Sunday, 9 August 1942

US NAVY

PACIFIC—Battle of Savo Island: Japanese force of seven cruisers and one destroyer (Vice Admiral Mikawa Gunichi) approaches west of Savo Island, Solomons, undetected. The defeat is one of the worst ever inflicted on the U.S. Navy. Allied ships depart Guadalcanal area. Japanese vessels temporarily control waters around Guadalcanal. Heavy cruiser Astoria (CA-34) is sunk by gunfire of Japanese heavy cruisers Chokai, Aoba, Kinugasa, and Kako. Quincy (CA-39) is sunk by gunfire of heavy cruisers Aoba, Kako, and Furutaka and light cruiser Tenryu and is torpedoed by light cruiser Yubari. Vincennes (CA-44) is sunk by gunfire and torpedo from heavy cruiser Chokai, and gunfire from Kako, Aoba, and Kinugasa, and light cruiser Yubari. The fourth Allied ship lost off Savo is Australian heavy cruiser HMAS Canberra which, badly damaged by Japanese gunfire, is scuttled by destroyer Selfridge (DD-357).

            U.S. ships damaged are heavy cruiser Chicago (CA-29) by Kako; destroyer Ralph Talbot (DD-390) by Furutaka, Yubari, and Tenryu; and destroyer Patterson (DD-392) by Yubari and Tenryu. U.S. gunfire damages Chokai (from Quincy and Astoria); Kinugasa (by Vincennes); Aoba (by Quincy) and Tenryu (by Chicago and Patterson).

            Destroyer Jarvis (DD-393), damaged the previous day, is mistaken as an "Achilles-class cruiser" and attacked by Japanese land attack planes (Misawa Kokutai) and torpedoed 200 nautical miles southeast of Tulagi, 09°42'S,158°59'E. Jarvis puts up a stout fight, splashing two of the attacking planes; a third ditches due to battle damage. There are, however, no survivors from the destroyer, which is lost with all hands.

ATLANTIC—German submarine U-98 completes laying mines off mouth of St. Johns River, east of Jacksonville, Florida.

US ARMY AIR FORCE

TENTH AF—P‑40’s of the 23d Group continue to support Chinese ground forces by harassing the Japanese at Linchwan. 4 B‑25’s and 3 P‑40’s from Kweilin-Hengyang area, staging through Nanning, bomb docks and warehouses at Haiphong, causing considerable damage and claiming a freighter sunk in the harbor; this is first CATF raid over Indochina.

FIFTH AF—B‑17’s bomb shipping and airfields at Rabaul and Gasmata while B‑26’s hit harbor area at Salamaua.

ELEVENTH AF—6 bombers fly armed reconnaissance over Kiska and Attu and hit Kiska.

US ARMY

SOLOMON ISLANDS—Amphibious and Air Support Forces of TF 61 retire, former with more than half the 60 days’ supplies and elements of landing force still embarked. Of the original landing force of over 19,000, almost 17,000 are now ashore. Guadalcanal beachhead is being consolidated and work is begun on uncompleted airstrip, where air warning system is established. During 8 and 9, 2d Marines completes northern attack with occupation of Mbangai, Makambo, and Kokomtambu islets.

NEW GUINEA—Maj General Sydney F. Rowell, CG Australian I Corps, is designated to command New Guinea Force.

USSR—Krasnodar and Maikop fall to German Army Group A.

US MARINE CORPS

Battle of Savo Island forces U. S. ships to retire from Guadalcanal area, leaving control of waters temporarily to Japanese.