Sinking of Wasp

15 September 1942, South-east of San Cristóbal, Solomon Islands

Japanese victory

Wasp and Hornet were covering a convoy taking the 7th Marines to Guadalcanal when the submarine I-19 fired six torpedoes at Wasp. Three hit her by the fuel tanks and magazines, and she was soon burning from end to end; her crew abandoned her and the destroyer Lansdowne sank her with torpedoes. 193 men died. The other torpedoes ran on some miles to Hornet's group, hitting the battleship North Carolina and the destroyer O'Brien, which later broke up on the way home. With Saratoga torpedoed in August and Enterprise under repair, Hornet was for a time the only American carrier left in the South Pacific. The convoy got through.