Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands

October 25–27, 1942 · Battle site

Carrier battle east of the Solomons: Hornet was sunk and Enterprise damaged, a tactical Japanese victory that cost Japan many of its experienced aircrews.

On the map Contemporaries

Axis

Allies

Japan

United States

Chūichi Nagumo military commander

Nobutake Kondō military commander

Hiroaki Abe military commander

George Dominic Murray military commander

William Halsey Jr. military commander

Thomas Cassin Kinkaid military commander

Strength and losses

Killed: 266
Captured: 4
Aircraft: 136
Aircraft lost: c. 81
Ships lost: c. 1

Units

1st Carrier Division 2nd Carrier Division Japanese Third Fleet (1942) Kido Butai

Task Force 61 (1942)

Also involved 2

Chūichi Hara participant · Axis
Aubrey Fitch participant · Allies