Battle of Savo Island

A 1942 night naval battle near Guadalcanal in which a Japanese cruiser force surprised and defeated Allied warships, sinking four heavy cruisers.

Night naval warfare: Naval combat conducted in darkness, relying on night vision, illumination, radar, and specialized tactics. Darkness helped Japanese ships approach undetected and shape the opening engagements.
Guadalcanal campaign: A 1942–1943 campaign in which Allied and Japanese forces fought for control of Guadalcanal and nearby islands. The battle was an early naval crisis in the campaign's struggle to hold the Allied beachhead.
Gunichi Mikawa: A Japanese admiral who commanded the cruiser force that attacked the Allied ships at Savo Island. Mikawa's night approach and withdrawal produced a decisive victory while leaving the Allied transports untouched.
Battle of the Eastern Solomons: An August 1942 carrier battle in the Solomon Islands campaign between Allied and Japanese forces. It followed Savo Island as both sides contested control of the waters around Guadalcanal.
Type 93 torpedo: A Japanese oxygen-powered torpedo known for long range, high speed, and a large warhead. Type 93 torpedoes contributed to the rapid destruction of Allied cruisers.
Operation Watchtower: The Allied operation that began the invasion of Guadalcanal and Tulagi in August 1942. Its landings drew the Japanese night force toward the Allied transports and screening ships.
Victor Crutchley: A British admiral who commanded the Allied naval forces screening the Guadalcanal landings. Crutchley's absence from the southern screening group contributed to divided command during the attack.
Battle of Cape Esperance: An October 1942 night naval battle near Guadalcanal in which Allied forces intercepted a Japanese reinforcement mission. The Allied victory later reversed the pattern of surprise seen at Savo Island.
Naval radar: A system that uses radio waves to detect and locate ships, aircraft, and other objects at sea. Uneven radar performance and interpretation left the Allied force vulnerable to surprise.
Tulagi: An island in the Solomon Islands occupied by Japanese forces and invaded by Allied troops in August 1942. The Allied landings at Tulagi formed part of the operation that precipitated the battle.

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Ironbottom SoundRelated: Its wrecks became part of the ship graveyard that gave the sound its name.