Ceylon and the Bay of Bengal March 1942
Armed Merchant Cruiser Sunk
22 assorted ships sunk
Indian Ocean April 1942
April 5 1942
Heavy cruiser HMS Dorsetshire sunk
Heavy cruiser HMS Cornwall sunk
April 9 1942
HMS Hermes (CV) sunk by Japanese planes off the coast of Ceylon
Destroyer Vampire sunk by Japanese planes off the coast of Ceylon
Corvette Hollyhock sunk by Japanese planes off the coast of Ceylon
Battle of the Coral Sea May 4,7-8, 1942
Main Japanese Forces
Task force MO comprised 11 transports escorted by destroyers
Main covering group under Rear-Admiral Aritome Goto. Light carrier Shoho, four heavy cruisers, and a destroyer.
Striking force under Vice-Admiral Takagi including the carriers Zuikaku and Shokaku
Main US and allied Forces
Task Force 17 under Rear-Admiral Frank Fletcher based around the carrier Yorktown
Task Force 11 under Rear-Admiral Aubrey Fitch based around the carrier Lexington
Task Force 44 under Rear-Admiral J Crace with the two Cruisers HMAS Australia and HMAS Hobart
A Japanese destroyer sunk on 4 May.
Japanese lossess also included a cruiser and the carrier Shoho. The carrier Shokaku sufferred serious damage on the 8 May.
Two American ships were sunk on the 7th by planes from the Japanese carriers Shokaku and Zuikaku. US losses included the carrier Lexington damaged by torpedo in Japanese air attacks on the 8th and eventually sunk by an American destroyer.
May 1942 Diego Suarez landing
British landings on Madagascar covered by planes from HMS Indomitable and HMS Illustrious under Rear Admiral Syfret.
June 3 1942
Carriers Ryujo and Junyo part of a force under Vice Admiral Hosogaya that attacked Dutch harbour in the Aleutions.
Battle of Midway, June 4, 1942
An inconclusive early start.
Kaga, Agagi, Soryu sunk.
Japanese carrier Hiryu sunk
American Task Force 16 under Rear Admiral Spruance with USS Enterprise and Hornet.
American Task Force 17 under Rear Admiral Fletcher with USS Yorktown. Yorktown was the major American casualty of the Battle of Midway.
August 7 1942
1st Marine Division landed on Guadalcanal and Tulagi.
Battle of Savo Island, August 8-9 1942
A six strong split American Australian cruiser force covering the landings was virtually destroyed. The cruisers Quincy, Vincennes, Astoria and Canberra were sunk and the Chigaco lost her bow. The Australia was the only cruiser which did not suffer major damage.
August 20 1942
Planes from the carrier USS Long Island landed at Henderson field which had been prepared by the US marines landed on Guadacanal on 7 August.
Battle Eastern Solomons, August 23-25, 1942
A US naval air strike on the 23rd failed to make contact as once detected the Japanese force reversed course. A successful air strike was made against the Japanese carrier Ryojo on the 24th, and in another attack the light cruiser Chitose was badly damaged. Japanese planes bombed, but did not sink the carrier Enterprise. On the 25th three ships of Rear Admiral Raizo Tanaka's convoy were sunk and the rest forced to turn back.
August 31 1942
The carrier USS Saratoga torpedoed and put out of action by Japanese submarine I26.
September 15 1942
I16/I19 torpedoed the carrier Wasp, the battleship North Carolina and the destroyer O'Brien. The latter two ships six miles distant were part of the Hornet's screen and the Americans therefore believed that more than one submarine was active in the area. Wasp was abandoned, O'Brien who had lost her bow later broke in two and sunk on her way for repairs and North Carolina made her way to Pearl with a large gash in her port side.
Battle of Cape Esperance, October 11-12 1942
An innitially confused night battle in which American destroyer Duncan was sunk by a mixture of Japanese and American shells and the American destroyer Farenbolt was also damaged by American gunfire. A Japanese destroyer Fubuki was destroyed by shellfire from the heavy cruiser San Francisco. The Japanese heavy cruiser Aoba with Rear Admiral Goto Aritomo on the bridge was also destroyed by gunfire. The light cruiser USS Boise caught fire and retired.
October 12 1942
Two Japanese destroyers that had been guarding the transports of the force that fought off Cape Esperance were sunk by aircraft.
October 14-15 1942
Japanese battleships Kongo and Haruna under Vice Admiral Kurita Takeo shelled Henderson airfield destroying 40 plus planes on the ground. Two cruisers joined the shelling force and Japanese bombers and artillery also struck the airfield.
October 18 1942
Vice Admiral Halsey took over as new commander of the allied fleets at sea.
| US losses | Japanese losses |
|---|---|
| Tug lost early hours 25th | Light Cruiser lost early hours 25th |
| Patrol Boat lost early hours 25th | Light carrier Zuiho badly damaged 25th |
| Hornet badly damaged 25th | Fleet carrier Shokaku badly damaged 25th |
| Enterprise damaged 25th | Heavy cruiser Chikuma took major damage 25th |
| Destroyer Porter ruined by torpedo bomb 25th | |
| Destroyer Smith badly damaged by aircraft 25th | |
| South Dakota damaged in collision 25th | |
| Destroyer damaged in collision 25th | |
| Hornet sunk 27th October |
First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, November 13, 1942
The Light antiaircraft cruiser Atlanta was damaged first by gunfire then terminally by torpedo before finally being subjected to fire from USS San Francisco. The USS Cushing fired on the Hiei and was sunk, USS laffey met the same fate and only slight damage was done to Hiei in return.
San Francisco came under fire from the battleship Kirishima and several other ships. The USS Heavy cruiser Portland was hit by torpedo and left sailing in circles and light cruiser Helena took light damage. The second antiaircraft cruiser Juneau was torpedod and drifted while slowly sinking, she was finished off by I26 during the day.
The destroyers Barton and Monssen were both hit with Barton going down quickly and Monssen abandoned.
The total losses for the US navy were two light cruisers and four destroyers with all but one of the survivors damaged.
Two Japanese destroyers were sunk and Hiei was left battered, the next day she was bombed till dead in the water, eventually sinking off Savo island.
Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, November 14, 1942
Japanese Heavy cruiser Kinugasa sunk by planes from Guadacanal.
Seven Japanese troopships destroyed by land and sea based aircraft.
Two US escorts sunk one light damaged and a fatal damage in a skirmish with Japanese destroyers covering a main force of a battleship, two heavy and two light cruisers as well as 9 destroyers. Only one Japanese destroyer was damaged in return.
The main naval battle was between the US battleships Washington and South Dakota against the Kirishima and the heavy cruisers Atago and Takao. South Dakota was damaged and retired to refit, but Washington put Kirishima out of action and she sank on 15th November. A Japanese destroyer was also lost, but the landings the force were covering were still made.
Battle of Tassafaronga, November 30, 1942
Six Japanese destroyer transports and an escort of two destroyers headed for Guadalcanal. They were intercepted by a mixed cruiser destroyer force under Rear Admiral Carleton Wright. This force numbered six destroyers, one light and four heavy cruisers.
The lead Japanese destroyer Takanami was taken out with shellfire. In retun the Japanese fired their torpedoes which wrecked havoc among the American cruisers. The Minneapolis was hit almost severing her bow, and the New Orleans lost her bow to an ammnition explosion triggered after the torpedo hit. A third cruiser Pensacola was also hit and crippled and the fifth cruiser in line the USS Northampton had her fuel tanks ruptured turning her into a giant torch. On the American side only the Northampton was lost, but the inferior Japanese force lost only a destroyer and was able to retire.
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