November 12th, 1942 - The Battle of Guadalcanal

Conflict: World War II

Combatants: Americans vs. Japanese

Location: Solomon Islands

Outcome: American victory

In a naval battle stretching over three days, American and Japanese warships engaged in heavy fighting as the latter sought to reinforce troop levels on Guadalcanal. On this first night of the battle, an Admiral Daniel Callaghan's American squadron fought a fierce battle at close range and in the dark with its Japanese counterpart under command of Admiral Nobutake Kondo. The Japanese lost two cruisers while the Americans lost two cruisers and four destroyers but managed to delay the bombardment of Henderson Field to the following day when American air power sank a cruiser and six transports. Although the cost was high, the Americans would hold their grasp on the Solomon Islands.

Japanese air attack on shipping off Guadalcanal, 12 November 1942 by US Navy Photographer

Points of Interest:

• Callaghan was killed in the battle.

• Despite the American victory fighting on the island, the Japanese successfully evacuated 12,000 troops.

Vice Admiral Nobutake Kondo by an unknown photographer

Captain Dan Callaghan in 1942 by an unknown photographer

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Sources:

Dupuy, Trevor N., Johnson, Curt, & Bongard, David L. (1992). The Harper's Encyclopedia of Military Biography. New York: Castle Books (HarperCollins).

Dupuy, R. Ernest & Dupuy, Trevor N. (1993). The Harper's Encyclopedia of Military History. New York: HarperCollins.

Eggenberger, David (1985). An Encyclopedia of Battles: Accounts of Over 1,560 Battles from 1479 B.C. to the Present. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.