Skip to main content
Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

Related Content
Topic
  • Theater of Operations--Pacific
  • Operations
  • Boats-Ships--Cruisers
  • Boats-Ships--Aircraft Carriers
  • People-Places-Things--Japanese
  • Boats-Ships--Battleship
  • Boats-Ships--Destroyer
Document Type
  • Finding Aids Glossaries Guides
  • Photograph
  • Historical Summary
Wars & Conflicts
  • World War II 1939-1945
File Formats
  • Image (gif, jpg, tiff)
Location of Archival Materials
  • NHHC

Battle of Tassafaronga, 30 November 1942


Photo #: 80-G-211215 Battle of Tassafaronga, 30 November 1942
Minneapolis (CA-36) at Tulagi with torpedo damage received in the Battle of Tassafaronga. Photograph was taken on 1 December 1942, as work began to cut away the wreckage of her bow (80-G-211215).

Battle Of Tassafaronga Cover

The engagement took place in Ironbottom Sound off Tassafaronga Point on Guadalcanal’s northern coast. A U.S. Navy task force attempted to surprise and destroy Japanese destroyers dispatched to resupply Japanese ground forces on Guadalcanal. Utilizing their still relatively new surface-search radar, the U.S. task force located the Japanese ships and sank an enemy destroyer. However, the other Japanese warships reacted quickly and fired numerous very effective Type 93 “Long Lance” torpedoes, sinking one U.S. cruiser and heavily damaging three others. The Japanese were able to escape, but also did not land their supplies and reinforcements, with deleterious effects for their forces on Guadalcanal.

Operations

Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) Combat Narratives—Solomon Islands Campaign: VII Battle of Tassafaronga, 30 November 1942

U.S.S. Northampton (CA-26) Loss in Action Report, 30 November 1942

Vignette: Ensign Allen W. Bain and Minneapolis (CA-36) 

Imagery

Battle of Tassafaronga, 30 November 1942

Published: Thu Dec 01 10:42:08 EST 2022