American Forces

Task Force 61
  • RAdm Thomas C. Kinkaid

Task Force 16

  • RAdm Thomas C. Kinkaid

Aircraft Carrier

  • Enterprise (fleet flagship)(fleet flagship) (seriously damaged)(seriously damaged)
    Commanding officer: Capt Osborne B. Hardison
    • Air Group 10
      Commanding officer: Cdr Richard K. Gaines
Air Group 10 at 0000 25 October 1942
  • CEAG
    Commanding officer: Cdr Richard K. Gaines
    Notes: 1 (1 operational) x TBF-1.
  • VF-10
    Commanding officer: LCdr James H. Flatley, Jr.
    Notes: 36 (33 operational) x F4F-4; fitted for drop tanks, tanks available.
  • VB-10
    Commanding officer: LCdr James A. Thomas
    Notes: 22 (17 operational) x SBD-3.
  • VS-10
    Commanding officer: LCdr James R. Lee
    Notes: 22 (16 operational) x SBD-3.
  • VT-10
    Commanding officer: LCdr John A. Collett
    Notes: 14 (14 operational) x TBF-1.
Air Group 10 at 0000 26 October 1942
  • CEAG
    Commanding officer: Cdr Richard K. Gaines
    Notes: 1 (1 operational) x TBF-1.
  • VF-10
    Commanding officer: LCdr James H. Flatley, Jr.
    Notes: 31 (31 operational) x F4F-4; fitted for drop tanks, tanks available.
  • VB-10
    Commanding officer: LCdr James A. Thomas
    Notes: 18 (13 operational) x SBD-3.
  • VS-10
    Commanding officer: LCdr James R. Lee
    Notes: 16 (10 operational) x SBD-3.
  • VT-10
    Commanding officer: LCdr John A. Collett
    Notes: 9 (9 operational) x TBF-1.

Screen

  • RAdm Mahlon S. Tisdale
  • South Dakota (damaged)(damaged)
    Commanding officer: Capt Thomas L. Gatch
Cruiser Division 4
  • RAdm Mahlon S. Tisdale
  • Portland (flagship)(flagship)
    Commanding officer: Capt Laurance T. DuBose
  • San Juan (damaged)(damaged)
    Commanding officer: Capt James E. Maher
Destroyer Squadron 5
  • Capt Charles L. Cecil
  • Porter (sunk)(sunk)
    Commanding officer: LCdr David G. Roberts
  • Mahan (damaged)(damaged)
    Commanding officer: LCdr Roger W. Simpson
Destroyer Division 10
  • Cdr Thomas M. Stokes
  • Cushing
    Commanding officer: LCdr Edward N. Parker
  • Preston
    Commanding officer: LCdr Max C. Stormes
  • Smith (seriously damaged)(seriously damaged)
    Commanding officer: LCdr Hunter Wood, Jr.
  • Maury
    Commanding officer: LCdr Gelzer E. Sims
  • Conyngham
    Commanding officer: LCdr Henry C. Daniel
  • Shaw
    Commanding officer: LCdr Wilbur G. Jones

Task Force 17

  • RAdm George D. Murray

Aircraft Carrier

  • Hornet (force flagship)(force flagship) (sunk)(sunk)
    Commanding officer: Capt Charles P. Mason
    • Air Group 8
      Commanding officer: Cdr Walter F. Rodee
Air Group 8 at 0000 25 October 1942
  • CHAG
    Commanding officer: Cdr Walter F. Rodee
    Notes: 1 (1 operational) x TBF-1.
  • VF-72
    Commanding officer: LCdr Henry G. Sanchez
    Notes: 37 (32 operational) x F4F-4; fitted for drop tanks, tanks available.
  • VB-8
    Commanding officer: Lt James W. Vose
    Notes: 14 (10 operational) x SBD-3.
  • VS-8
    Commanding officer: LCdr William J. Widhelm
    Notes: 16 (11 operational) x SBD-3.
  • VT-6
    Commanding officer: Lt Edwin B. Parker, Jr.
    Notes: 14 (13 operational) x TBF-1.
Air Group 8 at 0000 26 October 1942
  • CHAG
    Commanding officer: Cdr Walter F. Rodee
    Notes: 1 (1 operational) x TBF-1.
  • VF-72
    Commanding officer: LCdr Henry G. Sanchez
    Notes: 37 (32 operational) x F4F-4; fitted for drop tanks, tanks available.
  • VB-8
    Commanding officer: Lt James W. Vose
    Notes: 14 (9 operational) x SBD-3.
  • VS-8
    Commanding officer: LCdr William J. Widhelm
    Notes: 16 (15 operational) x SBD-3.
  • VT-6
    Commanding officer: Lt Edwin B. Parker, Jr.
    Notes: 14 (13 operational) x TBF-1.
  • VT-10
    Notes: 2 (2 operational) x TBF-1.

USA Carrier Aircraft and Aircrew Losses

Type Total on Board Shot Down Crashed or Ditched Lost with Hornet or jettisoned due to damage Total Loss
TBF - Avenger 1 29 3 16 0 19
SBD - Dauntless 2 72 2 8 18 28
F4F - Wildcat 3 74 13 10 10 33
Total 175 18 34 28 80
  • ^Three TBF pilots and five crewmen were killed. Two were captured.
  • ^One SBD pilot and one crewman were killed.
  • ^Twelve F4F pilots were killed and two were captured.
  • A total of eighteen pilots and eight crewmen were killed or captured. Of these, four were section or division leaders and one was a torpedo squadron commander.

Screen

  • RAdm Howard H. Good
Cruiser Division 5
  • RAdm Howard H. Good
  • Northampton (flagship)(flagship)
    Commanding officer: Capt Willard A. Kitts, III
  • Pensacola
    Commanding officer: Capt Frank L. Lowe
  • San Diego
    Commanding officer: Capt Benjamin F. Perry
  • Juneau
    Commanding officer: Capt Lyman K. Swenson
Destroyer Squadron 2
  • Cdr Arnold E. True
  • Morris
    Commanding officer: LCdr Randolph B. Boyer
  • Anderson
    Commanding officer: LCdr Richard A. Guthrie
  • Hughes
    Commanding officer: LCdr Donald J. Ramsey
  • Mustin
    Commanding officer: LCdr Wallis F. Peterson
  • Russell
    Commanding officer: LCdr Glenn R. Hartwig
  • Barton
    Commanding officer: LCdr Douglas H. Fox

Task Force 63

Land-Based Aircraft
  • RAdm Aubery W. Fitch

Henderson Field

Various units
  • 16 x F4F-4
  • 20 x SBD-3
  • 2 x TBF-1
  • 6 x P-39
  • 6 x P-400

Espiritu Santo/Efate

  • 24 x F4F
  • 39 x B-17E
  • 32 x PBY-5A
  • 5 x OS2U

New Caledonia

  • 15 x P-38
  • 46 x P-39
  • 16 x B26
  • 13 x Hudson

Japanese Forces

Guadalcanal Support Force
  • Adm Isoroku Yamamoto
    Position: Commander-in-Chief, Combined Fleet
    Notes: At Truk.
  • VAdm Nobutake Kondo
    Position: Commander-in-Chief, 2nd Fleet
    Notes: Commanding Guadalcanal Support Force.

Advance Force

  • VAdm Nobutake Kondo

Main Body

Cruiser Division 4
  • Atago (fleet flagship)(fleet flagship)
  • Takao
Cruiser Division 5
  • RAdm Sentaro Omori
  • Myoko (flagship)(flagship)
  • Maya
Destroyer Squadron 2
  • RAdm Raizo Tanaka
  • Isuzu (flagship)(flagship)
  • Makinami
  • Kawakaze
  • Suzukaze
  • Naganami
  • Umikaze
  • Takanami

Air Group

Carrier Division 2
  • RAdm Kakuji Kakuta
  • Junyo (flagship)(flagship)
    • 22 x A6M2
    • 19 x D3A1
    • 4 x B5N2
  • Kuroshio
  • Hayashio

Support Group

Battleship Division 3
  • VAdm Takeo Kurita
  • Kongo (flagship)(flagship)
  • Haruna
  • Oyashio
  • Kagero

Carrier Striking Force

  • VAdm Chuichi Nagumo
    Position: Commander-in-Chief, 3rd Fleet
    Notes: Aboard Shokaku.

Carrier Group

Carrier Division 1
  • Shokaku (force flagship)(force flagship) (damaged)(damaged)
    • 20 x A6M2
    • 21 x D3A1
    • 24 x B5N2
    • 1 x D4Y1
  • Zuikaku
    • 20 x A6M2
    • 23 x D3A1
    • 20 x B5N2
  • Zuiho (damaged)(damaged)
    • 20 x A6M2
    • 9 x B5N2
Screen
  • Kumano
  • Hatsukaze
  • Yukikaze
  • Maikaze
  • Hamakaze
  • Amatsukaze
  • Tokitsukaze
  • Arashi
  • Teruzuki (damaged)(damaged)

Japan Carrier Aircraft and Aircrew Losses

Type Total on Board Shot Down Crashed or Ditched Destroyed by bombs aboard ship Total Loss
B5F2 Type 97 Carrier Attack Bomber - "Kate" 1a 57 22 7 1 30
D3A1 Type 99 Carrier Bomber - "Val" 2a 63 30 11 0 41
A6M2 Type 0 ["Zero"] Carrier Fighter - "Zeke" 3a 82 15 9 3 27
D4Y1-C Carrier Scout/Dive Bomber - "Judy" 1 0 1 0 1
Total 203 67 28 4 99
  • ^B5F2 - 22 pilots and 45 crewmen were killed.
  • ^D3A1 - 30 pilots and 32 crewmen were killed.
  • ^A6M2 - 16 pilots were killed.
  • A total of 68 pilots and 77 crewmen were killed. Of these, twenty-three were section, flight, squadron or group commanders.

Vanguard Group

  • RAdm Hiroake Abe
    Notes: Aboard Hiei.
Battleship Division 11
  • Hiei (force flagship)(force flagship)
  • Kirishima
Cruiser Division 8
  • RAdm Chuichi Hara
  • Tone (flagship)(flagship)
  • Chikuma (damaged)(damaged)
Cruiser Division 7
  • RAdm Shoji Nishimura
  • Suzuya
Destroyer Squadron 10
  • RAdm Susumu Kimura
  • Nagara (flagship)(flagship)
  • Makigumo
  • Akigumo
  • Urakaze
  • Kazagumo
  • Fugumo
  • Tanikaze
  • Isokaze
Supply Group
  • Nowaki
  • Toho Maru
  • Kyokuto Maru
  • Kokuyo Maru
  • Toei Maru

Outer Seas Force

  • VAdm Gunichi Mikawa
    Position: Commander-in-Chief, 8th Fleet
    Notes: At Shortland Islands.

Assault Unit

  • Akatsuki
  • Ikazuchi
  • Shiratsuya

Bombardment Unit

Destroyer Squadron 4
  • RAdm Tomatsu Takama
  • Yura (flagship)(flagship)
  • Akizuki
  • Harusame
  • Yudachi
  • Murasame
  • Samidare

Advance Expeditionary Force

Submarine Force
  • VAdm Teruhisa Komatsu
    Position: Commander-in-Chief, 6th Fleet
    Notes: At Truk.
  • I-4
  • I-5
  • I-7
  • I-9
  • I-15
  • I-21
  • I-22
  • I-24
  • I-174
  • I-175
  • I-176

Sources

  • Guadalcanal: The Carrier Battles by Eric Hammel, Crown Publishers, 1987
  • Carrier Strike: The Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands by Eric Hamel, Pacifica Press, 1999
  • Original research by Mark Horan

Page History

21 November 2000 - Benchmark
24 June 2018 - Added Aircraft and Aircrew Losses tables, aircraft complement on Junyo