Chapter 18 Chapter 17 Bloody Battle in the Pacific

Japan was not sure about the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, so it did not consider the strategic plan after the Pearl Harbor operation, and planned to formulate the next strategic plan according to the development of the war. At the beginning of 1942, the Japanese army was victorious on all fronts, especially in the Battle of Pearl Harbor, the US Pacific Fleet was severely damaged, and Japan began to consider the next strategy. .If we take the offensive, should we go west to the Persian Gulf or east to the Eastern Pacific?Regarding the first question, the opinion represented by Rear Admiral Ugaki, Chief of Staff of the Japanese Combined Fleet, dominates, that is, Japan must continue to take an active offensive rather than adopt a defensive strategy that allows the enemy to take the initiative.

Regarding the second question, there were three opinions on offensive warfare at that time: the first was the theory of the eastward advance proposed by Ugaki, chief of staff of the United Fleet, to fight eastward with the U.S. Navy; The theory of westward advance is to enter the Indian Ocean westward, annihilate the British Far East Fleet, advance from the Middle and Near East to the Persian Gulf, and join forces with Rommel’s German army there; Advocates occupying the Solomon Islands and advancing southward, cutting off the line of communication between the United States and Australia, first isolating Australia, and then destroying the Allied forces one by one.

At the beginning of April 1942, the United Fleet raised the issue of the Midway Island operation. The Japanese military command and the United Fleet had a long debate. The Military Command raised six objections, but the commander of the United Fleet, Yamamoto Iroshiro, insisted on his own opinion.He believes that the success or failure of Japan's overall strategy in the Pacific depends on whether it can annihilate the U.S. fleet. Attacking Midway Island can lure the main force of the U.S. navy, including aircraft carriers, and destroy them in a decisive battle.If the Americans avoided a decisive battle, Japan's defensive circle could easily advance to Midway and the west of the Aleutian Islands, gaining many advantages in the strategic situation.

On April 18, the air force of Lieutenant Colonel Doolittle of the United States took off from the aircraft carrier "Hornet" 700 nautical miles away from the coast of Japan, and bombed Tokyo, Yokohama, Kawasaki, Yokosuka, Japan in a one-way direct flight. Cities such as Nagoya and Kobe landed at Quzhou Airport in Zhejiang, China after completing the mission.Due to the stimulation of this incident and the uncompromising attitude of Yamamoto Fifty-Six, the Japanese military command quickly agreed to the plan to attack Midway Island.Japan's strategic plan in the Pacific Ocean is divided into three stages: 1. Continue to go deep into the Solomon Islands, capture Tulagi Island, and Morris Bay Port in New Guinea, so that Australia can enter the range of bombers; 2. After completing the first stage of the mission, The Combined Fleet immediately executes the Midway and Aleutian Islands combat plan; 3. If the US fleet is wiped out in the above-mentioned operations, it will continue to advance southeast and cut off the connection between the United States and Australia.

On May 3, 1942, when Japan was conducting an exercise on the map of the Midway Island operation, the 4th Fleet of the Japanese Navy Narumi Inoue launched an offensive in the South Pacific as planned, and the Japanese and American navies fought in the Coral Sea .Narumi Inoue's 4th Fleet committed four aircraft carriers to cover the Marines' attacks on Port Morrisby and Tulagi in the Solomon Islands.Lieutenant General Fletcher of the U.S. Navy led a task force with two aircraft carriers "Lexington" and "Yorktown" as the core from the Samosir area to march towards the Coral Sea to meet the Japanese army. On the morning of May 7, the US planes taking off from the "Lexington" and "Yorktown" spotted the Japanese light aircraft carrier "Shoho" and immediately launched an attack, sinking it within 30 minutes.The Japanese side immediately withdrew the troops that had planned to land at Port Morrisby from the sea. On the morning of May 8, the Japanese planes that took off on the "Zuihe" and "Xianghe" tracked and followed part of the returning American search fleet, and finally found the two aircraft carriers "Lexington" and "Yorktown" At about the same time, the US planes that had taken off from the two aircraft carriers also spotted the two Japanese aircraft carriers.Almost at the same time, the commanders of both sides issued an attack order, so the planes of both sides bombarded the opponent's aircraft carrier in unison.The scuffle lasted until the end of the afternoon. As a result, the "Lexington" aircraft carrier in the US fleet was sunk, and the "Yorktown" lost 66 aircraft.The "Shokaku" aircraft carrier of the Japanese fleet was seriously injured (so that it could not participate in the upcoming Battle of Midway Island), and 77 aircraft were lost.The US fleet was the first to withdraw from the battle. On May 9, the Japanese fleet failed to pursue and returned.The Battle of the Coral Sea ushered in a new era in the history of naval warfare. For the first time ever, the two sides engaged in an attack beyond visual distance.

Sixteen days after the end of the Battle of the Coral Sea, Commander of the Japanese Combined Fleet Yamamoto Fifty-Six personally led the navy's main fleet to set off to carry out the Battle of Midway.Its troop configuration and combat plan are as follows: 1. Advance Submarine Detachment: 16 submarines commanded by Lieutenant General Komatsu set up an ambush on the only way the US Navy must pass between Hawaii and Midway Island, attacking the enemy who came for reinforcements. 2. Midway Occupation Force: Commanded by Vice Admiral Maiten, its cover group consists of 2 battleships, 12 cruisers, and 7 destroyers; the support group consists of 4 cruisers and 4 destroyers; the transport group consists of 12 transport ships (carrying 5000 troops) landing force), 11 destroyers; the seaplane group has 2 seaplane carriers and 1 destroyer; the minesweeping group has 4 minesweepers.Its task is to be responsible for the occupation of islands such as Midway Island.

3. Aircraft carrier attack force: Under the command of Lieutenant Admiral Nagumo Chuichi, 4 heavy aircraft carriers "Chicheng", "Kaga", "Soryu", and "Hyryu" form the core, plus 2 battleships, 2 cruisers, and 12 destroyers.Its task is to be responsible for the air strike on Midway Island to relieve the pressure on the landing force, and when the US fleet appears, it should attack immediately. 4. Forces to attack the Aleutians: Led by Lieutenant General Xixuan, there are 2 light aircraft carriers, 1 seaplane carrier, 12 destroyers, and 6 transport ships carrying 2,000 landing troops.Its mission was to conquer the islands of Attu and Kiska in the western Aleutian Islands.

5. The main mobile force: led by Yamamoto Fifty-Six himself, with 3 battleships, 1 light aircraft carrier, 2 seaplane carriers, and 13 destroyers; there is also an Aleutian support force led by Lieutenant General Takasu, with 4 battleships, 2 cruisers.Its mission is to cruise on the sea between Midway Island and the Aleutian Islands, and to respond to operations on both fronts at any time. Once the main force of the US Navy appears in any direction, it will immediately go to join the squadron in that direction for a decisive battle. Nimitz, the commander of the US Pacific Fleet, had heard that Japan would attack the US military islands in the Central Pacific region long before the Coral Island naval battle. On May 14, the U.S. Navy's intelligence department successfully deciphered the long combat order issued by Yamamoto Fifty-Six to the fleet commander, but the attack target "AF" in it is still unclear.The U.S. guessed that it might be Midway Island, so it "throwing stones to ask for directions" and asked the defenders of Midway Island to send a telegram saying "the freshwater equipment on the island is damaged" in clear codes.Sure enough, Yamamoto Fifty-Six reported the lack of fresh water to the fleet by radio, and asked the attacking troops to bring fresh water equipment.So far the Americans have fully figured out the situation of the Japanese.

Nimitz formulated the following countermeasures against Japan's combat intentions: the 17th Fleet under the command of Fletcher and the 16th Fleet under the command of Spruance should arrive at a distance of 300 nautical miles northeast of Midway before the Japanese submarine detachment set up an ambush. Standby and stay outside the attack range of the aircraft on the opponent's aircraft carrier to ensure the safety of the aircraft carrier. After the U.S. long-range aircraft on Midway Island discovers the Japanese aircraft carrier, it will immediately launch an attack; Air Force and major military installations on the island.

The forces of the United States participating in the battle are as follows: the 17th Fleet, under the command of Fletcher, including the aircraft carrier "Yorktown", 2 cruisers, and 5 destroyers; the 16th Fleet, under the command of Spruance, including the "Enterprise" And the "Hornet" aircraft carrier, 6 cruisers, and 9 destroyers.The defenders on Midway Island have a Marine Corps Battalion, a Marine Corps Aircraft Group, including 54 fighters and bombers; an Army Aviation Detachment, including 23 heavy bombers, the "air fortress"; 32 seaplanes dispatched.

On June 3, reconnaissance by aircraft at the U.S. base spotted a Japanese transport fleet 570 miles from Midway.The U.S. military immediately launched 9 "Sky Fortress" heavy bombers into the air, and at 9 pm, they attacked it but none of them hit. The Battle of Midway Island kicked off.When the U.S. shore-based planes were making this attack, three U.S. aircraft carriers were on standby 640 kilometers east of the planned attack point, that is, 480 kilometers northeast of Midway Island.Fletcher correctly judged that the main Japanese aircraft carrier fleet would approach Midway from the northwest. In order to covertly meet the enemy, he drove south to approach Midway. On June 4, when he was 320 kilometers away from Midway Island, Nagumo's aircraft carrier had also reached the sea 386 kilometers west of Midway Island, and the first wave of attack aircraft immediately took off and flew towards Midway Island.The second attack wave on the aircraft carriers "Chicheng" and "Kaga" is equipped with torpedoes and armor-piercing projectiles, and is ready to attack immediately if the US fleet is found nearby.The U.S. military also quickly discovered the Japanese attack fleet, and the U.S. shore-based aircraft on Midway Island immediately took off and approached the Nanyun Fleet.However, the U.S. planes were not the opponents of the Japanese Zero fighter jets, and were shot down one after another. The bombers also suffered heavy losses under the double-sided attack of the Japanese fighter jets and the anti-aircraft firepower of the ships escorting the aircraft carrier.In the first round, the Japanese had good luck. They not only wiped out the US planes, but also successfully bombed the US military base on Midway Island. This period was from 3:00 am to 7:00 am on June 4. From 7 o'clock, Nanyun received a report from the Midway attack aircraft group that the island needed a second bombing.Nanyun had no choice but to order the planes on the aircraft carrier deck to unload torpedoes and armor-piercing bombs, which are specially used to blow up warships.Now we have to modify the incendiary bombs and explosive bombs used to bomb the base to continue the second strike on Midway Island, which will take at least an hour. At 7:28, the Japanese reconnaissance plane found 10 U.S. warships 200 nautical miles away from the United Fleet. At 8:9, the reconnaissance plane reported that the US warships were 5 cruisers and 5 destroyers, and Nagumo breathed a sigh of relief. At 8:20, the reconnaissance plane reported that there seemed to be an aircraft carrier.According to the size of the US fleet, Nanyun judged that the opponent had at least one aircraft carrier. In this way, the capture of Midway Island has become less important. The first thing to do is to deal with the sudden appearance of the US fleet, because when Japan attacked Midway Island, it received information that the two US aircraft carriers were still in the South Pacific, but they did not expect to suddenly appear nearby.Nagumo is now facing a dilemma: 1. Immediately take off the 36 bombers on the aircraft carriers "Hiryu" and "Cangryu" to attack the opponent's aircraft carrier without the cover of fighter jets, but in doing so, your own bombers are likely to 2. Take back all fighters and bombers that have participated in battles and patrols, and attack the US fleet with sufficient bombing power and cover, but it will take time to do so, and the entire fleet will be defenseless for a period of time status.Rear Admiral Yamaguchi, Commander of the Aircraft Carrier Fleet of the Second Fleet, ordered bombers to scramble to attack the opposing fleet, but Nagumo decided to take the second approach.While ordering the fleet to retreat north, he ordered the bombers on the "Chicheng" and "Kaga" to refit armor-piercing bombs and torpedoes. At 9:18, the first attack wave and combat patrol planes were all taken back, and refueled and reloaded on the deck. The incendiary bombs and explosive bombs that had been replaced had no time to be put back into the warehouse, and they were piled up on the deck of the aircraft carrier. The four aircraft carriers are nervously preparing for the attack, and only a few fighter jets are patrolling the sky above the fleet. This is also the most dangerous moment for the aircraft carrier. At 52 a.m. on June 4, the U.S. reconnaissance plane at Midway reported for the first time that it had spotted the Japanese fleet. Fletcher immediately ordered the U.S. aircraft carrier formation to advance westward, and instructed that once the location of the enemy ship was found, it would attack immediately.Spruance narrowed the distance to the Japanese fleet as much as possible so that the opponent was within 170 nautical miles of his torpedo attack aircraft. At about 7 o'clock, at a distance of 150 nautical miles from the Japanese fleet, the aircraft on the "Hornet" and "Enterprise" were divided into four groups and flew towards the Japanese fleet under the order of Spruance.Because only two Japanese aircraft carriers were found, Fletcher did not use the aircraft on the aircraft carrier "Yorktown". After 8:30, although no further information was received, Fletcher decided to dispatch half of the planes on the "Yorktown". At 9:05, Nagumo felt that the aircraft carrier was in such a chaotic state that it was very dangerous, so he ordered the fleet to turn 90 degrees and sail to the left. In this way, some of the bombers in the first batch of planes that Fletcher took off at 7 o'clock arrived At the place where the Japanese fleet met, there was no sign of the other party, and they were all in vain.Some of these planes were forced to land on Midway Island, and some crashed into the sea due to exhaustion of fuel. The Nanyun Fleet escaped this danger. Between 9:25 and 10:00, the second batch of U.S. bombers found the Nagumo fleet during the search, but they were all shot down during a low-altitude attack. Nanyun once again avoided disaster.He seemed to feel that victory was within reach. After 10 o'clock, the situation changed dramatically. Part of the second batch of bombers on the "Enterprise" of Sprouse flew to the expected sea area and did not find the Japanese fleet. The commander of the bomber group, McCluskey, made a decision. An important decision was made to conduct a square search, and the Japanese aircraft carriers "Akasei" and "Kaga" were quickly discovered.At the same time, the bombers taking off from "Yorktown" also spotted the Japanese aircraft carriers "Cangryu" and "Hiryu". All the various aircraft have been launched, the first refueled fighter has already taken off, and all will take off within 5 minutes. Only a few fighters are on guard over the aircraft carrier formation. After 10 o'clock, the attack aircraft fleet of the US military arrived in three batches.The first batch of 6 fighters and 12 attack planes approached and attacked from low altitude. The Japanese fighter jets on alert in the sky immediately pounced on them and almost shot them all down.Just as the Japanese fighter jets were directed to low altitude, 37 American bombers suddenly appeared over the Japanese aircraft carrier formation under the cover of clouds. At 10:28, the second group of U.S. bombers suddenly came out through the clouds, dived down, and launched an attack on the Japanese aircraft carrier fleet with lightning speed. In the process, the incendiary bombs and explosive bombs that were originally stacked on the deck were detonated, and a raging fire ignited and exploded continuously. "Chicheng" was detonated by a bomb through the hangar, and the stored torpedoes were detonated. At 10:50, Nagumo ordered to abandon the ship. The next day, the Japanese ship sank it by itself. The "Kaga" also hit 4 bombs. Since the deck was full of planes that had just been refueled, it became a sea of ​​flames. It exploded and sank shortly after abandoning the ship. At around 10:40, the third batch of 17 U.S. bombers flew to the "Soryu" which was crowded with refueling planes on the deck. Three 1,000-pound bombs hit it and immediately burned.At 2 p.m., it was attacked by an American submarine again, and it exploded and sank five hours later.At that time, Major General Yamaguchi's "Hiryu" was not attacked because it moved forward. After 10:50, shortly after Nagumo abandoned the Chicheng, he ordered Major General Yamaguchi to take command temporarily.At this time, Yamaguchi had discovered the US aircraft carrier "Yorktown" and immediately issued an attack order. 18 bombers and 6 Zero fighters approached the "Yorktown" at 11:00 am and 12:00 noon respectively, and were spotted by US military radar.12 U.S. fighter jets immediately stepped forward to intercept, and 6 Japanese Zero fighters immediately went up to entangle. Three bombs hit the deck, the chimney, and the fourth deck, and the fire broke out. Fletcher was forced to transfer to the cruiser "Astoria" to take command.At 1:40 p.m., the "Yorktown" boiler was actually repaired and was traveling at a speed of 18 knots.But at about 12:45, Yamaguchi ordered all 16 planes to launch a second strike on the "Yorktown".At 2:46 p.m., 8 Japanese bombers broke through the interception of U.S. fighter jets and hit the injured "Yorktown" again. Two torpedoes hit the left oil depot and the rudder. At 3 p.m., Fletcher ordered to abandon the ship. At the same time when Rear Admiral Yamaguchi launched the second attack on the "Yorktown", at 4:45 p.m., the US military reconnaissance plane that had taken off from the "Yorktown" spotted the "Hiryu" at a distance of 160 kilometers to the west and north. .Sprawlance ordered the bombers on the "Enterprise" to take off immediately and go to attack.At 5:3 in the afternoon, when Yamaguchi was preparing to use the remaining 15 aircraft to make the final attack, 13 U.S. bombers launched a fierce attack on the "Hiryu". The "Hiryu" was hit by 4 bombs, caught fire and began to tilt.The next day, June 5, was abandoned at 3:15 am, and Hiryu was sunk by a Japanese destroyer two hours later. At dusk on June 6, a Japanese submarine fired a torpedo at the USS Yorktown, which was undergoing repairs, sinking it. On the morning of June 4th, when Nagumo's aircraft carrier fleet suffered a catastrophe, Yamamoto Fifty-Six, who was on standby at the midway point between Midway and Aleutians, was kept in the dark.It wasn't until 10:30 in the morning that when he received the telegram that "Akasei was on fire", he knew that the situation had unexpectedly deteriorated. When the news that the whole body of the aircraft carrier was on fire, he was so shocked that he didn't say a word. He knew that his navy had suffered a disastrous defeat.Now he still wants to make a final effort in an attempt to turn defeat into victory.He immediately led his fleet to advance eastward at full speed, trying to fight a classical decisive battle at sea to save the defeat.But Spruance knew very well that the Japanese fleet was good at night battles, and practiced the tactics of pursuing during the day and evading at night.Yamamoto saw that he could not lure the U.S. military to fight at night, and he lacked air cover. On June 5, he ordered the suspension of the attack on Midway Island and retreated westward.The U.S. fleet was exhausted and was running out of fuel, so it stopped pursuing on June 6.In this naval battle, the Japanese Navy lost 4 aircraft carriers, 1 cruiser, 275 aircraft, and 3,500 personnel.The United States lost one aircraft carrier, 132 aircraft, and 307 people were killed. U.S. Naval Commander Jeon commented: The Battle of Midway was the first decisive defeat suffered by the Japanese Navy in 350 years, and it was a turning point in the entire Pacific War.Japan thus lost its strategic initiative in the Pacific.The failure of the Battle of Midway brought catastrophic consequences to Japan, and the loss of heavy aircraft carriers could not be made up for a long time.However, the previous naval disadvantages of the Americans have been balanced to a certain extent, and a necessary breathing time has been won for the domestic strong industry to turn into a wartime track.The industrial advantages of the United States were quickly brought into play.In terms of the characteristics of the Pacific War, which was dominated by fighting for air supremacy, Japan lost hundreds of first-class pilots in the battle, which was also a fatal blow to Japan. After mid-September, the U.S. military began to counterattack. Since then, Japan has retreated steadily in the Pacific Ocean, slipping rapidly into the abyss of failure. After the Battle of Midway Island, although Japan suffered a disastrous defeat, it still took the offensive in the Southwest Pacific. Japan's plan was to occupy Port Moresby on the island of New Guinea.To cover the flanks of this attack, the Japanese began building a bomber runway on Guadalcanal, part of the Solomon Islands.At this time, Nimitz's Central Pacific Theater Force and MacArthur's Southwest Pacific Theater Force, in accordance with the instructions issued by the Joint Chiefs of Staff on July 2, 1942, were preparing to launch an attack on the Solomon Islands and Bismarck Islands in order to capture these islands. After the island, the airport was built to place Rabaul, Japan's important advance base in the Southwest Pacific, within the effective strike range of bombers.In this way, the spearhead of the Japanese offensive and the sharp edge of the American counteroffensive collided exactly in the Guadalcanal area.The airfield on Guadalcanal was important to both sides, and whoever used it first in combat would win. On August 7, 1942, 10,000 U.S. Marines landed on Guadalcanal, and captured the main Japanese base and Henderson Field the next day. On August 8, the Japanese ship Sanchuan formation marched towards the "Iron Bottom Bay", preparing to attack the Allied transport ships at night, but encountered Fletcher's US and Australian naval formations, and the two sides launched the "Savo Island Naval Battle".After the Japanese army, who was good at night battles, sank four Allied heavy cruisers, they returned through the "Slot Sea" at dawn. After mid-August, Japan invested all the forces of the combined fleet and 17,000 ground troops to set off from Truk Island in an attempt to recapture Guadalcanal Island.At this time, the U.S. military had begun to use Henderson Field to severely damage the Japanese troops who had landed earlier. On August 24, the Japanese aircraft carrier escort fleet commanded by Nobuo Kondo, mainly composed of "Shoukaku", "Zuikaku", and "Ryujo", went to reinforce, and together with the "Saratoga" commanded by Fletcher The U.S. aircraft carrier fleet dominated by the "Enterprise" launched the "Second Solomon Sea Battle".After losing the "Ryujo" aircraft carrier and 90 aircraft, the Japanese army withdrew from the battlefield at midnight, and the US "Enterprise" aircraft carrier was also slightly injured.The first battle to recapture Guadalcanal had failed, and the Japanese naval command stationed in Rabaul ordered Tanaka's transport fleet to return, canceling the operation. Beginning in September, the command of the sea near Guadalcanal Island was in the hands of the Allies during the day and transferred to the hands of the Japanese at night. On September 12, more than 6,000 Japanese troops on Guadalcanal launched a fierce attack on the U.S. Henderson Airport, where the Japanese attacked twice in a row. This was later called the "Battle of Blood Stained Hills" and ended in a disastrous defeat for the Japanese.The Japanese lost 1,500; the Americans killed 40 and wounded 103.The U.S. bombers that took off from Henderson Field played a major role in this operation.However, the U.S. Navy suffered a major setback in September. The aircraft carrier "Saratoga" was severely damaged by a Japanese submarine. In the next critical three months, it could not participate in the battle, and another aircraft carrier "Wasp" was sunk.The U.S. military has only one aircraft carrier, the Hornet, left in the Pacific. In October, the Japanese army was determined to attack Guadalcanal Island again. In order to ensure this operation, it first stopped the attack on New Guinea and transferred an elite division.The offensive plan is to form a special naval artillery formation to bombard Henderson Airport in Guadalcanal Island continuously to paralyze it, and then attack with ground forces.The U.S. military has also stepped up its deployment of troops to Guadalcanal. At midnight on October 11, the U.S. fleet commanded by Scott went to intercept the "Tokyo Express" (the U.S. Marine Corps lingered in the northern part of the "Trough Sea" before dark every day, entered the "Iron Bottom Bay" after dark, and sailed to Guadalcanal. As a result, it encountered the Japanese artillery formation, and the "Battle of Cape Esperance" broke out, and both sides suffered losses. On October 13, two Japanese battleships broke into "Iron Bottom Bay" and bombarded Henderson Airport. Half of the US aircraft were destroyed and the airport was severely damaged.At this time, the comparison of the strength of the US and Japanese armies on Guadalcanal Island was 23,000 to 22,000. On October 23, the Japanese army attacked Henderson Airport again. Due to poor coordination and fighting independently, no progress was made. The casualties of the Japanese army were about 10 times that of the US military. On the 26th, Kondo led the battleship and aircraft carrier formation with the largest lineup since the Battle of Midway, and the two US aircraft carrier formations led by Major General Kincaid fought fiercely in the waters of the Santa Cruz Islands. The US aircraft carrier "Hornet" was sunk, and the Japanese aircraft carrier "Ruifeng" was injured. The "Santa Cruz Naval Battle" ended with the US military's tactical failure, but the US military's strategic success. The Japanese army lost 100 aircraft and the US military lost 77 aircraft. However, the speed at which the US trained pilots and manufactured aircraft was beyond Japan's reach. The stalemate between the two sides in the Guadalcanal area lasted until November, and both Japan and the United States continued to increase troops to Guadalcanal. On November 12, the Japanese army began to move as planned. The Tanaka escort transport team sent 13,500 reinforcements according to fate. Abe Koki’s artillery formation went to Guadalcanal to bombard the US positions near Henderson Airport. Kondo’s aircraft carrier formation was on standby in the north of the Solomon Islands. .In order to thwart the Japanese naval bombardment on Guadalcanal, the U.S. Turner Escort Formation, which had already returned, drew 11 warships, led by Callahan, to return to "Iron Bottom Bay".That night, the Japanese Abe bombardment formation and the Callaghan formation met head-on, and the two sides launched the "third Solomon sea battle."This was a melee that lasted 30 minutes. The formations of both sides were disrupted, and both sides had misunderstandings about fighting in the same room.At midnight, both sides disengaged and suffered heavy losses. Callaghan and Scott were killed in action, and the U.S. military sank 2 light cruisers and 4 destroyers.In this naval battle, although the Japanese fleet had an absolute advantage, it failed to achieve its goal. The Abe artillery formation was forced to retreat, and the Tanaka escort transport team had to return. On the 14th, the war broke out again. The Japanese Mikawa's cruiser bombardment formation and Tanaka's transport escort formation went south through the "Trough Sea" to reinforce Guadalcanal Island. Seven transport ships loaded with Japanese troops were sunk. Although the remaining four transport ships broke through the blockade and arrived at Guadalcanal, the Japanese operation to recapture Guadalcanal was the same as before and failed again. After the defeat of the Japanese offensive in November, an airfield was built on Kolombangara Island and the New Georgia Islands in the central Solomon Islands to form a new line of defense, while the Japanese army on Guadalcanal Island was fully defending its position. "Responsible for the supply of the defenders on the island, running every 4 days.The Japanese army’s supply method was to drop floating barrels containing food and medicine into the coastal waters of the island when it was dark, and return northward through the “Slot Sea” before dawn. At midnight on November 30, Wright led a US fleet to attack the "Tokyo Express" commanded by Tanaka. In December, the U.S. military changed its combat method, using Henderson Airport to increase air strikes and cooperate with sea interception, and dealt heavy blows to the "Tokyo Express" three times in a row, starving the Japanese troops on Guadalcanal Island.In the end, the Japanese High Command was forced to decide to abandon Guadalcanal. In January 1943, the number of U.S. troops commanded by General Patch on Guadalcanal Island reached 50,000. He attacked westward along the coast of Guadalcanal, and sent another army to land west of Cape Esperance behind the Japanese army. The U.S. troops joined forces. It was later discovered that the Japanese army had disappeared.The Japanese army adopted ingenious and careful methods. First, Kondo led the fleet to enter the waters north of Guadalcanal with great fanfare, attracting the full attention of the US military. Then, under the cover of night, about 20 destroyers went back and forth at high speed three times to cross the "Slot Sea". , The 12,000 remaining soldiers who were in a semi-starved state were withdrawn from Guadalcanal. The battle for Guadalcanal, which lasted half a year, finally came to an end, with 5,800 American casualties and about 24,000 Japanese losses (including those whose whereabouts are unknown).At about the same time, the Japanese troops in New Guinea were also completely defeated by the American and Australian troops.From the perspective of the strategic situation, the two forces of the Allied forces in the South Pacific and the West Pacific respectively captured two advance bases where the Japanese army continued to attack, and opened two advance paths leading to Rabaul.The tactical offensive of the U.S. military in Guadalcanal and New Guinea contained the momentum of the Japanese strategic offensive in the Southwest Pacific, causing Japan to completely lose the initiative in the Pacific battlefield.If the Battle of Midway is regarded as the Battle of Stalingrad in the East, then the Battle of Guadalcanal is the Battle of Kursk in the Pacific Theater, because from then on, Japan can only parry the United States. There is no way to fight back.