Naval Battle of Guadalcanal

June, 1942
Four Japanese carriers are sent to the bottom at the cost of one American at the Battle of Midway. The enemy onslaught has been blunted, but he still controls a vast Pacific Empire. Admiral King in Washington plans the first American offensive of the war to be on the peripheral of conquests, an obscure British possession called Guadalcanal.

August 7, 1942
A huge American task force, guarded by 3 aircraft carriers lands the 1st Marine Division on Guadalcanal. They achieve complete surprise and seize the incomplete Jap airfield, which they dub Henderson Field, after a Marine flyer killed at Midway.

Three days later, its the Japs turn to surprise the Americans. An enemy squadron of 7 cruisers defeats an American cruiser force in a night action off Savo Island. 4 allied ships are sunk with tremendous loss of life. For fear of air attack, however, the Japanese admiral leaves the vulnerable troop transports untouched. The Marines have landed.

Throughout the next few months the Americans will hold the island, but just barely. Faced with short supplies, horrible climate, and a defeatist commander in Admiral Ghormerly, it is a wonder that they beat back every enemy attack launched against them.

At first given second place by Tokyo to Macarthur in New Guinea, the enemy now begin to pour troops and supplies into the islands. They send their greatest hero, Admiral Yammamoto, architect of the Pearl Harbor attack, to teach the upstart Marines a lesson.

Admiral Nimitz, back at Pearl, is tired of Admiral Ghormerly’s lackluster performance so far in the campaign. He replaces him with a true fighting admiral, a legend in the Navy named William "Bull" Halsey.

November 12, 1942
Seven American transports begin unloading at Guadalcanal, laden with supplies for the besieged Marines. With them are a strong escorts of cruisers, destroyers, and the new battleships Washington and South Dakota. Absent is Halsey’s only available carrier, Enterprise, which is undergoing repairs.

The Japanese have plans to resupply their forces as well, and send a much larger force to see it done. Admiral Kondo is sent with 2 light carriers, 4 battleships, 11 cruisers, and dozens of destroyers. Leading the way are 11 transports packed with men and materiel.

The Americans, under Admiral Callaghan have two heavy cruisers and three light cruisers in the vicinity. Admiral Lee with the battleships are too far away to help. Callaghan wants to run for home but orders come for him to stay and fight.

The transports escape to sea and Callaghan is on his own. With him is Admiral Scott in Atlanta, hero of the earlier Battle of Cape Esperance.

The Americans deploy their force in a typical line of battle formation, which served Scott well at Cape Esperance, but Callaghan fails to take advantage of his most vital asset. He places ships without modern radar in the lead, limiting his ability to find the Japs.

With no moon out, the Americans are virtually blind. The Japanese however are adept at night-fighting, having trained extensively before the war.

November 13,1942
An enemy cruiser squadron, with two escorting battleships enter the "Slot", the channel off Guadalcanal, under Vice Admiral Abe. Their mission is to knock out Henderson Field and prepare the way for Admiral Kondo and his own transports.

The cruiser Helena first detects a blip on her radar. Admiral Callaghan orders his fleet to head for the enemy, though he is unsure of what lies ahead.

The Japs are unaware of the warships bearing down on them, but they are prepared nonetheless. The entire squadron is at battle stations in anticipation of the coming shore bombardment.

The Americans sight the enemy first, but for some reason delay firing for a crucial 8 minutes. They are literally in the middle of the Japs when the order comes to fire, but it is too late for Admiral Scott. Enemy searchlights pierce the darkness, adding to the American’s uncertainty. The bridge of Atlanta is brightly illuminated and all guns concentrate on her. Within seconds Scott is killed and his ship is dead in the water.

Confusion reigns, but even so the Americans are daring. Callaghan’s destroyers take on the Jap battleship Hiei with guns and torpedoes, in David and Goliath style. They manage to cripple her, but all the tin cans are sunk or damaged.

The second enemy battlewagon, Kirishima wrecks havoc with the American fleet. A 14 inch shell crashes into the flagship, San Francisco, killing Admiral Callaghan and the bridge crew.

One final disaster befalls the battered American cruisers. The Juneau with the 5 Sullivan brothers aboard takes a torpedo from a lurking submarine, eventually sinking. All 5 brothers are lost with her. A US warship, USS The Sullivans, would be named in their honor.

At the crucial moment, Admiral Abe orders his squadron to withdraw. Hiei would attempt to comply, only to lag behind.

Henderson airfield is spared, but at a loss of 2 American admirals, and 6 warships. The Japs suffer less, with 3 ships lost including a battleship. Admiral Abe misses a great opportunity as well.

Night of the Dreadnaughts

Abe’s failure in no way hinders Admiral Kondo’s determination to land Japanese men and supplies on Guadalcanal. He still possesses 3 battleships and 2 carriers to accomplish this goal.

To intercept Kondo, Halsey sends Admiral Kinkaid with the carrier Enterprise, the "Big E". The flattop is in fair condition after her stint at the dockyards, although her forward aircraft elevator is still inoperable.

Nevertheless scout planes are launched to find the Japanese.

The carrier planes soon come across the crippled battlewagon Hiei. Bombers are sent to sink her, including Army Air Force B-17’s. Stubbornly, the brave ship finally sinks.

Halsey is determined to conserve his last remaining carrier, and decides to send Admiral Lee’s battleships against Kondo, and to protect the US ships still afloat after last nights fighting.

That night, 2 Jap cruisers pound Henderson field, causing much damage, but hardly comparable to what Abe could have done were it not for Admiral Callaghan’s sacrifice.

November 14, 1942
Planes from Enterprise are launched early but fail to find Kondo and his troopships.

Marine scouts from Henderson do find them, and along with navy planes and Air Force bombers, they sink 7 transports. Kondo now possesses only 4 troopships, but he gathers what’s left and continues on to Guadalcanal.

With Enterprise now departing it is up to Admiral Lee to stop the enemy.

On the 14th, Lee is 100 miles off Guadalcanal with South Dakota and Washington, waiting for his chance. Lee is a tough commander who knows the value of radar, probably more than anyone in the navy.

The Admiral has suspicions of another Jap bombardment, and he is right! That evening Kirishima, along with 4 cruisers, returns to finish the Marines on Guadalcanal for good. Admiral Kondo schedules the bombardment to coincide with the arrival of his troopships.

The cruiser Sendai spots the Americans entering the "Slot". Kondo divides his forces and prepares to attack. 42 minutes later Washington spots Sendai and sends a hail of 16 inch lead toward her.. The Jap warship makes smoke and escapes.

If Kondo’s dispersal of ships was intended to confuse the Americans, it works. Worse yet, South Dakota’s radar breaks down. It is the beginning of the battlewagon’s troubles.

Admiral Lee bypasses Kondo’s cruiser/destroyer screen and goes after Kirishima. South Dakota follows, her radar now working, but an accidental fire causes her to lose her seaplanes.

Confusion still reigns. Unlucky South Dakota blunders off course and into Kondo’s entire squadron. The concentrated firepower of 3 heavy warships fall on her.

Help is on the way. Lee in Washington has been tracking the exchange and now trains his guns on the largest target: Kirishima!

Distracted by brightly illuminated South Dakota, Kondo has taken little notice of Lee, until he is bracketed by 9x16 inch shells, and 40x5 inch. Soon, the Jap battleship is a hopeless wreck and out of the fight.

Lee now turns on the Jap cruisers. Revealed by their own searchlights they are easily disposed of.

The battle over, crippled South Dakota limps away.

November 15, 1942
33 minutes pass midnight, Lee withdraws, after driving the surviving enemy ships from his damaged force. He has the satisfaction of delaying the Jap transports until morning, when Marine bombers from Henderson Field will make short work of them.

Kondo, too, leaves the scene without completing his original mission, to knock out Henderson Field. Stricken Kirishima, unable to follow, is scuttled by her crew.

Admiral Lee’s handling of the battle more than makes up for the disaster of 2 days earlier. His brilliant use of radar stands in stark contrast to Callaghan’s failure to take advantage of his.

Both sides claim victory, but clearly the Americans are here to stay. 10 weeks later the Japanese evacuate the island.

Elsewhere in the world, the allies are taking the offensive, in North Africa and at Stalingrad. Even the Japanese will later admit that Guadalcanal, for them, was "the fork in the road.

The march to victory has begun.

Suggested reading:
Samuel Eliot Morrison's
"History of US Naval Operations in W W 2"

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