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Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands,25–27 October 1942

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Profiles

  • Hugh Spencer Daniel (1923 - 1942)
    PFC Hugh Spencer Daniel VVeteran Birth 26 Dec 1923 Death 28 Oct 1942 (aged 18) At Sea Monument Manila American Cemetery and Memorial Manila, Capital District, National Capital Region, Philippines Plo...
  • Lt. JG Walter Wesley Coolbaugh (1918 - 1942)
    Lt. JG Walter Wesley Coolbaugh was Killed in Action at sea near the Solomon Islands when his plane crashed. He has memorials in his hometown of Ransom, Pennsylvania and also in the Courts of the Missin...
  • Byron Bruce Newell (1909 - 1942)
    LTCR. Byron Bruce Newell Byron Bruce Newell was born on 29 November 1909 in Camp Hill, Alabama. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy on 5 June 1930. During the next decade he comple...
  • Hurbert Paul Chatelain (1917 - 1942)
    Petty Officer First Class Hurbert Paul Chatelain I would like to thank Jerry Bordelon and David Moore of Find A Grave for permission of using H.P.Chatelan's photo and information. 56759467 · Find ...
  • Fleet Admiral William "Bull" Frederick Halsey, Jr., USN (1882 - 1959)
    Fleet Admiral William Frederick Halsey, Jr., USN, (October 30, 1882 – August 16, 1959) (commonly referred to as "Bill" or "Bull" Halsey), was a U.S. Naval officer. He commanded the South Pacific Ar...

The Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, fought during 25–27 October 1942, sometimes referred to as the Battle of Santa Cruz or Third Battle of Solomon Sea, in Japan as the Battle of the South Pacific (Japanese: 南太平洋海戦 Minamitaiheiyō kaisen), was the fourth aircraft carrier battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II. It was also the fourth major naval engagement fought between the United States Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy during the lengthy and strategically important Guadalcanal campaign. As in the battles of the Coral Sea, Midway, and the Eastern Solomons, the ships of the two adversaries were rarely in sight or gun range of each other. Instead, almost all attacks by both sides were mounted by carrier- or land-based aircraft.

In an attempt to drive Allied forces from Guadalcanal and nearby islands and end the stalemate that had existed since September 1942, the Imperial Japanese Army planned a major ground offensive on Guadalcanal for 20–25 October 1942. In support of this offensive, and with the hope of engaging Allied naval forces, Japanese carriers and other large warships moved into a position near the southern Solomon Islands. From this location, the Japanese naval forces hoped to engage and decisively defeat any Allied (primarily U.S.) naval forces, especially carrier forces, that responded to the ground offensive. Allied naval forces also hoped to meet the Japanese naval forces in battle, with the same objectives of breaking the stalemate and decisively defeating their adversary.

The Japanese ground offensive on Guadalcanal was underway with the Battle for Henderson Field while the naval warships and aircraft from the two adversaries confronted each other on the morning of 26 October 1942, just north of the Santa Cruz Islands. After an exchange of carrier air attacks, Allied surface ships retreated from the battle area with the fleet carrier Hornet sunk, and another fleet carrier, Enterprise, heavily damaged. The participating Japanese carrier forces also retired because of high aircraft and aircrew losses, plus significant damage to the fleet carrier Shōkaku and the light carrier Zuihō.

Santa Cruz was a tactical victory and a short-term strategic victory for the Japanese in terms of ships sunk and damaged, and control of the seas around Guadalcanal. However, Japan's loss of many irreplaceable veteran aircrews proved to be a long-term strategic advantage for the Allies, whose aircrew losses in the battle were relatively low and quickly replaced. The Japanese had hoped for and needed a bigger, more decisive victory. The fact that the naval battle was won just after the land battle was lost meant that the opportunity to exploit their victory in the battle had already passed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Santa_Cruz_Islands