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The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons (also known as the Battle of the Stewart Islands and, in Japanese sources, as the ) took place on 24–25 August 1942, and was the third carrier battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II and the second major engagement fought between the United States Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Guadalcanal Campaign. As at the Battle of the Coral Sea and the Battle of Midway, the ships of the two adversaries were never within sight of each other. Instead, all attacks were carried out by carrier-based or land-based aircraft. After several damaging air attacks, the naval surface combatants from both America and Japan withdrew from the battle area without either side securing a clear victory. However, the U.S. and its allies gained tactical and strategic advantage. Japan's losses were greater and included dozens of aircraft and their experienced aircrews. Also, Japanese reinforcements intended for Guadalcanal were delayed and eventually delivered by warships rather than transport ships, giving the Allies more time to prepare for the Japanese counteroffensive and preventing the Japanese from landing heavy artillery, ammunition, and other supplies. ==Background== On 7 August 1942, Allied forces (primarily U.S. Marine Corps units) landed on Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and the Florida Islands in the Solomon Islands. The landings on the islands were meant to deny their use by the Japanese as bases to threaten supply routes between the U.S. and Australia, and secure the islands as launching points for a campaign with an eventual goal of isolating the major Japanese base at Rabaul while also supporting the Allied New Guinea campaign. The landings initiated the six-month-long Guadalcanal campaign.〔Hogue, ''Pearl Harbor to Guadalcanal'', p. 235–236.〕 The Allied landings were directly supported by three U.S. aircraft carrier Task Forces (TF): TF 11 (), TF 16 (), and TF 18 (), their respective air groups, and supporting surface warships, including a battleship, cruisers, and destroyers.〔Hammel, ''Carrier Clash'', 150. Not all of the ships were U.S. warships; attached to TF 18 was TF 44, commanded by Victor Alexander Charles Crutchley, and included the Australian navy cruisers and (source: Lundstrom, ''Guadalcanal campaign'', p. 96 and 99).〕 The overall commander of the three carrier task forces was Vice Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher, who flew his flag on ''Saratoga''.〔Hammel, ''Carrier Clash'', 41–42.〕 The aircraft from the three carriers provided close air support for the invasion forces and defended against Japanese air attacks from Rabaul.〔Hammel, ''Carrier Clash'', 43–99.〕 After a successful landing, they remained in the South Pacific area charged with four main objectives: (1) guarding the line of communication between the major Allied bases at New Caledonia and Espiritu Santo; (2) giving support to Allied ground forces at Guadalcanal and Tulagi against possible Japanese counteroffensives; (3) covering the movement of supply ships aiding Guadalcanal; and (4) engaging and destroying any Japanese warships that came within potential range.〔Lundstrom, ''Guadalcanal Campaign'', 89 and Hammel, ''Carrier Clash'', 106.〕 Between 15 and 20 August, the U.S. carriers covered the delivery of fighter and bomber aircraft to the newly opened Henderson Field on Guadalcanal.〔Hammel, ''Carrier Clash'', 111–129.〕 This small but hard-won airfield was a critical point in the entire island chain, and both military sides strategically considered that control of the airbase offered potential control of the local battle area airspace. In fact, Henderson Field and the aircraft based upon it soon resulted in telling effects on the movement of Japanese forces in the Solomon Islands and in the attrition of Japanese air forces in the South Pacific Area. Historically, Allied control of Henderson Field became the key factor in the entire battle for Guadalcanal.〔Hammel, ''Guadalcanal: Decision at Sea'', 400〕 Surprised by the Allied offensive in the Solomons, Japanese naval forces (under Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto) and army forces prepared a counteroffensive, with the goal of driving the Allies out of Guadalcanal and Tulagi. The counteroffensive was called ''Operation Ka'' (''Ka'' comes from the first syllable for ''Guadalcanal'' as pronounced in Japanese) with the naval forces having an additional objective of destroying Allied warship forces in the South Pacific area, specifically the U.S. carriers.〔Hammel, ''Carrier Clash'', 121.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Battle of the Eastern Solomons」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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