Ironbottom Sound

"Ironbottom Sound" (alternatively Iron Bottom Sound or Ironbottomed Sound or Iron Bottom Bay) is the name given by Allied sailors to the stretch of water at the southern end of The Slot between Guadalcanal, Savo Island, and Florida Island of the Solomon Islands, because of the dozens of ships and planes that sank there during the naval actions comprising the Battle of Guadalcanal during 1942–1943. Before the war, it was called Savo Sound. Every year on the battle's anniversary, a US ship cruises into the waters and drops a wreath to commemorate the men who lost their lives. For many Navy sailors, and those who served in the area during that time, the waters in this area are considered sacred, and strict silence is observed as ships cruise through.

Naval actions comprising the Battle of Guadalcanal

 * Battle of Savo Island, 9 August 1942
 * Battle of Cape Esperance, 11–12 October 1942
 * Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, 13–15 November 1942
 * Battle of Tassafaronga, 30 November 1942
 * Operation I-Go, 1–16 April 1943

Cape Esperance, 11–12 October 1942

 * JAPANESE DESTROYER Fubuki – Fubuki-class destroyer
 * JAPANESE CRUISER Furutaka – Furutaka-class cruiser heavy cruiser; wreck located 30 km northwest of Savo Island

First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, 13 November 1942

 * JAPANESE DESTROYER Akatsuki – Akatsuki-class destroyer
 * JAPANESE DESTROYER Yūdachi – Shiratsuyu-class destroyer
 * JAPANESE BATTLESHIP Hiei – Kongō-class battlecruiser

Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, 15 November 1942

 * JAPANESE BATTLESHIP Kirishima – Kongō-class battlecruiser
 * JAPANESE DESTROYER Ayanami – Fubuki-class destroyer
 * JAPANESE TROOP TRANSPORT Yamatsuki Maru – troop transport beached and then attacked by US bombers. These attacks set the transports afire and destroyed most equipment not unloaded before dawn. In September and October 1944, the wreck was used as a target for tests of the TDR-1 Drone by STAG-1 based at North Field on Banika, Russell Islands as part of the top secret project testing of America's first guided missile.
 * JAPANESE TROOP TRANSPORT Yamaura Maru – troop transport beached in Doma Cove

Tassafaronga, 30 November 1942

 * JAPANESE DESTROYER Takanami – Yūgumo-class destroyer

Other surface battles and aerial actions, 1942–1943

 * JAPANESE DESTROYER Kikuzuki – Mutsuki-class destroyer; lost to U.S. Navy air attack 4 May 1942
 * JAPANESE TRANSPORT Tama Maru – minesweeper; lost to U.S. Navy aerial torpedo attack 4 May 1942
 * Azumasan Maru – military transport; ran aground and lost to air attack 15 October 1942
 * JAPANESE TRANSPORT Hirokawa Maru – military transport; grounded and lost to air attack 15 November 1942[[File:Japanese transport Kinugawa Maru beached and sunk on the Guadalcanal shore, in November 1943 (80-G-K-1467-A).jpg|thumb|right|Kinugawa Maru]]
 * JAPANESE TRANSPORT Kinugawa Maru – military transport; grounded and lost to air attack 15 November 1942
 * JSUB I-3 – Type J1 submarine; torpedoed by USN PT Boat 9 December 1942
 * JAPANESE DESTROYER Teruzuki – Akizuki-class destroyer; torpedoed by USN PT Boat 12 December 1942
 * JSUB I-1 (1924) – Type J1 submarine; rammed by RNZN ASW Corvettes, ran aground 29 January 1943
 * JAPANESE DESTROYER Makigumo – Yūgumo-class destroyer; hit Mine while under attack by PT Boat 1 February 1943
 * JAPANESE TROOP TRANSPORT Kyushu Maru (Kyūsyū Maru ) – military transport; attacked by the “Cactus Air Force” (later Air Sols) from Henderson Field 14 October 1942
 * JAPANESE TROOP TRANSPORT Sasako Maru – military transport; attacked by the “Cactus Air Force” (later Air Sols) from Henderson Field 14 October 1942. Beached and becomes a total loss. She is also known as the Sasago Maru.

Savo Island, 9 August 1942

 * USS Astoria (CA-34) – US New Orleans-class cruiser heavy cruiser
 * USS Quincy (CA-39) – US New Orleans-class heavy cruiser
 * USS Vincennes (CA-44) – US New Orleans-class heavy cruiser
 * HMAS Canberra (1927) – Australian Kent-class cruiser heavy cruiser

Cape Esperance, 12 October 1942

 * USS Duncan (DD-485) – US Gleaves-class destroyer

First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, 13 November 1942

 * USS Atlanta (CL-51) – US Atlanta-class cruiser light cruiser/anti-aircraft cruiser
 * USS Barton (DD-599) – US Benson-class destroyer
 * USS Cushing (DD-376) – US Mahan-class destroyer
 * USS Laffey (DD-459) – US Benson-class destroyer
 * USS Monssen (DD-436) – US Gleaves-class destroyer

Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, 15 November 1942

 * USS Preston (DD-379) – US Mahan-class destroyer
 * USS Walke (DD-416) – US Sims-class destroyer
 * USS Benham (DD-397) – US Benham-class destroyer

Tassafaronga, 30 November 1942

 * USS Northampton (CA-26) – US Northampton-class cruiser heavy cruiser

Operation I-Go (Air Raid on Tulagi), 7 April 1943

 * USS Kanawha (AO-1) – US Kanawha-class fleet oiler
 * USS Aaron Ward (DD-483) – US Gleaves-class destroyer
 * HMNZS Moa (T233) – New Zealand Bird-class minesweeper corvette

Other surface battles and aerial actions, 1942–1945

 * USS George F. Elliott (AP-13) – US Heywood-class attack transport; lost to air attack 8 August 1942
 * USS Jarvis (DD-393) – US Bagley-class destroyer; sunk in aerial torpedo attack 9 August 1942
 * USS Blue (DD-387) – US Bagley-class destroyer; torpedoed by IJN destroyer 22 August 1942
 * USS Colhoun (DD-85) – US Wickes-class destroyer; sunk in dive-bombing attack 30 August 1942
 * USS Gregory (DD-82) – US Wickes-class destroyer; lost with Little in surface combat vs. IJN destroyers 5 September 1942
 * USS Little (DD-79) – US Wickes-class destroyer; lost with Gregory in unnamed action vs. IJN destroyers 5 September 1942
 * USS Seminole (AT-65) – US Navajo-class fleet tug oceangoing tug; lost with YP-284 to gunfire of IJN destroyers 25 October 1942
 * YP-284 – US Yard Patrol craft; lost with Seminole to gunfire of IJN destroyers 25 October 1942
 * USS Juneau (CL-52) – US Atlanta-class light cruiser/anti-aircraft cruiser; torpedoed by I-26 13 November 1942
 * PT-44 – US PT boat; lost in unnamed surface action vs. IJN destroyers 12 December 1942
 * PT-112 – US PT boat; lost in surface combat vs. IJN destroyers 11 January 1943
 * USS De Haven (DD-469) – US Fletcher-class destroyer; lost to dive-bombing attack 1 February 1943
 * PT-37 – US PT boat; sunk with PT-111 by IJN destroyer 1 February 1943
 * PT-111 – US PT boat; sunk with PT-37 by IJN destroyer 1 February 1943
 * PT-123 – US PT boat; lost to air attack 1 February 1943
 * USS John Penn (APA-23) – US attack transport; torpedoed in air attack 13 August 1943
 * USS Serpens (AK-97) – United States Coast Guard–manned Liberty ship; exploded while loading depth charges 29 January 1945