Sitting Ducks at Guadalcanal: The U.S. Navy’s Disaster at the Battle of Savo Island in World War II

The amphibious landing was the first major American ground campaign of the Pacific War, intended to prevent the Japanese from establishing naval and air bases. The Japanese swiftly regrouped for a seaborne counterattack, resulting in one of the worst American naval defeats of the war. Lawrence De Graw's book covers the navys role in the initial landings on Guadalcanal before setting the stage for the naval clash that would come the next night.

Format: Hardback
Length: 524 pages
Publication date: 15 December 2023
Publisher: Stackpole Books

On August 7, 1942, the United States Marine Corps waded ashore in the Solomon Islands, supported by warships of the United States Navy. The amphibious landing marked the first major American ground campaign of the Pacific War, aimed at preventing the Japanese from establishing naval and air bases in the island chain and establishing Allied bases for future operations. Most notably, the invasion marked the beginning of the months-long Guadalcanal campaign. The Japanese were caught off guard and quickly regrouped for a seaborne counterattack on the night of August 8-9. The result was one of the worst American naval defeats of the war after Pearl Harbor.

In this meticulously minute-by-minute retelling of the First Battle of Savo Island, Lawrence De Graw covers the Navy's role in the initial landings on Guadalcanal before setting the stage for the naval clash that would come the next night. On the eighth, the American commander, fearing Japanese attacks and cautious about fuel levels, withdrew his aircraft carriers and let his cruisers and destroyers operate with only half their crews on duty. The Navy was unaware that the Japanese had been training to fight at night. The American ships were sitting ducks when the Japanese fleet steamed through "The Slot" between Savo Island and Guadalcanal and into what became known as "Ironbottom Sound." In less than thirty minutes, the Japanese sent three U.S. (and one Australian) heavy cruisers to the bottom and damaged three other vessels. The American fleet withdrew from the area for the foreseeable future and limited shipments of men and materiel to the daytime, helping turn the battle of Guadalcanal into a long, hard slog.

Sitting Ducks at Guadalcanal is naval history, featuring a colorful narrative that covers the Navy's role in the initial landings on Guadalcanal, the Japanese seaborne counterattack, and the subsequent naval clash. The book also delves into the tactics and strategies used by both sides, including the use of aircraft carriers, cruisers, and destroyers, and the importance of night fighting. The book is filled with vivid descriptions of the battles and the bravery of the sailors who fought in them, making it a must-read for anyone interested in the Pacific War or naval history.

Weight: 926g
Dimension: 160 x 236 x 37 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780811773836