracketed by the enemy. Departing, his ships inflicted damage on Ralph Talbot as they moved northwest. Chokai (force flagship) Commanding officer: Capt. The Battle of Savo Island was fought on the evening and early morning hours of August 8/9, 1942, resulting in one of the worse defeats ever inflicted upon the U.S. Navy in its entire history, second only to Pearl Harbor and first in strictly ship-versus-ship battles. The Battle of Savo Island took place during August 8-9, 1942, between the Imperial Japanese Navy and Allied naval forces, as part of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Five minutes later, Patterson was the first Allied ship to spot the enemy and immediately went into action. At 1:47, as Captain Howard Bode was attempting to get Chicago into the fight, the ship was hit in the bow by a torpedo. ), was a naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II, between the Imperial Japanese Navy and Allied naval forces. From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository. It was the first surface encounter for a coordinated American force in nearly half a century and a very bad start. The battle of Savo Island (9 August 1942) was a crushing Japanese victory in the waters just off Guadalcanal that saw them sink four Allied cruisers and helped to isolate the US Marines fighting on Guadalcanal.. Mackenzie Gregory was the officer-of-the-watch on Canberra, 9th August 1942, when the Battle of Savo Island commenced. When it did, it quickly took two torpedo hits and became the focus of Japanese fire. As an early warning force, the radar-equipped destroyers USS Ralph Talbot and USS Blue were positioned to the west of Savo. Jump to navigation Jump to search. The battle has come to be identified as the worst defeat in a single fleet action suffered by the United States Navy. Taking over 70 hits and a third torpedo, Vincennes sank at 2:50. First Battle of Savo Island. Narrative: 9 Squadron, RAAF, Supermarine Walrus P5715, shipborne on the Royal Australian Navy cruiser HMAS Canberra, was lost with the ship when it was sunk at 08.00 hrs. Despite the severity of the defeat, the Allied ships did succeed in preventing Mikawa from striking the transports in the anchorage. First Battle of Savo Island. Eighth Fleet Headquarters at Rabaul failed to act decisively believing that the Marines would quickly withdraw after destroying the airfield. The Battle of Savo Island, a crushing World War II naval defeat for the Allies, ended on August 9, 1942. The Japanese Response. The northern channel was protected by the heavy cruisers USS Vincennes, USS Quincy, and USS Astoria along with the destroyers USS Helm and USS Wilson steaming in a square patrol pattern. 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. As their ships were scattered and low on ammunition, it was decided to withdraw back to Rabaul. ThoughtCo. Drifting to a halt, the cruiser was soon on fire but managed to inflict moderate damage on Chokai. The battle of Savo Island (9 August 1942) was a crushing Japanese victory in the waters just off Guadalcanal that saw them sink four Allied cruisers and helped to isolate the US Marines fighting on Guadalcanal.. First Battle of Savo Island: The U.S. Navy’s Worst Defeat “Wish Your Fleet Success”. 8th Fleet. Moving through the St. George Channel, Mikawa's ships were spotted by the submarine USS S-38. These failed to reach the Allied fleet until evening and even then were inaccurate as they reported the enemy formation included seaplane tenders. So the Allies attacked the islands. (Animated Map) - WARNING: lower the volume if you are using headphones. Rather than assert control, Bode steamed west for forty minutes and left the fight. Included in his command was a screening force of eight cruisers, fifteen destroyers, and five minesweepers led by British Rear Admiral Victor Crutchley. The formerly classified combat narrative was originally published by the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) in January 1943; an HTML reproduction of the text is available in the Online Reading Room. 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. The news of the landing on Tulagi and on Guadalcanal threw Rabaul into a frenzy of activity. 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? Cape Esperance (9°15′… Battle of Savo Island – 8-9 August 1942 The Battle of Savo Island – Vol. Cruiser Division 6. 40478 . Battle of Savo Island 1942: America's Worst Naval Defeat. Moving to the offensive after the victory at Midway in June 1942, Allied forces targeted Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. Richard W. Bates and Walter D. Innis, Battle of Savo Island (Naval War College, Newport RI, 1951), 36-39. Chokai (force flagship) Commanding officer: Capt. Defeat in the Battle of Savo Island was a stunning blow to Allied naval forces off Guadalcanal. 9 August 1942. Gunichi Mikawa. Japanese losses were a light 58 killed with three heavy cruisers damaged. Background. This was mainly due to the ignorance, incompedentnes, and unpreparedness of the allies. Japanese Forces. Mikio Hayakawa. In addition, he believed that the American carriers were still in the area. Closing in a single file line, his ships successfully passed between Blue and Ralph Talbot whose radars were hampered by the nearby landmasses. VAdm. First Battle of Savo Island. battle of the campaign, the Battle of Savo Island, was a stunning defeat for the allies. After two days of constant action, the tired crews of the Allied ships were at Condition II which meant that half were on duty while half rested. sorry for the audio. Share this & earn $10. 4 No. Aritomo Goto. "World War II: Battle of Savo Island." Kennedy Hickman is a historian, museum director, and curator who specializes in military and naval history. "World War II: Battle of Savo Island." Battle of Savo Island Combat Narrative, 75th Anniversary Edition (click image to download PDF, 1.6 MB), Colloquium on Contemporary History 1989-1998, DANFS - Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Needs and Opportunities in the Modern History of the U.S. Navy, Permitting Policy and Resource Management, "Ex Scientia Tridens": The U.S. Though one of its salvos hit Chokai, nearly killing Mikawa, the cruiser was soon on fire from Japanese shells and three torpedo hits. 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 first of a series of naval battles around Guadalcanal, the defeat at Savo Island saw the Allies lose four heavy cruisers and suffer 1,077 killed. 8th Fleet. 9-10 August 1942 Contributed by Richard Worth. As a result, Allied forces under the direction of Vice Admiral Frank J. Fletcher arrived in the area and troops began landing on Guadalcanal, Tulagi, Gavutu, and Tanambogo on August 7. Quincy was slower to enter the fray and was soon caught in a crossfire between the two Japanese columns. Defeat in the Battle of Savo Island was a stunning blow to Allied naval forces off Guadalcanal. Gunichi Mikawa. Japanese Forces. Read the combat narrative (PDF, 1.6 MB), republished in 2017 by NHHC with a new introduction in observance of the 75th anniversary of the battle. World War II: Battle of Savo Island. The last ship of the line, Astoria, managed to fire eleven salvos, one of which scored a hit in Chokai's operations room, but did not harm her fighting efficiency. ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. 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. With the second attack completed, the Japanese planned to continue through the channel north of Savo and then steam back up the Slot toward Rabaul. The Allies wanted control over the island because of the advantage the Japanese would have with it if they manage to complete the airfield, they would be able to directly attack the supply lines to Australia. Hickman, Kennedy. Of those involved, only Bode was severely criticized. Navy Department Office of Naval Intelligence. 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. No comments. Drop us your questions and join the debate! World War II: Battle of Savo Island Fleets & Commanders. The US Navy later commissioned the Hepburn Investigation to look into the defeat. In addition, several of the cruiser captains were also asleep. The Japanese reacted quickly, and just before 2:00 am on August 9 they struck hard at the Allied naval force supporting the operation. The Battle of Savo Island, also known as the First Battle of Savo Island and, in Japanese sources, as the, 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. As it did so, both Chicago and Canberra were illuminated by aerial flares. Though firing had been observed to the south, the northern ships were unsure of the situation and were slow to go to general quarters. The Battle of Savo island took place on August 8-9, 1942 and was the first major naval battle of the Guadalcanal campaign by the Allies. The Battle of Savo Island – Vol. Naval History and Heritage Command) The Japanese attack began at 1:42 a.m. Phase 1A consisted of shooting at what at first appeared to be shore batteries on Savo Island but later identified as surface craft. 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. The ships that sank were The: USS Astoria, USS Quincy, USS Vincennes, HMAS Canberra. 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