Everyone knows that America entered World War II after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December of 1941.

Most know that the Japanese suffered a great naval defeat at the Battle of Midway in early June of 1942.   At Midway, the Japanese lost 4 front line aircraft carriers, all of which had taken part in the Pearl Harbor attack.    In addition to the loss of these carriers, the Japanese also lost hundreds of their best trained aviators which were hard to replace.   But even after the loss of these four carriers, the Japanese were still left with thirteen.

On the US side, America lost the aircraft carrier Yorktown, leaving just the carriers Wasp, Hornet, Enterprise and Saratoga.  The US had suffered the loss of the Lexington a few weeks before the Battle of Midway in the Coral Sea.   So,  of the 6 carriers in the Pacific before the attack on Pearl Harbor, by June of 1942, only four remained.

In the early summer of 1942, the allies took note that Japan was building an air field in the Solomon Islands on Guadalcanal, just Northeast of Australia.

With an airfield on Guadalcanal, the Japanese would be able to further threaten an invasion of Australia and require a much longer sea voyage for liberty ships carrying much needed war materials into the Persian Gulf from the US destined for the Russians who were desperately fighting the Germans.

To counter the Japanese threat, a hasty plan was pulled together under Admiral Ghormley who got the job over the objections of the newly appointed Pacific Commander in Chief of the Pacific, Chester Nimitz.   Ghormley was appointed by Nimitz’s boss,  Earnest King and many believe because of a meddling President Roosevelt.

Ghormley’s hasty plan resulted in 11,000 Marines landing on Guadalcanal in early August under a very capable General Vandegrift.  The plan called for a large task force of carriers, cruisers and destroyers to support the landings while the Marines captured  the island.   The Marines quickly took over the air field which became known as Henderson Field, named for a airman who died during the Battle of Midway.   But things went downhill quickly from there as the Japanese naval forces were vastly superior.

And this brings us to August 24, 1942, 72 years ago today, and the Battle of the Eastern Solomon Sea.   The US carriers Saratoga and  Enterprise took on three Japanese carriers.   When it was over, one Japanese carrier was sunk but the Enterprise was heavily damaged and put out of action until October 16.   Worse yet, the USS Saratoga was also damaged and would be out of action until November 19.

In addition to the loss of these carriers, the US Navy suffered several additional disastrous nighttime battles with many ships and men lost.  Ghormley’s response was to withdraw the navy ships from the area.  He thus stranded the 11,000  marines on the island leaving them to suffer an endless Japanese naval bombardment.   The Japanese were also able to easily send more men and supplies to reinforce their positions on the island.    The situation deteriorated to the point where serious consideration was given to pulling out.   

Finally,  on October 18, 1942, Ghormley was removed from command by Nimitz and replaced by Halsey.   Halsey became the  naval version of George Patton and would soon earn the reputation of being America’s greatest fighting Admiral in history.   But not before things would get even worse for the US.

The carrier USS Wasp was sunk off Guadalcanal on September 15.   Then the USS Hornet was sunk just north and west of Guadalcanal at Santa Cruz on October 27 where it was fighting along side the freshly repaired Enterprise .     If you can keep up with the story,  at this point the US was left with just the Enterprise to counter a threat from 12 Japanese carriers.

The war situation was so bad that news of the sinking of the Hornet was kept a secret until January 13, 1943.   Survivors of the Nornet had their mail censored so that no mention of the Hornet’s loss would become public.   Finally in January of 1943, two of the Navy’s new carriers were commissioned and put into service.  Only then did the Navy inform the public about the loss of the Hornet.

Halsey would turn things around on Guadalcanal and with the Navy’s new construction coming into service, the long Pacific advance could begin.

So when someone tells you that the Battle of Midway was the turning point in the war, you can tell them that much worse was yet to come and remind them of the events that occurred on and around August 24, 1942.