Editing Cruiser (section)

===Guadalcanal campaign===
After the key carrier battles of the [[Battle of the Coral Sea|Coral Sea]] and Midway in mid-1942, Japan had lost four of the six fleet carriers that launched the Pearl Harbor raid and was on the strategic defensive. On 7 August 1942 [[United States Marine Corps|US Marines]] were landed on Guadalcanal and other nearby islands, beginning the Guadalcanal Campaign. This campaign proved to be a severe test for the Navy as well as the Marines. Along with two carrier battles, several major surface actions occurred, almost all at night between cruiser-destroyer forces.

'''Battle of Savo Island'''<br />
On the night of 8–9 August 1942 the Japanese counterattacked near Guadalcanal in the [[Battle of Savo Island]] with a cruiser-destroyer force. In a controversial move, the US carrier task forces were withdrawn from the area on the 8th due to heavy fighter losses and low fuel. The Allied force included six heavy cruisers (two Australian), two light cruisers (one Australian), and eight US destroyers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/rep/Savo/Quantock/#page4|title=HyperWar: Disaster at Savo Island, 1942|website=www.ibiblio.org}}</ref> Of the cruisers, only the Australian ships had torpedoes. The Japanese force included five heavy cruisers, two light cruisers, and one destroyer. Numerous circumstances combined to reduce Allied readiness for the battle. The results of the battle were three American heavy cruisers sunk by torpedoes and gunfire, one Australian heavy cruiser disabled by gunfire and scuttled, one heavy cruiser damaged, and two US destroyers damaged. The Japanese had three cruisers lightly damaged. This was the most lopsided outcome of the surface actions in the [[Solomon Islands]]. Along with their superior torpedoes, the opening Japanese gunfire was accurate and very damaging. Subsequent analysis showed that some of the damage was due to poor housekeeping practices by US forces. Stowage of boats and aircraft in midships hangars with full gas tanks contributed to fires, along with full and unprotected ready-service ammunition lockers for the open-mount secondary armament. These practices were soon corrected, and US cruisers with similar damage sank less often thereafter.<ref name=FriedDmg1>Friedman cruisers, pp. 316–321</ref> Savo was the first surface action of the war for almost all the US ships and personnel; few US cruisers and destroyers were targeted or hit at Coral Sea or Midway.

'''Battle of the Eastern Solomons'''<br />
On 24–25 August 1942 the Battle of the Eastern Solomons, a major carrier action, was fought. Part of the action was a Japanese attempt to reinforce Guadalcanal with men and equipment on [[Troopship|troop transports]]. The Japanese troop convoy was attacked by Allied aircraft, resulting in the Japanese subsequently reinforcing Guadalcanal with troops on fast warships at night. These convoys were called the "[[Tokyo Express]]" by the Allies. Although the Tokyo Express often ran unopposed, most surface actions in the Solomons revolved around Tokyo Express missions. Also, US air operations had commenced from [[Henderson Field (Guadalcanal)|Henderson Field]], the airfield on Guadalcanal. Fear of air power on both sides resulted in all surface actions in the Solomons being fought at night.

'''Battle of Cape Esperance'''<br />
The [[Battle of Cape Esperance]] occurred on the night of 11–12 October 1942. A Tokyo Express mission was underway for Guadalcanal at the same time as a separate cruiser-destroyer bombardment group loaded with high explosive shells for bombarding Henderson Field. A US cruiser-destroyer force was deployed in advance of a convoy of US Army troops for Guadalcanal that was due on 13 October. The Tokyo Express convoy was two seaplane tenders and six destroyers; the bombardment group was three heavy cruisers and two destroyers, and the US force was two heavy cruisers, two light cruisers, and five destroyers. The US force engaged the Japanese bombardment force; the Tokyo Express convoy was able to unload on Guadalcanal and evade action. The bombardment force was sighted at close range ({{convert|5000|yd|m}}) and the US force opened fire. The Japanese were surprised because their admiral was anticipating sighting the Tokyo Express force, and withheld fire while attempting to confirm the US ships' identity.<ref>Morison vol. V, pp. 156–160</ref> One Japanese cruiser and one destroyer were sunk and one cruiser damaged, against one US destroyer sunk with one light cruiser and one destroyer damaged. The bombardment force failed to bring its torpedoes into action, and turned back. The next day US aircraft from Henderson Field attacked several of the Japanese ships, sinking two destroyers and damaging a third.<ref>Morison vol. V, p. 169</ref> The US victory resulted in overconfidence in some later battles, reflected in the initial after-action report claiming two Japanese heavy cruisers, one light cruiser, and three destroyers sunk by the gunfire of {{USS|Boise|CL-47|2}} alone.<ref name=FriedDmg1/> The battle had little effect on the overall situation, as the next night two Kongō-class battleships bombarded and severely damaged Henderson Field unopposed, and the following night another Tokyo Express convoy delivered 4,500 troops to Guadalcanal. The US convoy delivered the Army troops as scheduled on the 13th.<ref>Morison vol. V, p. 171</ref>

'''Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands'''<br />
The [[Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands]] took place 25–27 October 1942. It was a pivotal battle, as it left the US and Japanese with only two large carriers each in the South Pacific (another large Japanese carrier was damaged and under repair until May 1943). Due to the high carrier attrition rate with no replacements for months, for the most part both sides stopped risking their remaining carriers until late 1943, and each side sent in a pair of battleships instead. The next major carrier operations for the US were the [[carrier raid on Rabaul]] and support for the [[Battle of Tarawa|invasion of Tarawa]], both in November 1943.

'''Naval Battle of Guadalcanal'''<br />
The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal occurred 12–15 November 1942 in two phases. A night surface action on 12–13 November was the first phase. The Japanese force consisted of two Kongō-class battleships with high explosive shells for bombarding Henderson Field, one small light cruiser, and 11 destroyers. Their plan was that the bombardment would neutralize Allied airpower and allow a force of 11 transport ships and 12 destroyers to reinforce Guadalcanal with a Japanese division the next day.<ref name=MorNvlGuad1>Morrison vol. V, pp. 254–274</ref> However, US reconnaissance aircraft spotted the approaching Japanese on the 12th and the Americans made what preparations they could. The American force consisted of two heavy cruisers, one light cruiser, two anti-aircraft cruisers,<ref>Although these ships were designated light cruisers at the time, the term "anti-aircraft" is used to distinguish them from larger London Treaty light cruisers.</ref> and eight destroyers. The Americans were outgunned by the Japanese that night, and a lack of pre-battle orders by the US commander led to confusion. The destroyer {{USS|Laffey|DD-459|6}} closed with the battleship {{ship|Japanese battleship|Hiei||2}}, firing all torpedoes (though apparently none hit or detonated) and raking the battleship's bridge with gunfire, wounding the Japanese admiral and killing his chief of staff. The Americans initially lost four destroyers including ''Laffey'', with both heavy cruisers, most of the remaining destroyers, and both anti-aircraft cruisers damaged. The Japanese initially had one battleship and four destroyers damaged, but at this point they withdrew, possibly unaware that the US force was unable to further oppose them.<ref name=MorNvlGuad1/> At dawn US aircraft from Henderson Field, {{USS|Enterprise|CV-6|6}}, and [[Espiritu Santo]] found the damaged battleship and two destroyers in the area. The battleship (''Hiei'') was sunk by aircraft (or possibly scuttled), one destroyer was sunk by the damaged {{USS|Portland|CA-33|6}}, and the other destroyer was attacked by aircraft but was able to withdraw.<ref name=MorNvlGuad1/> Both of the damaged US anti-aircraft cruisers were lost on 13 November, one ({{USS|Juneau|CL-52|2}}) torpedoed by a Japanese submarine, and the other sank on the way to repairs. ''Juneau''{{'}}s loss was especially tragic; the submarine's presence prevented immediate rescue, over 100 survivors of a crew of nearly 700 were adrift for eight days, and all but ten died. Among the dead were the five [[Sullivan brothers]].<ref>Kurzman</ref>

The Japanese transport force was rescheduled for the 14th and a new cruiser-destroyer force (belatedly joined by the surviving battleship {{ship|Japanese battleship|Kirishima||2}}) was sent to bombard Henderson Field the night of 13 November. Only two cruisers actually bombarded the airfield, as ''Kirishima'' had not arrived yet and the remainder of the force was on guard for US warships. The bombardment caused little damage. The cruiser-destroyer force then withdrew, while the transport force continued towards Guadalcanal. Both forces were attacked by US aircraft on the 14th. The cruiser force lost one heavy cruiser sunk and one damaged. Although the transport force had fighter cover from the carrier {{ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Jun'yō||2}}, six transports were sunk and one heavily damaged. All but four of the destroyers accompanying the transport force picked up survivors and withdrew. The remaining four transports and four destroyers approached Guadalcanal at night, but stopped to await the results of the night's action.<ref name=MorNvlGuad1/>

On the night of 14–15 November a Japanese force of ''Kirishima'', two heavy and two light cruisers, and nine destroyers approached Guadalcanal. Two US battleships ({{USS|Washington|BB-56|2}} and {{USS|South Dakota|BB-57|2}}) were there to meet them, along with four destroyers. This was one of only two battleship-on-battleship encounters during the Pacific War; the other was the lopsided Battle of Surigao Strait in October 1944, part of the Battle of Leyte Gulf. The battleships had been escorting ''Enterprise'', but were detached due to the urgency of the situation. With nine 16-inch (406&nbsp;mm) guns apiece against eight 14-inch (356&nbsp;mm) guns on ''Kirishima'', the Americans had major gun and armor advantages. All four destroyers were sunk or severely damaged and withdrawn shortly after the Japanese attacked them with gunfire and torpedoes.<ref name=MorNvlGuad1/> Although her main battery remained in action for most of the battle, ''South Dakota'' spent much of the action dealing with major electrical failures that affected her radar, [[Fire-control system|fire control]], and radio systems. Although her armor was not penetrated, she was hit by 26 shells of various calibers and temporarily rendered, in a US admiral's words, "deaf, dumb, blind, and impotent".<ref name=MorNvlGuad1/><ref name="FriedBat1"/> ''Washington'' went undetected by the Japanese for most of the battle, but withheld shooting to avoid "friendly fire" until ''South Dakota'' was illuminated by Japanese fire, then rapidly set ''Kirishima'' ablaze with a jammed rudder and other damage. ''Washington'', finally spotted by the Japanese, then headed for the [[Russell Islands]] to hopefully draw the Japanese away from Guadalcanal and ''South Dakota'', and was successful in evading several torpedo attacks. Unusually, only a few Japanese torpedoes scored hits in this engagement. ''Kirishima'' sank or was scuttled before the night was out, along with two Japanese destroyers. The remaining Japanese ships withdrew, except for the four transports, which beached themselves in the night and started unloading. However, dawn (and US aircraft, US artillery, and a US destroyer) found them still beached, and they were destroyed.<ref name=MorNvlGuad1/>

'''Battle of Tassafaronga'''<br />
The [[Battle of Tassafaronga]] took place on the night of 30 November – 1 December 1942. The US had four heavy cruisers, one light cruiser, and four destroyers. The Japanese had eight destroyers on a Tokyo Express run to deliver food and supplies in drums to Guadalcanal. The Americans achieved initial surprise, damaging one destroyer with gunfire which later sank, but the Japanese torpedo counterattack was devastating. One American heavy cruiser was sunk and three others heavily damaged, with the bows blown off of two of them.<ref>Morison vol. V, pp. 299–307</ref> It was significant that these two were not lost to Long Lance hits as happened in previous battles; American battle readiness and damage control had improved.<ref name=FriedDmg1/> Despite defeating the Americans, the Japanese withdrew without delivering the crucial supplies to Guadalcanal. Another attempt on 3 December dropped 1,500 drums of supplies near Guadalcanal, but Allied strafing aircraft sank all but 300 before the Japanese Army could recover them. On 7 December [[PT boat]]s interrupted a Tokyo Express run, and the following night sank a Japanese supply submarine. The next day the Japanese Navy proposed stopping all destroyer runs to Guadalcanal, but agreed to do just one more. This was on 11 December and was also intercepted by PT boats, which sank a destroyer; only 200 of 1,200 drums dropped off the island were recovered.<ref>Morison vol. V, pp. 318–321</ref> The next day the Japanese Navy proposed abandoning Guadalcanal; this was approved by the [[Imperial General Headquarters]] on 31 December and the Japanese left the island in early February 1943.<ref>Evans and Tanaka, pp. 208–209</ref>