21 January 2019. 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. Astoria came into action but was hit hard by fire from Chokai which disabled its engines. Cruiser Division 6. Japanese cruiser Yubari before the war. In addition, Chicago and three destroyers were damaged. As they began doing so, they brought in ships to bring in more troops and supplies. 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. sorry for the audio.I do not own the rights to the songs or images. On 7 August 1942, the US Marine 1st Division landed on the Japanese held islands of Guadalcanal and Tulagi in the Solomons. In addition, he believed that the American carriers were still in the area. (Animated Map) - WARNING: lower the volume if you are using headphones. 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. Of those involved, only Bode was severely criticized. Taking over 70 hits and a third torpedo, Vincennes sank at 2:50. 4 No. The Battle in Brief. ThoughtCo, Aug. 26, 2020, thoughtco.com/battle-of-savo-island-2361426. In the darkness of the early hours of the morning of 9 August 1942 the RAN heavy cruiser HMAS Canberra was severely damaged off Guadalcanal (Solomon Islands) in a surprise attack by a powerful Japanese naval force in an action that became known as the Battle of Savo Island.Canberra was hit 24 times in less than two minutes and 84 of her crew were killed including Captain Frank Getting. Spotting the Japanese Fleet. Subscribe to Montemayor. Had Mikawa pressed his advantage, it would have severely hampered Allied efforts to resupply and reinforce the island later in the campaign. The battle has come to be identified as the worst defeat in a single fleet action suffered by the United States Navy. First Battle of Savo Island: The U.S. Navy’s Worst Defeat “Wish Your Fleet Success”. 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.. On August 7, 1942, Allied forces (primarily U.S. Marines) landed on Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and Florida Island in the eastern Solomon Islands. 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. 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. News of the American landings on Guadalcanal and Tulagi came as a surprise to the Japanese. 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. Savo Island. 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 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. 40478 . As he moved southeast, Mikawa launched floatplanes which provided him with a fairly accurate picture of the Allied dispositions. Defeat in the Battle of Savo Island was a stunning blow to Allied naval forces off Guadalcanal. Japanese Forces. "World War II: Battle of Savo Island." Striking Force: Chokai Aoba Kako Kinugasa Furutaka: 8-inch cruisers: Ralph Talbot Blue: Radar Picket Destroyers. Hickman, Kennedy. The Battle of Savo was right at the beginning of the campaign. Unable to remain in the area without cover, Turner decided to continue unloading supplies at Guadalcanal through the night before withdrawing on August 9. In doing so, Tenryu, Yubari, and Furutaka took a more westerly course than the rest of the fleet. "World War II: Battle of Savo Island." It was a brutal battle of naval forces, namely the United States Navy, the Royal Australian Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy. RAdm. The news of the landing on Tulagi and on Guadalcanal threw Rabaul into a frenzy of activity. sorry for the audio. Mackenzie Gregory was the officer-of-the-watch on Canberra, 9th August 1942, when the Battle of Savo Island commenced. Jump to navigation Jump to search. 8th Fleet. No comments. Moving to the offensive after the victory at Midway in June 1942, Allied forces targeted Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. When it did, it quickly took two torpedo hits and became the focus of Japanese fire. By using ThoughtCo, you accept our. 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. World War II: Battle of Savo Island. Moving through the southern passage, Mikawa turned north to engage the other Allied ships. Burning, Quincy sank at 2:38. At 1:44, the Japanese began launching torpedoes at the American cruisers and six minutes later illuminated them with searchlights. Japanese cruiser Chokai before the war. 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. In this decisive action WASHINGTON and SOUTH DAKOTA engaged a Japanese force termed around the battleship KIRISHIMA.SOUTH DAKOTA suffered extensive topside damage, but WASHINGTON's accurate fire mortally injured KIRISHIMA.Set aflame and racked by explosions, KIRISHIMA was scuttled by her crew. 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. 9 August 1942. Initially both groups opened fire on these targets. Mikio Hayakawa. These failed to reach the Allied fleet until evening and even then were inaccurate as they reported the enemy formation included seaplane tenders. Eighth Fleet Headquarters at Rabaul failed to act decisively believing that the Marines would quickly withdraw after destroying the airfield. In view of the fact that Group I appeared to be shooting "over," Mounts 1 and 3 were … The Japanese only suffered light damage. 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? Aritomo Goto. Allied dead totaled 1,023; 709 personnel were wounded. As an early warning force, the radar-equipped destroyers USS Ralph Talbot and USS Blue were positioned to the west of Savo. 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. Cruiser Division 6. Conflict & Dates: The Battle of Savo Island was fought August 8-9, 1942, during World War II (1939-1945). Eighth Fleet Headquarters at Rabaul failed to act decisively believing that the Marines … Japanese painting of the battle. 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. At 2:16, Mikawa met with his staff about pressing the battle to attack the Guadalcanal anchorage. (2020, August 26). On the evening of August 8, Turner called a meeting with Crutchley and Marine Major General Alexander A. Vandegrift to discuss the withdrawal. As their ships were scattered and low on ammunition, it was decided to withdraw back to Rabaul. First Battle of Savo Island. Japanese: Allied. The Japane… 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. Around 1:35 AM on August 9, Mikawa spotted the ships of the southern force silhouetted by the fires from the burning. Battle of Savo Island; Part of the Pacific Theater of World War II: The USS Quincy, caught in the searchlights from attacking Japanese cruisers, on fire and sinking as a result of numerous gunfire and torpedo hits.The flames at the far left of the picture are probably from the USS Vincennes, also on fire from gunfire and torpedo damage. Battle of Savo Island – 8-9 August 1942 The Battle of Savo Island – Vol. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/battle-of-savo-island-2361426. 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 panel consists of Dr Greg Gilbert, Vice Admiral Peter Jones & Dr Kathryn Spurling. Gunichi Mikawa. https://www.thoughtco.com/battle-of-savo-island-2361426 (accessed April 17, 2021). 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. It was Mikawa's plan to move along the east coast of Bougainville before advancing down "The Slot" to Guadalcanal. Battle of Savo Island Four Marines on the “Green Hell” of Guadalcanal. 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. (U.S. 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.. Cape Esperance (9°15′… 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. RAdm. Rather than assert control, Bode steamed west for forty minutes and left the fight. The Battle of Savo Island, a crushing World War II naval defeat for the Allies, ended on August 9, 1942. Though spotting the northern force, Mikawa commenced attacking the southern force with torpedoes around 1:38. Though firing had been observed to the south, the northern ships were unsure of the situation and were slow to go to general quarters. 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. Japanese Forces. The Battle of Savo Island began on August 8th, 1942, and came to a close on August 9th, 1942. 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. Japanese losses were a light 58 killed with three heavy cruisers damaged. Troops began to invade several of the Solomon Islands on August 7th, one of which was Guadalcanal. USS Quincy (CA-39) photographed from a Japanese cruiser during the Battle of Savo Island, off Guadalcanal, 9 August 1942. 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. 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. The Battle of Savo Island – Vol. 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. Chokai (force flagship) Commanding officer: Capt. This was mainly due to the ignorance, incompedentnes, and unpreparedness of the allies. From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository. Navy Department Office of Naval Intelligence. Opening Salvos: The Battle of Savo Island, August 9th, 1942 Prologue, Battle, Epilogue. Drop us your questions and join the debate! Phase 1A consisted of shooting at what at first appeared to be shore batteries on Savo Island but later identified as surface craft. DISASTER AT SAVO ISLAND, 1942 The Battle of Savo Island. Vincennes was hesitant to enter the fight for fear of friendly fire. The ships that sank were The: USS Astoria, USS Quincy, USS Vincennes, HMAS Canberra. Approaching Guadalcanal after dark, Mikawa again launched floatplanes to scout the enemy and to drop flares during the upcoming fight. From the island, the Japanese would be able to threaten Allied supply lines to Australia. . Chokai (force flagship) Commanding officer: Capt. USS Quincy (CA-39) photographed from a Japanese cruiser during the Battle of Savo Island, off Guadalcanal, 9 August 1942. 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. … Battle of Savo Island, 9 August 1942. Carl Gnam. Included in his command was a screening force of eight cruisers, fifteen destroyers, and five minesweepers led by British Rear Admiral Victor Crutchley. 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 Allied surface forces were caught unaware and routed, losing one Australian and three American cruisers. The Japanese Response. In leaving for the meeting, Crutchley departed the screening force aboard the heavy cruiser HMAS Australia without informing his command of his absence. Montemayor Published at : 31 Dec 2020 . Background. While Fletcher's carrier task force covered the landings, the amphibious force was directed by Rear Admiral Richmond K. Turner. 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. On August 7 1942, the invasion started, with American marines storming ashore on Guadalcanal, Tulagi, Gavutu, World War II: Battle of Savo Island Fleets & Commanders. by Warfare History Network Amid rain, lightning, and … As it did so, both Chicago and Canberra were illuminated by aerial flares. 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. The result was a disaster for the Allies. 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. Battle of Savo Island-List of Forces. 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. 9-10 August 1942 Contributed by Richard Worth. Hickman, Kennedy. ThoughtCo. Combat Narrative The Battle of the Eastern Solomons oil, by John Hamilton. 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. It was thought that the Japanese would affect Allied communications, support and supplies between the United States, Australia and New Zealand. Kennedy Hickman is a historian, museum director, and curator who specializes in military and naval history. News of the American landings on Guadalcanal and Tulagi came as a surprise to the Japanese. Responsibility for responding to the invasion fell to … Hickman, Kennedy. The Japanese reacted quickly, and just before 2:00 am on August 9 they struck hard at the Allied naval force supporting the operation. Gunichi Mikawa. World War II. 4 No. Quincy, seen here burning and illuminated by Japanese searchlights, was sunk in this action (NH 50346). It provides a first-hand account of the battle, together with some useful background material. Battle of Savo Island, 9 August 1942—Strategic and Tactical Analysis, Article: Disaster at Savo Island (examines command-and-control breakdowns and contrasts Allied and Japanese tactical expertise), USS Quincy (CA-39), Astoria (CA-34) and Vincennes (CA-44) War Damage Report No. Commander Greg Swinden & his expert panel discuss the brutal Battle of Savo Island in which HMAS Canberra & three US heavy cruisers were sunk. Before departing for the meeting with Turner, Crutchley deployed his force to cover the channels north and south of Savo Island. Departing, his ships inflicted damage on Ralph Talbot as they moved northwest. 221. As a result, the Allied northern force was soon bracketed by the enemy. 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. 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. Unsettled by the removal of air cover and rattled the following morning by the discovery that his cruiser screen had been decimated at the Battle of Savo Island, Turner ordered his vulnerable, and still half-full, cargo ships back to Nouméa around sundown 9 August. 1441 (Animated Map) - WARNING: lower the volume if you are using headphones. 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"). :306–7 Japanese cruiser Tenryu before the war. The Battle of Savo Island by Richard F. Newcomb is a fine book with a wealth of background material, details, human-interest stories, and official assessments (including the findings of the post-event examinations of the breakdowns in the U.S. Navy's failures in this early defeat). Closing in a single file line, his ships successfully passed between Blue and Ralph Talbot whose radars were hampered by the nearby landmasses. Drifting to a halt, the cruiser was soon on fire but managed to inflict moderate damage on Chokai. 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? Mikio Hayakawa. The latter ship attempted to attack, but quickly came under heavy fire and was put out of action, listing and on fire. Share this & earn $10. Naval History and Heritage Command) The Japanese attack began at 1:42 a.m. Responsibility for responding to the invasion fell to Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa who led the newly-formed Eighth Fleet based at Rabaul. 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. VAdm. The US Navy later commissioned the Hepburn Investigation to look into the defeat. ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. The Allied forces wanted these islands for support and supply reasons. 8th Fleet. Amid rain, lightning, and … The USS Quincy is illuminated by Japanese searchlights during the Battle of Savo Island on August 9, 1942. If the American naval forces and in particular the carriers could be destroyed, then Guadalcanal would fall. This is an extract from his web site, reproduced with his kind permission. Battleship Night Action Naval Battle of Guadalcanal November 1942. battle of the campaign, the Battle of Savo Island, was a stunning defeat for the allies. by Warfare History Network. 29, Battle of Savo Island, Battle of Savo Island Allied and Japanese Orders of Battle, Vignette: Lieutenant Commander Joseph W. Callahan and Ralph Talbot (DD-390), Vignette: Ensign Donald W. Lynch and Mugford (DD-389). He has appeared on The History Channel as a featured expert. Five minutes later, Patterson was the first Allied ship to spot the enemy and immediately went into action. 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Our heroes return next Friday, to deliver a hefty payload of knowledge surrounding the 1942 battle of Savo Island. 9-10 August 1942 Contributed by Richard Worth. The Battle of Savo Island, a crushing World War II naval defeat for the Allies, ended on August 9, 1942. VAdm. Quincy was slower to enter the fray and was soon caught in a crossfire between the two Japanese columns. Moving through the St. George Channel, Mikawa's ships were spotted by the submarine USS S-38. Later in the morning, they were located by Australian scout aircraft which radioed sighting reports. First Battle of Savo Island. Defeat in the Battle of Savo Island was a stunning blow to Allied naval forces off Guadalcanal. Though the landings caught the Japanese by surprise, they countered with several air raids on August 7 and 8. 221. So the Allies attacked the islands. As he lacked air cover, it was necessary for him to clear the area before daylight. These were largely defeated by Fletcher's carrier aircraft, though they did set afire the transport. Category:Battle of Savo Island. 3319176 views . 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 lookouts in the Japanese masts had already found and fixed a number of ships and fed the data to their fire control stations. Aoba (flagship) The southern approach was guarded by the heavy cruisers USS Chicago and HMAS Canberra along with the destroyers USS Bagley and USS Patterson. In addition, several of the cruiser captains were also asleep. First Battle of Savo Island. Though one of its salvos hit Chokai, nearly killing Mikawa, the cruiser was soon on fire from Japanese shells and three torpedo hits. World War II. Aritomo Goto. 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