American Forces

Task Group 67.4
  • Rear Admiral Daniel J. Callaghan †(killed)
    Position: Task group commander
    Notes: Aboard USS San Francisco.
  • Rear Admiral Norman Scott †(killed)
    Notes: Aboard USS Atlanta.

Cruisers

  • USS Portland (CA-33) (damaged)(damaged)
    Commanding officer: Captain Lawrence T DuBose
    Notes: Hit by 2 14in shells and 1 24in torpedo, rudder and screws damaged; towed to Tulagi by the USS Bobolink (ATA 131), 16 killed and 2 wounded, Presidential Unit Citation.
  • USS San Francisco (CA-38) (force flagship)(force flagship) (damaged)(damaged)
    Commanding officer: Captain Cassin Young †(killed)
    Crew: Commander Mark H. Crouter (Position: Executive Officer)
    Notes: Hit by 12 14in, 15 6in, 5 5.5in, and 13 5in shells; 115 killed, 150 wounded; Presidential Unit Citation.
  • USS Helena (CL-50) (minimally damaged)(minimally damaged)
    Commanding officer: Captain Gilbert C. Hoover
    Notes: Hit by 4 14in and 1 5in shells; minor damage, 1 killed , 9 wounded; excellent SG surface search radar but placed 8th in line and not chosen as Flagship (San Francisco had older less accurate radar which was not relied on), first ship awarded Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon.
  • USS Atlanta (CL-51) (2nd flagship)(2nd flagship) (sunk)(sunk)
    Commanding officer: Captain Samuel B. Jenkins
    Crew: Commander Campbell D. Emory (Position: Executive Officer)
    Notes: Hit by 13 14in, 19 8in, 12 5in, and 5 3.9in shells and 1 24in torpedo (official USN report confirms 49 hits but includes none of 14in; Dull and Grace specify 14in hits, perhaps not recognized by the Americans due to the unusual ammunition being used, Type 3 bombardment rounds); towed to Lunga Point and scuttled 1800, 172 killed , 79 wounded, Presidential Unit Citation.
  • USS Juneau (CL-52) (sunk)(sunk)
    Commanding officer: Captain Layman K. Swenson
    Notes: Hit by 3 5in shells and 1 24in torpedo, breaking the keel, then later a 21in torpedo; approximately 100 to 140 survived the initial sinking, only 10 ultimately survived to be rescued.

Destroyer Squadron 5

  • USS Cushing (DD-376) (sunk)(sunk)
    Commanding officer: Lt Commander Edward Parker
    Notes: Hit by 1 (?) 6in shell, 16-20 5in and 5.5in shells; sank 1400; 71 killed, 67 wounded; Presidential Unit Citation.

Destroyer Squadron 12

  • Captain Robert G. Tobin
  • USS Monssen (DD-436) (sunk)(sunk)
    Commanding officer: Lt. Commander Charles E. McCombs
    Notes: Hit by 2 14in and 36+ 5in shells, plus some 5.5in and 3.9in shells; sank at 1400, 110 killed, 33 wounded.
  • USS Laffey (DD-459) (sunk)(sunk)
    Commanding officer: Lt. Commander William E. Hank †(killed)
    Notes: Hit by 2 14in shells, 3 (?) 5in shells, 1 24in torpedo; sank 0330; had dueled with IJN BB Hiei at a range of 75 feet, 56 killed, 109 wounded: Presidential Unit Citation.
  • USS Aaron Ward (DD-483) (seriously damaged)(seriously damaged)
    Commanding officer: Commander Orville F. Bregor
    Crew: Lt Commander F. Julian Becton (Position: Executive Officer) (Notes: Author of "The Ship That Would Not Die.")
    Notes: Hit by 3 14in, 2 8in, and 4 5in shells; towed to Tulagi by Bobolink, 15 killed, 57 wounded.
  • USS Barton (DD-599) (sunk)(sunk)
    Commanding officer: Lt. Commander Douglas H. Fox
    Notes: Hit by 2 24in torpedoes; broke in two and sank immediately, casualties were 13 officers and 151 enlisted killed and 1 officer and 31 enlisted wounded out of a total complement of 15 officers and 217 enlisted.

Destroyer Squadron 21

  • USS Fletcher (DD-445)
    Commanding officer: Commander William M. Cole
    Notes: Undamaged; had SG surface search radar, but was poorly placed at the rear of the column.
  • USS O'Bannon (DD-450) (damaged)(damaged)
    Commanding officer: Commander Edwin Wilkinson
    Notes: Underwater damage when Laffey exploded; no casualties, survived the war with 17 Battle Stars and Presidential Unit Citation.

Destroyer Division 15

  • Commander Thomas M. Stokes
    Notes: Aboard USS Cushing.
  • USS Sterett (DD 407) (damaged)(damaged)
    Commanding officer: Commander Jesse G. Coward
    Notes: Hit by 3 14in, 6 5in, and 2 3.9in shells; 26 killed, 18 wounded, Presidential Unit Citation.
'

Japanese Forces

  • Vice Adm Nobutake Kondo
    Position: Commander of the Naval Support Group.

Bombardment Force

  • Rear Adm. Hiroaki Abe

Battleship Division 11

  • Hiei (force flagship)(force flagship) (sunk)(sunk)
    Commanding officer: Capt Massao Nishida
    Notes: Hit by 28-38 8in and 70-74 5in shells, then 1 500-lb bomb and 4 (?) 1000-lb bombs plus up to 7 aerial torpedoes; scuttled with 2 24in torpedoes, about 450 killed.
  • Kirishima (minimally damaged)(minimally damaged)
    Commanding officer: Capt Sanji Iwabuchi
    Notes: Hit by 1 8in shell; seven killed.

Destroyer Squadron 10

  • Rear Adm Satsuma Kimura
  • Light Cruiser Nagara (flagship)(flagship) (minimally damaged)(minimally damaged)
    Commanding officer: Capt Katsukiyo Shinoda
    Notes: Hit by 1 5in shell; six killed.
Destroyer Division 6
  • Capt Yusuke Yamada
  • Akatsuki (flagship)(flagship) (sunk)(sunk)
    Commanding officer: Commander Osamu Takasuka
    Notes: Hit by unknown number of 8in, 6in, and 5in shells; sunk with all hands (about 200 men).
  • Ikazuchi (damaged)(damaged)
    Commanding officer: Lt. Commander Saneo Maeda
    Notes: Hit by 3 (?) 8in and 3 (?) 5in shells; 19 killed.
  • Inazuma
    Commanding officer: Lt. Commander Masamichi Terauchi
Destroyer Division 16
  • Capt Kiichiro Shoji
  • Yukikaze (flagship)(flagship)
    Commanding officer: Commander Ryokichi Kanma
  • Amatsukaze (damaged)(damaged)
    Commanding officer: Commander Tameichi Hara
    Notes: Hit by 6in and 5in shells; 43 killed.
Destroyer Division 61
  • Teruzuki
    Commanding officer: Commander Tsuneo Orita

Destroyer Squadron 4

  • Rear Adm Tamotsu Takama
  • Asagumo (flagship)(flagship)
    Commanding officer: Commander Toru Iwahashi
Destroyer Division 2
  • Capt Masao Tachibana
  • Harusame
    Commanding officer: Commander Masao Kamiyama
  • Murasame (flagship)(flagship) (damaged)(damaged)
    Commanding officer: Commander Naoji Suenaga
    Notes: Hit by 1 5in shell.
  • Yudachi (sunk)(sunk)
    Commanding officer: Commander Kiyoshi Kikkawa
    Notes: Hit by 7 (?) 5in shells and an unknown number of 8in shells; sunk.
  • Samidare
    Commanding officer: Commander Noboru Nakamura

Picket Unit

Destroyer Division 27; covering the passage between the Russells and Guadalcanal
  • Capt Yasuhide Setoyama
  • Shigure
  • Yugure
  • Shiratsuyu

Sources