Battle of the Eastern Solomons

Battle of the Eastern Solomons
	Part of the Guadalcanal Campaign of World War II
	; USS Enterprise maneuvering radically under aerial attack and afire on 24 August 1942. Anti-aircraft shell bursts are visible above the carrier.
Date	24–25 August 1942
Location	North of Santa Isabel, Solomon Islands
Result	American victory
Belligerents
United States	Japan
Commanders and leaders
Frank Jack Fletcher; Thomas C. Kinkaid;	Nobutake Kondō; Chūichi Nagumo; Hiroaki Abe; Chūichi Hara; Gunichi Mikawa;
Strength
2 fleet carriers; 1 battleship; 3 heavy cruisers; 1 light cruiser; 11 destroyers; 176 aircraft;	2 fleet carriers; 1 light carrier; 3 battleships; 13 heavy cruisers; 3 light cruisers; 30 destroyers; 1 seaplane tender; 4 patrol boats; 3 transports; 171–177 aircraft;
Casualties and losses
1 fleet carrier heavily damaged; 20 aircraft destroyed; 90 killed;	1 light carrier sunk; 1 destroyer sunk; 1 transport sunk; 1 seaplane tender heavily damaged; 1 light cruiser damaged; 75 aircraft destroyed; 290+ killed;

The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons (also known as the Battle of the Stewart Islands and in Japanese sources as the Second Battle of the Solomon Sea) took place on 24–25 August 1942 and was the third carrier battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II and the second major engagement fought between the United States Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the Guadalcanal campaign. As at the Battle of the Coral Sea and the Battle of Midway, the ships of the two adversaries were never within sight of each other. Instead, all attacks were carried out by carrier-based or land-based aircraft.

After several damaging air attacks, the naval surface combatants from both America and Japan withdrew from the battle area. Although neither side secured a clear victory, the U.S. and its allies gained a tactical and strategic advantage. Japan's losses were greater and included dozens of aircraft and their experienced aircrews. Also, Japanese reinforcements intended for Guadalcanal were delayed and eventually delivered by warships rather than transport ships, giving the Allies more time to prepare for the Japanese counteroffensive and preventing the Japanese from landing heavy artillery, ammunition, and other supplies.

^ Frank 1990, pp. 166–174. The U.S. carriers present for the battle carried 154 aircraft, 22 more fighter or attack aircraft of the Cactus Air Force were located at Henderson Field on Guadalcanal. The "176" number does not include B-17s based at Espiritu Santo or PBY Catalinas based in the Santa Cruz Islands.
^ Frank 1990, pp. 166–174 (171 aircraft); and Lundstrom 2006, p. 106 (177 aircraft). This number doesn't include Japanese aircraft based at Rabaul or scout aircraft from the Japanese battleships, cruisers, and seaplane tender Chitose or Japanese aircraft based elsewhere in the Solomon Islands.
^ Lundstrom 2006, p. 159. Total U.S. aircraft losses included 8 Wildcats, 2 SBDs, and 6 TBFs from Saratoga and Enterprise, 3 Wildcats from Henderson Field and 1 B-17 from Espiritu Santo.
^ Frank 1990, pp. 191–193, Peattie 1999, pp. 180 & 339. No known records exist that record the losses from the sinking of Kinryū Maru and damage to Chitose, and other Japanese ships. Known casualties are: 120 killed on Ryūjō, 40 on Mutsuki, 24 on Jintsū (Hackett & Kingsepp 2019), six on Shōkaku, and 61 aircrew members. Total Japanese aircraft losses included 33 A6M Zero fighters, 23 D3A dive bombers, eight B5N level bombers, seven float planes (scouts), one G4M medium bomber, two Emilys, and one Mavis. Of the aircrew losses, 27 were from Shokaku, 21 from Zuikaku, and 13 from Ryūjō.

[1] Frank 1990, pp. 166–174. The U.S. carriers present for the battle carried 154 aircraft, 22 more fighter or attack aircraft of the Cactus Air Force were located at Henderson Field on Guadalcanal. The "176" number does not include B-17s based at Espiritu Santo or PBY Catalinas based in the Santa Cruz Islands.

[2] Frank 1990, pp. 166–174 (171 aircraft); and Lundstrom 2006, p. 106 (177 aircraft). This number doesn't include Japanese aircraft based at Rabaul or scout aircraft from the Japanese battleships, cruisers, and seaplane tender Chitose or Japanese aircraft based elsewhere in the Solomon Islands.

[3] Lundstrom 2006, p. 159. Total U.S. aircraft losses included 8 Wildcats, 2 SBDs, and 6 TBFs from Saratoga and Enterprise, 3 Wildcats from Henderson Field and 1 B-17 from Espiritu Santo.

[4] Frank 1990, pp. 191–193, Peattie 1999, pp. 180 & 339. No known records exist that record the losses from the sinking of Kinryū Maru and damage to Chitose, and other Japanese ships. Known casualties are: 120 killed on Ryūjō, 40 on Mutsuki, 24 on Jintsū (Hackett & Kingsepp 2019), six on Shōkaku, and 61 aircrew members. Total Japanese aircraft losses included 33 A6M Zero fighters, 23 D3A dive bombers, eight B5N level bombers, seven float planes (scouts), one G4M medium bomber, two Emilys, and one Mavis. Of the aircrew losses, 27 were from Shokaku, 21 from Zuikaku, and 13 from Ryūjō.

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