HH104 AMERICAN NAVAL HISTORY

WATCHTOWER AND CARTWHEEL

GENERAL – 1^st Allied counteroffensive; six months of fighting

SERIES OF BATTLES – 2CV battles, 6 major surface battles, 12 land battles, 100s of air raids

NAVY FIRSTS – 1^st major amphib assault and fleet action since 1898; 1^st night fleet engagement

SAVO ISLAND – “Ironbottom Sound”l; Aug 9; 4CC, 10DD sunk, 1270 KIA

ACTIONS ON GUADALCANAL – Edson’s Ridge

BATTLE OF CAPE ESPERANCE – 1^st night victory

CARRIER BATTLES

BATTLE OF EASTERN SOLOMONS – Jap CV sunk, US CV sunk and two others damaged; US down to one good CV

BATTLE OF THE SANTO CRUZ ISLANDS – Hornet sunks; Jap CV damaged; tactical Jap victory

THE NAVAL BATTLE OF GUADALCANAL – Japs lose 2DD, 2bship; US lose 2ADM, other ships; 1^st and last US bship vs enemy bships

BATTLE OF TASSFARONGA – Attempt to intercept Tokyo Express; Japs sink superior ships due to superior torpedoes

FINAL STAGES OF GUADALCANAL – US 35k troops; Japs evac 8 Feb ‘43

AN INTELLIGENCE COUP – USN knows Yamm’s schedule and sends 18 fighters killing him and his escorts

CARTWHEEL ROLLING OVER THE JAPANESE

Op to isolate Rabaul; largest Jap Pac base (100k men, 100s of aircraft, 2^nd larget concentraion of Jap warships)

Additions to USN by ’43 – Iowa bship class; 27.1k ton Essex Class CV (100 planes each)

Bruman Avenger, P38 Lightning, Curtis Diver, Hellcats … 18,000 new planes