Battle of the Eastern Solomons

24–25 August 1942, North of the Solomon Islands

American victory

The third carrier battle of the war. Japan sent its carriers south to cover a convoy taking reinforcements to Guadalcanal, sending the light carrier Ryūjō ahead to strike Henderson Field and draw American attention. Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher's aircraft from Saratoga duly sank her. Meanwhile scouts found Shōkaku and Zuikaku, but too late for a full strike, and their dive bombers hit Enterprise with three bombs, killing 74 men; her crew had her landing aircraft again within an hour. The next morning Marine and Navy dive bombers from Henderson Field hit the convoy, sinking the transport Kinryū Maru and damaging Admiral Raizō Tanaka's flagship Jintsū, and B-17s from Espiritu Santo sank the destroyer Mutsuki. The convoy turned back. Japan lost about 75 aircraft and their experienced crews, the Americans about 25.

United States Navy

5+ ships, none lost

Ship	Type	Outcome
USS Saratoga Fletcher's flagship; her aircraft sank Ryūjō	Aircraft carrier Lexington class	Survived
USS Enterprise Three bomb hits	Aircraft carrier Yorktown class	Damaged
USS North Carolina Screened Enterprise	Battleship North Carolina class	Survived
USS Portland	Heavy cruiser Portland class	Survived
USS Atlanta	Light cruiser Atlanta class	Survived

Flotillas and other craft	Number	Lost
Cruisers and destroyers of the screen	About 15	0

Imperial Japanese Navy

15+ ships, 3 lost

Ship	Type	Outcome
IJN Shōkaku Nagumo's flagship	Aircraft carrier Shōkaku class	Survived
IJN Zuikaku	Aircraft carrier Shōkaku class	Survived
IJN Ryūjō	Aircraft carrier	Sunk
IJN Tone Escorted Ryūjō	Heavy cruiser Tone class	Survived
IJN Amatsukaze Escorted Ryūjō; rescued survivors	Destroyer Kagerō class	Survived
IJN Hiei Vanguard force	Battleship Kongō class	Survived
IJN Kirishima Vanguard force	Battleship Kongō class	Survived
IJN Chitose Near misses	Seaplane tender	Damaged
IJN Jintsū Tanaka's flagship	Light cruiser Sendai class	Damaged
IJN Mutsuki Sunk by B-17s on 25 August	Destroyer Mutsuki class	Sunk
Kinryū Maru Sunk on 25 August	Transport	Sunk

Flotillas and other craft	Number	Lost
Battleships, cruisers and destroyers Kondō's advanced force, Nagumo's screen, and the convoy escort.	About 25	0
Transports and patrol boats of the convoy Turned back after Kinryū Maru was sunk.	4	0

Flotillas and other craft

Number

Lost

Battleships, cruisers and destroyers

Kondō's advanced force, Nagumo's screen, and the convoy escort.

About 25

Transports and patrol boats of the convoy

Turned back after Kinryū Maru was sunk.

Map

Japanese carriers to the Eastern Solomons 21–24 August 1942
Fletcher's carriers at the Eastern Solomons 23–25 August 1942