The Battle of the Eastern Solomons was a naval military engagement of the Pacific Theater of World War II. It was fought between the Imperial Japanese Navy's fleet, under Hiroaki Abe, and the US Navy's Task Force 16, under Thomas C. Kinkaid, on August 24, 1942. The naval fighting continued the following day, on August 25. As a result, the IJN lost one aircraft carrier, one destroyer, and one transport, all of which sank, while several other vessels were damaged. The Japanese dive bombers, on the other hand, were only able to damage USS Enterprise and other lesser vessels.
After the invasion of Guadalcanal by the US Marines on August 7, 1942, the IJN deemed it imperative that Henderson airfield be either recaptured or put out of operation by air raids or naval bombardment. Putting Henderson Field out action and engaging the American carriers, the Japanese thought it would be easier to land troops on Guadalcanal to reinforce the decimated and exhausted Japanese forces on the island.
After the US Marines had successfully landed on the beaches of Guadalcanal, the warships of Task Force 16, whose flagship was the USS Enterprise (CV-6), remained deployed to the south of Guadalcanal, which is part of the Solomon islands. They were lying in wait for a Japanese attack on Henderson Field and their attempt to reinforce their troops. This is how the two opposite naval battle groups collided.
In the ensuing Battle of the Eastern Solomons, the Task Force 16 carriers' dive bombers sank the Japanese light carrier Riujo. However, the two large carriers Zuikaku and Shokaku were able to escape the American air raid. Thus, they were able to scramble all their dive bombers and launch a massive air attack on the American vessels. Approximately 80 Japanese aircraft viciously assailed USS Enterprise and USS Saratoga (CV-3).
The two American carriers survived the battle thanks to the massive fire support from naval guns on the deck of battleship USS North Carolina (BB-55), two cruisers, USS Portland and Atlanta, and six destroyers, which were in circular formation. At 05:12 PM, North Carolina opened fire with mount 2, 4, and 6 portside 5-inch gun turrets at 20 dive bombers attacking the Enterprise. Meanwhile, North Carolina herself came under heavy attack from Japanese bombers and opened fire. At the end of the battle, this warship had shot down 15 Japanese aircraft.
During the next hours and the following day, the US Navy carriers would sink a Japanese destroyer and a troop transport ship.
Below, USS Enterprise under attack during the Battle of the Eastern Solomons.
