Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands

U.S. Marine map of SouthWest Pacific area, 1942.

Tracks of Japanese forces in the battle. This chart is based on information provided by participating Japanese sources.

U.S. Navy map from 1943 showing approximate tracks of Japanese and U.S. ships and aircraft during the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, October 26, 1942.

Chart of the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands. Click on image for full description.

Rough Map of the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands

Wasp burning after being torpedoed.

U.S. Destroyer O'Brien is torpedoed on September 15, 1942. She eventually sank on October 19, 1942 while trying to return to the U.S. for repairs. U.S. carrier Wasp, torpedoed earlier, burns in the background.

Survivors from the sinking of USS Wasp on U.S. destroyer Laffey at Espiritu Santo.

An F4F Wildcat fighter prepares for launch from Enterprise on October 24, 1942.

Japanese aircrew are formally briefed on the flight deck of their carrier before departing on their mission.

Mitsubishi Type 00 Shipboard Fighters (A6M2 Model 21. Allied codename: "Zeke") ready for takeoff from a Japanese aircraft carrier, 1942. This view was probably taken on board Shokaku as she prepared to launch aircraft in the morning of 26 October 1942, during the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands. Japanese writing in lower right states that the image was reproduced by authorization of the Navy Ministry.

This A6M2 Model 21 Zero launches from the carrier Shokaku on October 26, 1942 during the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands while deck crewmen cheer on the pilot, Lt Hideki Shingo.

A TBF Avenger prepares for launch from USS Enterprise during the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, 26 October 1942. The sign visible beyond the plane's landing gear reads "PROCEED WITHOUT HORNET", indicating Enterprise's strike is not to wait to join up with a strike being launched by USS Hornet. The sign to the left reads "JAP 'CV' SPEED 25 AT 0830".

Plane-handling crews working hard aboard Enterprise as the ship heels sharply during the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, October 26, 1942. The plane in the center is an F4F Wildcat fighter. To its right is an SBD Dauntless. Other planes are overhead.

Japanese ship Chikuma during Battle of Santa Cruz islands

Chikuma (Japanese Heavy Cruiser) under air attack during the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, 26 October 1942. Photographed from a USS Enterprise plane. Note the smoke coming from her bridge area, which had been hit by a bomb, and what appears to be a recognition marking painted atop her number two eight-inch gun turret. The ship's catapults and aircraft crane appear to be swung out over her sides, aft of amidships.

Close-up image of Chikuma under attack.

The crew of Shokaku fight fires after the ship was hit by American carrier aircraft bombs.

A Japanese "Val" dive bomber appears to purposely try to crash into Hornet during the battle on October 26, 1942.

Japanese dive-bomber crashes into Hornet on October 26, 1942.

Hornet on fire as a result of crash by Japanese dive bomber, October 26, 1942.

Damage to the smokestack and signal bridge of USS Hornet (CV-8) after it was struck by a crashing Japanese dive bomber, during the morning of 26 October 1942. Smoke at bottom is from fires started when the plane subsequently hit the flight deck. Note ship's tripod mast, with CXAM radar antenna in top left and the flag still flying above the damaged structure.

U.S. destroyer maneuvers alongside damaged Hornet to remove wounded crewmen on October 26, 1942.

Hornet (lower right) under attack and burning, October 26, 1942. Anti-aircraft shell bursts are visible in the sky over the carrier.

U.S. heavy cruiser Northampton maneuvers to try to take the crippled Hornet under tow on October 26, 1942.

Japanese "Kate", with torpedo visible underneath the aircraft, heads for Hornet on October 26, 1942. Cruiser Northampton is in the background.

A Japanese torpedo aircraft (visible just above and to the right of Hornet's island) drops a torpedo (splash at lower right) that will hit the carrier and cause fatal damage on October 26, 1942.

October 26, 1942, Hornet fatally wounded and listing hard to Starboard. The destroyer is taking off her crew.

Hornet, severely listing, is abandoned by her crew at about 17:00 on October 26, 1942.

Aircraft, many critically low on fuel, circle to land on Enterprise during a lull in the battle on October 26, 1942.

USS Enterprise-Battle Santa Cruz

Enterprise maneuvers to avoid Japanese bombs on October 26, 1942.

A Japanese bomb explodes off the port side of USS Enterprise (CV-6) during the action, 26 October 1942

Three near-misses from Japanese dive-bombers straddle Enterprise as she maneuvers violently with her screening ships on October 26, 1942.

A bomb from a Japanese dive-bomber from the carrier Junyo barely misses Enterprise during battle on October 26, 1942.

Enterprise, burning from two bomb hits, continues evasive maneuvers during Japanese air attack on October 26, 1942.

A Japanese "Val" dive-bomber is shot down over Enterprise on October 26, 1942.

Two Kates near the South Dakota

A parked SBD Dauntless topples off of the flight deck of Enterprise and she heels sharply over after being hit by a bomb on October 26, 1942.

A Hornet Wildcat which had landed on Enterprise slides across the flight deck as Enterprise maneuvers violently under aerial attack on October 26, 1942. Two crewmen are in defensive posture on the deck and the ship appears to be burning.

U.S. battleship South Dakota (foreground) and a destroyer (background) maneuvering at high speed during the battle on October 26, 1942.

U.S. battleship South Dakota firing her anti-aircraft guns during the battle on October 26, 1942.

USS South Dakota and japanese torpedo plane. Battle of Santa Cruz

USS Juneau firing anti-aircraft guns during battle on October 26, 1942. Arrows in picture point to Japanese aircraft.

USS Smith (DD-378) is hit by a crashing Japanese torpedo plane, during an attack on USS Enterprise, 26 October 1942. Photographed from USS South Dakota.

USS Smith (DD-378) burning after she was hit by a crashing Japanese torpedo plane during an attack on USS Enterprise, 26 October 1942. Photographed from USS San Juan.

Crew of Enterprise conducts burial-at-sea on October 27, 1942, for 44 crewmen killed during the battle the day before.

U.S. Destroyer Smith refueling from battleship South Dakota on October 28, 1942. Her two forward 5"/38 guns and much of her forward superstructure are burned out and otherwise damaged, the result of a Japanese torpedo plane that crashed into her two days earlier, during the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands.

U.S. destroyer Shaw transfers survivors from USS Porter to South Dakota on October 28, 1942. Porter had been sunk, probably by a malfunctioning U.S. torpedo, during the battle on October 26, 1942.

Damage to Shokaku's flight deck suffered during the battle.

Damage to Shokaku's flight deck suffered during the battle.