bigpigeon.us webpage WW II - Japan > South & SW Pacific > Solomons Sea War, updated by RAC 7 Oct '19. Webpage not complete.
This webpage outlines the major naval actions connected with the 1942-44 allied land campaigns in the Solomon Islands. The earlier battles were mostly fought in or near Guadalcanal. Both sides suffered large and approximately equal losses, although in inital battles the Imperial Japanese Navy prevailed.
Most earlier battles were precipitated by Imperial Japanese Navy attempts to either bombard the Guadalcanal beachhead or to land reinforcements on Guadalcanal.
Most earlier battles were precipitated by Imperial Japanese Navy attempts to either bombard the Guadalcanal beachhead or to land reinforcements on Guadalcanal.
Early 9 August 1942 - the nighttime Battle of Savo Island
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Aside from Pearl Harbor, The Battle of Savo Island is thought to be the most lop-sided defeat in US Navy history. The US Navy had no training in nighttime combat. In this brief battle, the United States lost three cruisers (Astoria, Quincy, and Vincennes), the Australian Navy lost the cruiser Canberra. Japanese ships suffered only light damage. The US Navy lost over 1,000 men.
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US Guadalcanal Landings and the Sea Battle of Savo Island
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26-26 October 1942 - the carrier Battle of Santa Cruz Islands
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The aircraft carrier Hornet was lost from repeated Japanese torpedo plane attacks; one destroyer (USS Porter) was lost.
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The Battle of Santa Cruz Islands
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Early 13 November 1942 -the nightime First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
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The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
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Sources for the WW II - The Solomons Sea War webpage
- The US Guadalcanal Landings and the Sea Battle of Savo Island map is courtesy of The Map Archive.
Pottawattamie County, Iowa WW II Dead - The Solomons Sea War
(taken from the bigpigeon.us WW II Dead webarea)
See also the Solomon Islands webpage.
05-02 - South & Southwest Pacific - The Solomons Sea War: (twelve dead, updated 24 Jul 2020)
† Beckendorf, Orville Leroy, SN 316-41-64, US Navy, Pott. Co.
destroyer USS Laffey (DD-459), KIA 13/14 Nov 1942 in Ironbound Sound off Guadalcanal; Laffey hit by 14” shell & torpedo, then exploded & sank, 59 killed; Naval Battle of Guadalcanal; BNR.
† Bradley, Donald James, SN 648-39-86, US Navy, Pott. Co.
attack transport USS McCawley (APA-4), KIA 30 Jun 1943 off Rendova, Solomon Is.; McCawley disabled by Japanese aircraft torpedo and then abandoned, 15 dead; McCawley accidentally sunk that night by US PT boats; BNR.
† Denton, Claude Ballentine, SN 648-65-29, US Navy, Pott. Co.
destroyer USS Cony (DD 508); KIA 27 Oct 1943, during US invasion of Treasury Is., Solomon Is.; Japanese air attack, eight dead, Cony survived.
† Dixon, Cletus Hugh, SN 620-16-09, US Navy, Harrison Co.
Destroyer USS De Haven (DD-469); KIA 1 Feb 1943, De Haven sunk by Japanese bombs S of Savo Is., Guadalcanal, Solomon Is., 167 died; BNR.
† Knapp, Rexford James “Rex”, SN 3163572, US Navy, Shelby Co.
cruiser USS Minneapolis (CA-36); KIA 30 Nov 1942 in Ironbound Sound off Guadalcanal, Solomon Is.; Minneapolis torpedoed & heavily damaged; Battle of Tassafaronga.
† Lueth, Walter August William, SN 3109352, US Navy, Pott. Co.
cruiser USS Juneau (CL-52); KIA 13 Nov 1942 W of San Cristobal Is., Solomon Is.; Juneau torpedoed & sunk by Japanese submarine I-26; 687 died including the five Sullivan brothers, ten survived; Naval Battle of Guadalcanal; BNR.
† McLaren, William McAllister, SN 385-91-42, US Navy, Crawford Co. & Pierce Co., WA
cruiser USS Astoria (CA-34), KIA 9 Aug 1942 off Savo Is., Guadalcanal, Solomon Is., Battle of Savo Island; Astoria sunk, 219 died; BNR.
† + Miller, Max Miles, SN 321-51-16, US Navy, Shelby Co.
USS Chevalier (DD-451); KIA 6 Oct 1943, off Vella Lavella Is., Solomons; Chevalier torpedoed by Japanese destroyer, abandoned, broke in two, and sank the following day, 54 dead; BNR.
† Querry, Miles Junior, SN 316-85-21, US Navy, Harrison Co.
fleet tug USS Vireo (AM-52); KIA 15 Oct 1942 off San Cristobal, Solomon Is.; air attack and sinking of destroyer USS Meredith (DD-434) by Japanese aircraft, 237 crew from Meredith and Vireo died, the abandoned Vireo survived intact and was later retrieved; BNR.
† Sales, Orville W., SN 316-49-53, US Navy, Pott. Co.
destroyer USS Gwin (DD-433); KIA 13 Jul 1943 Kula Gulf, Solomon Is., Gwin hit by destroyer torpedo & scuttled, 61 died; Battle of Kolombangara; BNR.
† Weihs, Alfred Peter, SN 620-39-83, US Navy, Shelby Co.
USS Aaron Ward (DD 483); KIA 7 Apr 1943 SE of Tulagi, Solomon Is.; Aaron Ward sunk by Japanese bombs while escorting LST-449, whose passengers included John F. Kennedy; 20 died; BNR.
† Wunder, Edmund Earl, SN 321-17-95, US Navy, Shelby Co.
destroyer USS Laffey (DD-459); KIA 13 Nov 1942 in Ironbound Sound off Guadalcanal; Laffey hit by 14” shell & torpedo, then exploded & sank, 59 died; Naval Battle of Guadalcanal; BNR.
(taken from the bigpigeon.us WW II Dead webarea)
See also the Solomon Islands webpage.
05-02 - South & Southwest Pacific - The Solomons Sea War: (twelve dead, updated 24 Jul 2020)
† Beckendorf, Orville Leroy, SN 316-41-64, US Navy, Pott. Co.
destroyer USS Laffey (DD-459), KIA 13/14 Nov 1942 in Ironbound Sound off Guadalcanal; Laffey hit by 14” shell & torpedo, then exploded & sank, 59 killed; Naval Battle of Guadalcanal; BNR.
† Bradley, Donald James, SN 648-39-86, US Navy, Pott. Co.
attack transport USS McCawley (APA-4), KIA 30 Jun 1943 off Rendova, Solomon Is.; McCawley disabled by Japanese aircraft torpedo and then abandoned, 15 dead; McCawley accidentally sunk that night by US PT boats; BNR.
† Denton, Claude Ballentine, SN 648-65-29, US Navy, Pott. Co.
destroyer USS Cony (DD 508); KIA 27 Oct 1943, during US invasion of Treasury Is., Solomon Is.; Japanese air attack, eight dead, Cony survived.
† Dixon, Cletus Hugh, SN 620-16-09, US Navy, Harrison Co.
Destroyer USS De Haven (DD-469); KIA 1 Feb 1943, De Haven sunk by Japanese bombs S of Savo Is., Guadalcanal, Solomon Is., 167 died; BNR.
† Knapp, Rexford James “Rex”, SN 3163572, US Navy, Shelby Co.
cruiser USS Minneapolis (CA-36); KIA 30 Nov 1942 in Ironbound Sound off Guadalcanal, Solomon Is.; Minneapolis torpedoed & heavily damaged; Battle of Tassafaronga.
† Lueth, Walter August William, SN 3109352, US Navy, Pott. Co.
cruiser USS Juneau (CL-52); KIA 13 Nov 1942 W of San Cristobal Is., Solomon Is.; Juneau torpedoed & sunk by Japanese submarine I-26; 687 died including the five Sullivan brothers, ten survived; Naval Battle of Guadalcanal; BNR.
† McLaren, William McAllister, SN 385-91-42, US Navy, Crawford Co. & Pierce Co., WA
cruiser USS Astoria (CA-34), KIA 9 Aug 1942 off Savo Is., Guadalcanal, Solomon Is., Battle of Savo Island; Astoria sunk, 219 died; BNR.
† + Miller, Max Miles, SN 321-51-16, US Navy, Shelby Co.
USS Chevalier (DD-451); KIA 6 Oct 1943, off Vella Lavella Is., Solomons; Chevalier torpedoed by Japanese destroyer, abandoned, broke in two, and sank the following day, 54 dead; BNR.
† Querry, Miles Junior, SN 316-85-21, US Navy, Harrison Co.
fleet tug USS Vireo (AM-52); KIA 15 Oct 1942 off San Cristobal, Solomon Is.; air attack and sinking of destroyer USS Meredith (DD-434) by Japanese aircraft, 237 crew from Meredith and Vireo died, the abandoned Vireo survived intact and was later retrieved; BNR.
† Sales, Orville W., SN 316-49-53, US Navy, Pott. Co.
destroyer USS Gwin (DD-433); KIA 13 Jul 1943 Kula Gulf, Solomon Is., Gwin hit by destroyer torpedo & scuttled, 61 died; Battle of Kolombangara; BNR.
† Weihs, Alfred Peter, SN 620-39-83, US Navy, Shelby Co.
USS Aaron Ward (DD 483); KIA 7 Apr 1943 SE of Tulagi, Solomon Is.; Aaron Ward sunk by Japanese bombs while escorting LST-449, whose passengers included John F. Kennedy; 20 died; BNR.
† Wunder, Edmund Earl, SN 321-17-95, US Navy, Shelby Co.
destroyer USS Laffey (DD-459); KIA 13 Nov 1942 in Ironbound Sound off Guadalcanal; Laffey hit by 14” shell & torpedo, then exploded & sank, 59 died; Naval Battle of Guadalcanal; BNR.