Ironbottom_Sound Knowpia

"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.^{[citation needed]} 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.^{[citation needed]}

Ironbottom Sound, Savo Island (center), and Guadalcanal (left) on 7 August 1942, the day Allied forces landed on Guadalcanal and Tulagi.

Naval actions comprising the Battle of Guadalcanal edit

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

Sunken ships edit

Japanese edit

Cape Esperance, 11–12 October 1942 edit

Fubuki – Fubuki-class destroyer
Furutaka – Furutaka-class heavy cruiser; wreck located 30 km (16 nmi; 19 mi) northwest of Savo Island

First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, 13 November 1942 edit

Akatsuki – Akatsuki-class destroyer
Yūdachi – Shiratsuyu-class destroyer
Hiei – Kongō-class battlecruiser

Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, 15 November 1942 edit

Kirishima – Kongō-class battlecruiser
Ayanami – Fubuki-class destroyer
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.
Yamaura Maru – troop transport beached in Doma Cove

Tassafaronga, 30 November 1942 edit

Takanami – Yūgumo-class destroyer

Other surface battles and aerial actions, 1942–1943 edit

Kikuzuki – Mutsuki-class destroyer; lost to U.S. Navy air attack 4 May 1942
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
Hirokawa Maru – military transport; grounded and lost to air attack 15 November 1942

Kinugawa Maru
Kinugawa Maru – military transport; grounded and lost to air attack 15 November 1942
I-3 – Type J1 submarine; torpedoed by USN PT Boat 9 December 1942
Teruzuki – Akizuki-class; torpedoed by USN PT Boat 12 December 1942
I-1 – Type J1 submarine; rammed by RNZN ASW Corvettes, ran aground 29 January 1943
Makigumo – Yūgumo-class destroyer; hit Mine while under attack by PT Boat 1 February 1943
Kyushu Maru (Kyūsyū Maru^[1]) – military transport; attacked by the “Cactus Air Force” (later Air Sols) from Henderson Field 14 October 1942
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.

Allied edit

Savo Island, 9 August 1942 edit

Astoria – US New Orleans-class heavy cruiser
Quincy – US New Orleans-class heavy cruiser
Vincennes – US New Orleans-class heavy cruiser
Canberra – Australian Kent-class heavy cruiser

Cape Esperance, 12 October 1942 edit

Duncan – US Gleaves-class destroyer

First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, 13 November 1942 edit

Atlanta – US Atlanta-class light cruiser/anti-aircraft cruiser
Barton – US Benson-class destroyer
Cushing – US Mahan-class destroyer
Laffey – US Benson-class destroyer
Monssen – US Gleaves-class destroyer

Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, 15 November 1942 edit

Preston – US Mahan-class destroyer
Walke – US Sims-class destroyer
Benham – US Benham-class destroyer

Tassafaronga, 30 November 1942 edit

Northampton – US Northampton-class heavy cruiser

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

Kanawha – US Kanawha-class fleet oiler
Aaron Ward – US Gleaves-class destroyer
Moa – New Zealand Bird-class corvette

Other surface battles and aerial actions, 1942–1945 edit

George F. Elliott – US Heywood-class attack transport; lost to air attack 8 August 1942
Jarvis – US Bagley-class destroyer; sunk in aerial torpedo attack 9 August 1942^[a]
Blue – US Bagley-class destroyer; torpedoed by IJN destroyer 22 August 1942
Colhoun – US Wickes-class destroyer; sunk in dive-bombing attack 30 August 1942
Gregory – US Wickes-class destroyer; lost with Little in surface combat vs. IJN destroyers 5 September 1942
Little – US Wickes-class destroyer; lost with Gregory in unnamed action vs. IJN destroyers 5 September 1942
Seminole – US Navajo-class 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^[b]
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
De Haven – 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
John Penn – US attack transport; torpedoed in air attack 13 August 1943
Serpens – United States Coast Guard–manned Liberty ship; exploded while loading depth charges 29 January 1945

Notes edit

^ USS Jarvis was briefly involved in the Battle of Savo Island, but did not actually sink in the sound; she was lost in a separate bomber attack later that day retreating from Guadalcanal.
^ USS Juneau is usually described as being sunk in the aftermath of the [First] Naval Battle of Guadalcanal; her loss took place away from the sound in the Solomon Sea to the southeast.

References edit

^ Michael McFadyen. "Kyūsyū Maru - Ruiniu Wreck". Michael McFadyen's Scuba Diving Website. Retrieved 2023-10-07.

Ballard, Robert D.; Archbold, Rick (1993). The Lost Ships of Guadalcanal. New York: Warner/Madison Press. ISBN 0-446-51636-8. Retrieved 31 March 2022.

External links edit

Casualties: U.S. Navy and Coast Guard Vessels, Sunk or Damaged Beyond Repair during World War II, 7 December 1941 – 1 October 1945 Archived 2 January 2013 at the Wayback Machine
National Geographic: The Lost Fleet of Guadalcanal, Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Kinney, Pat (2018-03-20). "Juneau wreckage bittersweet find for Sullivans, families". The Courier. Retrieved 2018-03-20.

9°15′S 160°0′E / 9.250°S 160.000°E / -9.250; 160.000