1942 08 09 0100 Surface Action First Battle Of Savo Island, Solomon Islands

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Related Types	Units Involved \| Persons Involved
Related Pages	Standard View \| Order Of Battle \| Places Involved \| Full Cast \| Activities Involved \| Major Subordinates
Engagement	1942 08 09 0100 Surface Action First Battle Of Savo Island, Solomon Islands

Start YMDHM	01:00
Provoked By Thing	1942 Aug 07 United States Landing Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands Tulagi, Solomon Islands
Sink Ship	HMAS Canberra \| USS Astoria \| USS Quincy \| USS Vincennes
Activity Type	Engagement
Contained In Theatre Of War	Pacific Theatre
Engagement Type	Surface Action
Activity Class	Major
Completeness	Order Of Battle Complete \| Units Entered

	Alias	Details
	First Battle Of The Solomon Sea	The Japanese planned to engage the Allied warships then destroy the transports in a night attack. The Japanese approach was not detected and the Allied commanders were not expecting a night attack. The superb Japanese night fighting ability and their JPN 61cm type 93 long lance torpedoes resulted in the sinking of 4 Allied heavy cruisers. The Japanese withdrew without attacking the transports as the whereabouts of the American carriers was not known.

Places
1) Location Place	2) 1: Depicted In Image	3) 1: Included In Place	4) 3: Depicted In Image
Savo Island, Solomon Islands		Solomon Islands

Documents
1) Covered By Document	2) 1:	3) 2:Document Reference Attribute	4) 2: Page Number	5) 4: as Page Reference
Battle History Of The Imperial Japanese Navy 1941 - 1945	N	Major Article \| Map	197	N
Royal Australian Navy 1942 - 1945 Vol II	N	Major Article \| Map \| Picture	136	N

Events
Hold Event	YMDHM	Details
.17	03:22	Mikawa Gunichi give order to withdraw. Line ahead 30 kts.
.1	07:00	Japanese launch search planes through out the day.
.3	01:44	Japanese forces in column, HIJMS Chokai, HIJMS Aoba, HIJMS Kako, HIJMS Kinugasa, HIJMS Furutaka, HIJMS Tenryu HIJMS Yubari and HIJMS Yunagi; heading south east by south at 28 kts towards Savo Island, Solomon Islands; sight USS Blue 5.5 miles due south. Japanese slow to 22kts and alter course 3 deg to port but resume course when undetected.
.2	00:00	HIJMS Chokai catapults plane to provide illumination, HIJMS Kako launches one three minutes later, then HIJMS Furutaka five minutes later.
.4	02:08	Mikawa Gunichi orders column to enter bay from the south side of Savo Island, Solomon Islands.
.20	13:14	USS Astoria sinks after efforts to save her fail.
.5	02:24	Mikawa Gunichi orders "independent command" then "every ship attack". Ship still in column at 26kts. USS Ralph Talbot seen on port bow about 8 miles away. HIJMS Chokai detects silhouettes of HMAS Canberra and USS Chicago.
.7	02:38	HIJMS Chokai launches 4 JPN 61cm type 93 long lances at range of 5000 yds and orders all ships to "open fire". Other silhouettes are seen and Mikawa Gunichi orders area illuminated. Other Japanese ships launch torpedoes. HIJMS Yunagi detached to retrace course and screen from hostile destroyers.
.8	02:43	USS Patterson detects Japanese ships closing. Sounds alarm on TBS. RAN USN Southern Force At Savo Island now full illuminated by search plane flares is fired upon by HIJMS Chokai, HIJMS Aoba and HIJMS Furutaka. HMAS Canberra hit by 2 JPN 61cm Type 93 Long Lances and 8in gunfire.
.9	02:46	USS Chicago hit by one JPN 61cm Type 93 Long Lance severing part of bow. Foremast brought down by shell fire.
.15	03:09	HIJMS Yunagi fires torpedoes and guns at USS jarvis to no effect.
.13	02:57	USS Astoria hit by 8in shells from HIJMS Chokai bursts into flames.
.11	02:46	Japanese starboard column, HIJMS Chokai, HIJMS Aoba, HIJMS Kako, HIJMS Kinugasa turn on search lights, open fire with guns and torpedoes on USN Northern Force At Savo Island at range of 4000 yds.
.18	03:49	USS Vincennes sinks.
.10	02:43	HIJMS Furutaka, HIJMS Tenryu and HIJMS Yubari become separated from main column, form new column 1000yds from main column which turns northwards at full speed. Turn observed by USS Patterson which opens fire but is hit on Y turret and set on fire. USS Bagley sights Japanese but torpedoes are not ready in time.
.14		USS Quincy illuminated then shelled by HIJMS Aoba. Search light quickly turned off as burning ships were adequately silhouetting others. USS Quincy fires infrequently for fear of hitting friendlies. Soon ablaze and sinking.
.6	02:30	Mikawa Gunichi increases speed to 30 kts.
.12	02:50	USS Vincennes illuminated by HIJMS Kako then hit amidships by gunfire, setting planes afire. Hit repeatedly by shells and torpedoes.
.16	03:15	HIJMS Tenryu detects USS Patterson then illuminates with search light. HIJMS Tenryu, HIJMS Furutaka and HIJMS Yubari opens fire at 3000 - 4000 yards. Destroyer is hit, bursts into flames and lists, manages to fire four torpedoes to no effect.
.19	09:00	HMAS Canberra dead in water and beyond help, is sunk by friendly torpedo.

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