Eastern Solomons order of battle

The Battle of the Eastern Solomons was fought August 23–25, 1942 in the waters east and northeast of the Solomon Islands by forces of the Imperial Japanese Navy's Combined Fleet and the US Navy's Pacific Fleet. The battle resulted from a major effort by the Japanese to reinforce their troop strength on the island of Guadalcanal. The Japanese high command had realized this reinforcement was necessary following the annihilation of the Ichiki Detachment by the 1st Marines a few days earlier.

The battle can be counted both a tactical and strategic American victory: greater ship losses were inflicted on the Japanese, and the transports were turned back from their mission of landing reinforcements.

Forces deployed

Japanese forces

Combat ships: 2 fleet carriers, 1 light carrier, 3 old battleships, 13 heavy cruisers, 3 light cruisers, 30 destroyers, 2 1st-class submarines, 1 2nd-class submarine

Aircraft: 69 fighters, 41 dive bombers, 57 torpedo bombers

American forces

Combat ships: 3 fleet carriers, 1 fast battleship, 5 heavy cruisers, 2 anti-aircraft light cruisers, 18 destroyers

Aircraft: 100 fighters, 54 dive bombers, 54 scout bombers, 45 torpedo bombers

Ship losses

IJN : 1 light carrier, 1 destroyer, 1 1st-class submarine

USN : none

Japanese order of battle

Guadalcanal Supporting Forces

Vice Admiral Nobutake Kondo in heavy cruiser Atago

<big>Advanced Force</big>

Vice Admiral Kondo

: Main Body

:: Cruiser Division 4

::: 3 heavy cruisers (10 × 8-in. main battery): , ,

:: Cruiser Division 5 (Vice Adm. Takeo Takagi)

::: 2 heavy cruisers (10 × 8-in. main battery): ,

:: Destroyer Squadron 4 (Rear Adm. Tamotsu Takama):

::: 1 light cruiser (7 × 5.5-in. main battery):

::: 2 destroyers (6 × 5-in. main battery): ,

::: 3 destroyers (6 × 5-in. main battery): , ,

: Support Group

:: 1 battleship (8 × 16-in. main battery):

:: 3 destroyers (5 × 5-in. main battery): , ,

<big>Striking Force</big>

Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo in fleet carrier Shokaku

: Carrier Group

: Vice Admiral Nagumo

:: 2 fleet carriers

::: (Capt. Masafumi Arima)

:::: 27 Mitsubishi A6M "Zeke" fighters (Lt. Hideki Shingo)

:::: 27 Aichi D3A "Val" dive bombers (Lt. Cdr. Mamoru Seki)

:::: 18 Nakajima B5N "Kate" torpedo bombers (Lt. Cdr. Shigeharu Murata)

::: (Capt. Tameteru Notomo)

:::: 27 Mitsubishi A6M "Zeke" fighters (Lt. Ayao Shirane)

:::: 27 Aichi D3A "Val" dive bombers (Lt. Sadamu Takahashi)

:::: 18 Nakajima B5N "Kate" torpedo bombers (Lt. Shigeichirō Imajuku)

:: Screen

::: 1 (6 × 5-in. main battery):

::: 3 (6 × 5-in. main battery): , ,

::: 2 (6 × 5-in. main battery): ,

: Vanguard Group

: Rear Admiral Hiroaki Abe

:: Battleships

::: 2 fast battleships (8 × 14-in. main battery): ,

:: Cruiser Division 7 (Rear Adm. Shoji Nishimura)

::: 2 (10 × 8-in. main battery): ,

::: 1 (8 × 8-in. main battery):

:: Destroyer Squadron 10 (Rear Admiral Susumu Kimura)

::: 1 light cruiser (7 × 5.5-in. main battery):

::: 1 destroyer (8 × 4-in. main battery):

::: 5 destroyer (6 × 5-in. main battery): , , , ,

: Diversionary Group

: Rear Admiral Chūichi Hara in heavy cruiser Tone

:: 1 light carrier: Ryujo (Capt. Tadao Katō) (sunk)

::: 24 Mitsubishi A6M "Zeke" fighters (Lt. Kenjirō Nōtomi)

::: 9 Nakajima B5N "Kate" torpedo bombers (Lt. Binichi Murakami)

:: 1 heavy cruiser (8 × 8-in. main battery): Tone

:: 2 destroyers (6 × 5-in. main battery): ,

Southeast Area Forces

Vice Admiral Nishizo Tsukahara

<big>Outer South Seas Force</big>

Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa

: Reinforcement Group

: Rear Admiral Raizo Tanaka

:: Transport Unit

::: 1 auxiliary cruiser: Kinryu Maru

:::: Embarking 800 men of the 5th Yokosuka SNLF

::: 4 patrol boats: No. 1, No. 2, No. 34, No. 35

:::: Embarking 700 men of the 2nd echelon of the IJA Ichiki Detachment

:: Escort Unit

::: 1 light cruiser (7 × 5.5-in. main battery, 1 scout plane):

::: 2 destroyers (6 × 5-in. main battery): ,

::: 3 destroyers (5 × 5-in. main battery): , ,

::: 3 destroyers (4 × 4.7-in. main battery): (sunk), ,

: Covering Group

: Vice Admiral Mikawa

:: 1 heavy cruiser:

:: Cruiser Division 6 (Rear Adm. Aritomo Gotō)

::: 2 heavy cruisers (6 × 8-in. main battery): ,

::: 1 heavy cruiser (6 × 8-in. main battery):

: Submarine Group

:: 2 1st-class submarines: , (sunk)

:: 1 2nd-class submarine:

American order of battle

Task Force 61

Vice Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher in Saratoga

<big>Task Force 11</big>

Vice Admiral Fletcher

1 fleet carrier

: (Capt. DeWitt C. Ramsey)

:: Air Group (Cmdr. Harry D. Felt)

::: VF-5: 27 F4F Wildcat fighters (Lt. Cmdr. Leroy C. Simpler)

::: VB-3: 17 SBD Dauntless dive bombers (Lt. Cmdr. Dewitt W. Shumway)

::: VS-3: 15 SBD Dauntless scout bombers (Lt. Cmdr. Louis J. Kirn)

::: VT-8: 13 TBF Avenger torpedo bombers (Lt. Harold H. Larsen)

Cruisers (Rear Adm. Carleton H. Wright)

: 2 heavy cruisers (9 × 8-in./55-cal. main battery)

:: (Capt. Frank J. Lowry)

:: (Capt. Walter S. DeLany)

Screen (Capt. Samuel B. Brewer)

: 5 destroyers

:: 1 (8 × 5-in./38 SP/low elevation main battery): Phelps

:: 4 (4 × 5-in./38 DP main battery): Farragut, MacDonough, Worden, Dale

<big>Task Force 16</big>

Rear Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid in Enterprise

1 fleet carrier

: (Capt. Arthur C. Davis)

:: Air Group (Lt. Cmdr. Maxwell F. Leslie)

::: VF-6: 29 F4F Wildcat fighters (Lt. Louis H. Bauer)

::: VB-6: 17 SBD Dauntless dive bombers (Lt. Ray Davis)

::: VS-5: 18 SBD Dauntless scout bombers (Lt. Turner F. Caldwell)

::: VT-3: 15 TBF Avenger torpedo bombers (Lt. Cmdr. Charles M. Jett)

Battleship and Cruisers (Rear Adm. Mahlon S. Tisdale)

: 1 fast battleship (9 × 16-in./45-cal. main battery)

:: (Capt. George H. Fort)

: 1 heavy cruiser (9 × 8-in./55-cal. main battery)

:: (Capt. Laurance T. DuBose)

: 1 anti-aircraft light cruiser (16 × 5-in./38-cal. main battery)

:: (Capt. Samuel P. Jenkins)

Screen (Capt. Edward P. Sauer)

: 6 destroyers

:: 1 (8 × 5-in./38 SP/low elevation main battery): Balch

:: 2 (5 × 5-in. dual purpose main battery): Grayson, Monssen

:: 1 (4 × 5-in./38 dual purpose main battery): Maury

:: 2 (4 × 5-in./38 dual purpose main battery): Benham, Ellet

<big>Task Force 18 (deployed but did not take part in battle)</big>

Rear Admiral Leigh Noyes in Wasp

1 Wasp-class fleet carrier

: Wasp (Capt. Forrest P. Sherman)

:: Air Group (Lt. Cmdr. Wallace M. Beakley)

::: VF-71: 28 F4F Wildcat fighters (Lt. Cmdr. Courtney Shands)

::: VS-71: 18 SBD Dauntless scout bombers (Lt. Cmdr. John Eldridge)

::: VS-72: 18 SBD Dauntless scout bombers (Lt. Cmdr. Ernest M. Snowden)

::: VT-7: &nbsp;&nbsp;15 TBF Avenger torpedo bombers (Lt. Henry A. Romberg)

Cruisers (Rear Adm. Norman Scott)

: 1 heavy cruiser (10 × 8-in. main battery)

:: (Capt. Charles H. McMorris)

: 1 heavy cruiser (9 × 8-in. main battery)

:: (Capt. Ernest G. Small)

: 1 anti-aircraft light cruiser (16 × 5-in. main battery) S

:: (Capt. James E. Maher)

Screen (Capt. Robert G. Tobin)

: 7 destroyers

:: 1 (8 × 5-in. main battery): Selfridge

:: 2 (5 × 5-in. main battery): Aaron Ward, Buchanan

:: 3 (4 × 5-in. main battery): Lang, Stack, Sterett

:: 1 (4 × 5-in. main battery): Farenholt

Individual attack waves

Attack on Enterprise (Nagumo carrier group 1st wave)

10 Mitsubishi A6M "Zeke" fighters: 4 from Shokaku, 6 from Zuikaku

27 Aichi D3A "Val" dive bombers: 18 from Shokaku, 9 from Zuikaku

Nagumo carrier group 2nd wave (found no targets)

9 Mitsubishi A6M "Zeke" fighters: 3 from Shokaku, 6 from Zuikaku

27 Aichi D3A "Val" dive bombers: 9 from Shokaku, 18 from Zuikaku

Ryūjō Attack on Henderson Field

6 Nakajima B5N "Kate" torpedo bombers: all from Ryūjō

14 Mitsubishi A6M "Zeke" fighters: all from Ryūjō

B-17 strike on Nagumo carrier group

TBD

Saratoga strike on Ryūjō

:29 Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless Dive Bombers :7 Grumman TBF-1 Avenger Torpedo Bombers

B-17 strike on Ryūjō

TBD

Notes

References

Bibliography