1942 naval battle between US Navy and Imperial Japanese Navy warships during the Guadalcanal campaign
Considered one of the worst US naval defeats in history, the battle demonstrated the effectiveness of Japanese torpedo tactics against radar-equipped American cruisers.
Key Facts
- US force composition
- Five cruisers and four destroyers
- Japanese force composition
- Eight destroyers under Rear Admiral Tanaka
- US cruisers sunk
- 1 ship
- US cruisers heavily damaged
- 3 ships
- Japanese destroyers sunk
- 1 ship
- Japanese supply mission
- Failed to complete intended delivery
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
During the Guadalcanal campaign, Japanese forces on the island faced critical supply shortages. Imperial Japanese Navy destroyers under Rear Admiral Raizō Tanaka were dispatched to deliver food to troops on Guadalcanal, while a US Navy force of five cruisers and four destroyers under Rear Admiral Carleton H. Wright moved to intercept them in Ironbottom Sound.
On the night of 30 November 1942, US destroyers delayed torpedo launches four minutes after radar contact, missing optimal range; their torpedoes all failed to hit. US cruisers then opened fire and sank one Japanese destroyer, but their muzzle flashes revealed their positions. Japanese destroyers responded with Type 93 Long Lance torpedoes, sinking one US cruiser and heavily damaging three others before withdrawing.
The battle resulted in a significant tactical defeat for the United States, with one cruiser sunk and three severely damaged while only one Japanese destroyer was lost. The Japanese supply mission nonetheless failed. Rear Admiral Samuel J. Cox of the Naval History and Heritage Command ranked it among the worst US naval defeats in history, behind only Pearl Harbor and the Battle of Savo Island.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Rear Admiral Carleton H. Wright.
Side B
1 belligerent
Rear Admiral Raizō Tanaka.