Santa Cruz Islands order of battle

The Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands was fought 25–27 October 1942 in the waters northwest of the Santa Cruz Islands by forces of the Imperial Japanese Navy's (IJN) Combined Fleet and the United States Navy's (USN) Pacific Fleet. The battle resulted from a major Japanese offensive with the goal to drive the US forces from Guadalcanal.

The battle can be viewed as a tactical Japanese victory as they sank the American aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8) and badly damaged another, USS Enterprise (CV-6), while suffering heavy damage in return to carriers Shōkaku and Zuihō. In strategic terms, however, it was ultimately a victory for the United States, as the Japanese failed in their objective to destroy American forces on and around Guadalcanal and suffered significant losses of experienced air crew.

Because the Japanese had the tactical initiative, their forces are listed first.

Forces deployed
Losses in parentheses

Advance Force
Vice Admiral Nobutake Kondo in heavy cruiser Atago


 * Main Body
 * Vice Admiral Kondo
 * Cruiser Division 4
 * 2 Takao-class cruiser heavy cruisers (10 × 8-in. main battery): JAPANESE CRUISER Atago, JAPANESE CRUISER Takao
 * Cruiser Division 5 (Rear Adm. Sentaro Omori in heavy cruiser Myoko)
 * 1 Myoko-class cruiser heavy cruiser (10 × 8-in. main battery): JAPANESE CRUISER Myoko
 * 1 Takao-class heavy cruiser (10 × 8-in. main battery): JAPANESE CRUISER Maya
 * Destroyer Squadron 2 (Rear Adm. Raizo Tanaka in light cruiser Isuzu)
 * 1 Nagara-class cruiser light cruiser (7 × 5.5-in. main battery): JAPANESE CRUISER Isuzu
 * 2 Yugumo-class destroyer destroyers (6 × 5-in. main battery): JAPANESE DESTROYER Makinami, JAPANESE DESTROYER Naganami
 * 3 Shiratsuyu-class destroyer destroyers (5 × 5-in. main battery): JAPANESE DESTROYER Kawakaze, JAPANESE DESTROYER Suzukaze, JAPANESE DESTROYER Umikaze


 * Carrier Group
 * Rear Admiral Kakuji Kakuta in carrier Jun'yō
 * Carrier Division 2
 * 2 Hiyō-class aircraft carrier fleet carriers
 * JAPANESE AIRCRAFT CARRIER Jun'yō
 * 20 Mitsubishi A6M "Zeke" fighters (Lt. Yoshio Shiga)
 * 17 Aichi D3A "Val" dive bombers (Lt. Masao Yamaguchi†)
 * 7 Nakajima B5N "Kate" torpedo bombers (Lt. Yoshiaki Irikiin†)
 * JAPANESE AIRCRAFT CARRIER Hiyō
 * 21 Mitsubishi A6M "Zeke" fighters
 * 18 Aichi D3A "Val" dive bombers
 * 9 Nakajima B5N "Kate" torpedo bombers
 * Screen
 * 2 Kagerō-class destroyer destroyers (6 × 5-in. main battery): JAPANESE DESTROYER Kuroshio, JAPANESE DESTROYER Hayashio


 * Support Group
 * Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita in battleship Kongo
 * Battleship Division 3
 * 2 Kongo-class battleship fast battleships (8 × 14-in. main battery): JAPANESE BATTLESHIP Kongo, JAPANESE BATTLESHIP Haruna
 * Screen
 * 2 Kagerō-class destroyers (6 × 5-in. main battery): JAPANESE DESTROYER Oyashio, JAPANESE DESTROYER Kagerō

Carrier Striking Force


Vice Admiral Chūichi Nagumo


 * Carrier Group
 * Vice Admiral Nagumo
 * 2 fleet carriers
 * JAPANESE AIRCRAFT CARRIER Shōkaku
 * 20 Mitsubishi A6M "Zeke" fighters (Lt. Hideki Shingō)
 * 21 Aichi D3A "Val" dive bombers (Lt. Cmdr. Mamoru Seki†)
 * 24 Nakajima B5N "Kate" torpedo bombers (Lt. Cmdr. Shigeharu Murata†)
 * JAPANESE AIRCRAFT CARRIER Zuikaku
 * 20 Mitsubishi A6M "Zeke" fighters (Lt. Ayao Shirane)
 * 23 Aichi D3A "Val" dive bombers (Lt. Sadamu Takahashi)
 * 20 Nakajima B5N "Kate" torpedo bombers (Lt. Shigeichiro Imajuku†)
 * 1 light carrier
 * JAPANESE AIRCRAFT CARRIER Zuihō
 * 20 Mitsubishi A6M "Zeke" fighters (Lt. Masao Satō)
 * 6 Nakajima B5N "Kate" torpedo bombers (Lt(jg). Ichiro Tanaka)
 * Screen
 * 1 Mogami-class cruiser heavy cruiser (10 × 8-in. main battery): JAPANESE CRUISER Kumano
 * 7 Kagerō-class destroyer destroyers (6 × 5-in. main battery): JAPANESE DESTROYER Hatsukaze, JAPANESE DESTROYER Yukikaze, JAPANESE DESTROYER Maikaze, JAPANESE DESTROYER Hamakaze, JAPANESE DESTROYER Amatsukaze, JAPANESE DESTROYER Tokitsukaze, JAPANESE DESTROYER Arashi
 * 1 Akizuki-class destroyer destroyer (8 × 4-in. main battery): JAPANESE DESTROYER Teruzuki

Vanguard Group
Rear Admiral Hiroaki Abe in Hiei
 * Battleship Division 11
 * 2 Kongo-class battleship fast battleships (8 × 14-in. main battery): JAPANESE BATTLESHIP Hiei, JAPANESE BATTLESHIP Kirishima
 * Cruiser Division 7 (Rear Adm. Shoji Nishimura)
 * 1 Mogami-class cruiser heavy cruiser (10 × 8-in. main battery): JAPANESE CRUISER Suzuya
 * Cruiser Division 8 (Rear Adm. Chūichi Hara in Tone)
 * 2 Tone-class cruiser heavy cruisers (8 × 8-in. main battery): JAPANESE CRUISER Tone, JAPANESE CRUISER Chikuma
 * Destroyer Squadron 10 (Rear Adm. Susumu Kimura)
 * 1 Nagara-class cruiser light cruiser (7 × 5.5-in. main battery): JAPANESE CRUISER Nagara
 * 3 Yugumo-class destroyer destroyers (6 × 5-in. main battery): JAPANESE DESTROYER Makigumo, JAPANESE DESTROYER Kazagumo, JAPANESE DESTROYER Yūgumo
 * 4 Kagerō-class destroyer destroyers (6 × 5-in. main battery): JAPANESE DESTROYER Akigumo, JAPANESE DESTROYER Urakaze, JAPANESE DESTROYER Tanikaze, JAPANESE DESTROYER Isokaze

Task Force 16
Rear Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid

Task Force 16
Rear Admiral Kinkaid in fleet carrier Enterprise


 * 1 Yorktown-class aircraft carrier fleet carrier
 * USS Enterprise (CV-6) (Capt. Osborne B. Hardison)
 * Air Group (Cmdr. Richard K. Gaines)
 * VF-10: 34 F4F Wildcat fighters (Lt. Cmdr. James H. Flatley)
 * VB-10: 14 SBD Dauntless dive bombers (Lt. Cmdr. James A. Thomas)
 * VS-10: 20 SBD Dauntless scout bombers (Lt. Cmdr. James R. Lee)
 * VT-10:  9 TBF Avenger torpedo bombers (Lt. Cmdr. John A. Collett†)


 * Screen
 * 1 South Dakota-class battleship fast battleship (9 × 16-in. main battery): USS South Dakota (BB-57)
 * Cruiser Division 4 (Rear Adm. Mahlon S. Tisdale in heavy cruiser Portland)
 * 1 Portland-class cruiser heavy cruiser (9 × 8-in. main battery): USS Portland (CA-33)
 * 1 Atlanta-class cruiser anti-aircraft light cruiser (16 × 5-in. main battery): USS San Juan (CL-54)
 * Destroyer Squadron 5 (Capt. Charles L. Cecil)
 * 1 Porter-class destroyer destroyer (8 × 5-in. main battery): USS Porter (DD-356)
 * 1 Mahan-class destroyer destroyer (5 × 5-in. main battery): USS Mahan (DD-364)
 * Destroyer Division 10 (Cmdr. Thomas M. Stokes)
 * 5 Mahan-class destroyer destroyers (5 × 5-in. main battery): USS Cushing (DD-376), USS Preston (DD-379), USS Smith (DD-378), USS Conyngham (DD-371), USS Shaw (DD-373)
 * 1 Gridley-class destroyer destroyer (4 × 5-in. main battery): USS Maury (DD-401)

Task Force 17
Rear Admiral George D. Murray in fleet carrier Hornet


 * 1 Yorktown-class aircraft carrier fleet carrier
 * USS Hornet (CV-8) (Capt. Charles P. Mason)
 * Air Group (Cmdr. Walter F. Rodee)
 * VF-72: 38 F4F Wildcat fighters (Lt. Cmdr. Henry G. Sanchez)
 * VB-8:  15 SBD Dauntless dive bombers (Lt. James E. Vose)
 * VS-8:  16 SBD Dauntless scout bombers (Lt. Cmdr. William J. Widhelm)
 * VT-6:  15 TBF Avenger torpedo bombers (Lt. Edwin B. Parker, Jr.)


 * Screen
 * Cruiser Division 5 (Rear Adm. Howard H. Good) in heavy cruiser Northampton
 * 1 Northampton-class cruiser (9 × 8-in. main battery): USS Northampton (CA-26)
 * 1 Pensacola-class cruiser heavy cruiser (10 × 8-iun. main battery): USS Pensacola (CA-24)
 * 2 Atlanta-class cruiser anti-aircraft light cruisers (16 × 5-in. main battery): USS San Diego (CL-53), USS Juneau (CL-52)
 * Destroyer Squadron 2 (Cmdr. Arnold E. True)
 * 5 Sims-class destroyer destroyers (4 × 5-in. main battery): USS Morris (DD-417), USS Anderson (DD-411), USS Hughes (DD-410), USS Mustin (DD-413), Russell
 * 1 Benson-class destroyer (4 × 5-in. main battery): Barton

Attack on Hornet (Nagumo carrier group first wave)

 * 21 Mitsubishi A6M "Zeke" fighters (9 of which divert to attack incoming aircraft)
 * 21 Aichi D3A "Val" dive bombers
 * 22 Nakajima B5N "Kate" torpedo bombers (2 as navigational aid only)

Attack on Enterprise group (Nagumo carrier group second wave)

 * 9 Mitsubishi A6M "Zeke" fighters
 * 19 Aichi D3A "Val" dive bombers
 * 16 Nakajima B5N "Kate" torpedo bombers

Jun'yo 1st wave against Enterprise group

 * 12 Mitsubishi A6M "Zeke" fighters
 * 17 Aichi D3A "Val" dive bombers

Jun'yo 2nd wave (1 torpedo hit on towed Hornet)

 * 8 Mitsubishi A6M "Zeke" fighters
 * 7 Nakajima B5N "Kate" torpedo bombers

Zuikaku 3rd wave (1 bomb hit on Hornet being abandoned)

 * 5 Mitsubishi A6M "Zeke" fighters
 * 2 Aichi D3A "Val" dive bombers
 * 7 Nakajima B5N "Kate" torpedo bombers

Jun'yo 3rd wave (1 bomb hit on abandoned Hornet)

 * 6 Mitsubishi A6M "Zeke" fighters
 * 4 Aichi D3A "Val" dive bombers

US first wave (Hornet): bomb hits on Shokaku, torpedo misses on Tone

 * 8 F4F Wildcat fighters
 * 15 SBD Dauntless dive bombers (two shot down)
 * 6 TBF Avenger torpedo bombers

US second wave (Enterprise): 1 bomb on Chikuma, torpedo misses on Suzuya

 * 8 F4F Wildcat fighters (3 shot down, 1 returned)
 * 3 SBD Dauntless dive bombers
 * 9 TBF Avenger torpedo bombers (2 shot down, 2 returned)

US third wave (Hornet): 2 bombs, 1 torpedo on Chikuma

 * 7 F4F Wildcat fighters
 * 9 SBD Dauntless dive bombers
 * 10 TBF Avenger torpedo bombers