Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands

Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands
Previous	Battle of Cape Esperance
Next	Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
Conflict	World War II
Date	25–27 October 1942
Place	Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Islands
Outcome	Japanese tactical victory, American strategic victory
Combatants
United States
Japan
Commanders
William Halsey Jr. Thomas C. Kincaid
Nobutake Kondo Chuichi Nagumo
Strength
2 carriers 1 battleship 6 cruisers 14 destroyers 136 aircraft
3 fleet carriers 1 light carrier 4 battleships 10 cruisers 22 destroyers 199 aircraft
Casualties
1 carrier sunk 1 destroyer sunk 1 carrier heavily damaged 2 destroyers heavily damaged 81 aircraft destroyed 266 dead
1 carrier heavily damaged 1 light carrier heavily damaged 1 cruiser heavily damaged 99 aircraft destroyed 500 dead

The Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands (25-27 October 1942) was a naval battle fought between the US Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy off the Solomon Islands during World War II. The battle occurred as a part of a combined naval and land offensive launched by the Japanese against American forces on Guadalcanal, with the Japanese hoping to recapture Henderson Field and destroy the American fleet. The Americans were also seeking a decisive naval battle with the Japanese to decide which fleet controlled the waters around Guadalcanal, and the two adversaries confronted each other just north of the Santa Cruz Islands. After the two sides exchanged air attacks, the Americans were forced to retreat, as they had been forced to scuttle USS Hornet. However, the Japanese suffered high aircraft and aircrew losses plus significant damage to two carriers, the Junyo and Zuiho, losing several veteran pilots; the Americans lost a few replaceable pilots in battle.