Struggle for Guadalcanal: August 1942 - February 1943 - Volume 5

Samuel Eliot Morison
Little Brown and Company
 9780316583053
0-316-58305-7

The present volume, the third on the war in the Pacific, is devoted entirely to the Guadalcanal campaign, in which the United States Navy experienced more fighting than in the three previous wars. After.

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a brief description of the Solomon Islands, the author launches forth into the Battle of Savo Island. The full story of this severe defeat to the United States is here told for the first time. Other major actions covered by this volume are: the carrier battle of the Eastern Solomons; the battle of Cape Esperance(Norman Scott's night action); the battle of the Santa Cruz Islands(Kinkaid's carrier action); the great three-day naval battle of Guadalcanal, in which two rear admirals were lost; the battle of Tassafaronga; the battle of Rennell Island(loss of the "Chicago" ). The relation between the ground fighting and the naval warfare, which was a significant feature of this campaign, is described in considerable detail. In addition some twoscore minor naval actions are recorded, as well as the sufferings of the supply train, the almost daily air fighting, the initial bombardment of Munda by "Pug" Ainsworth's task force, and the development of the Black Cats.