Battle of Rennell Island

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The Battle of Rennell Island was a late January 1943 naval air engagement in the Pacific Theater of World War II, in which Japanese aircraft attacked and sank or damaged U.S. warships as American forces covered the final stages of the Guadalcanal campaign.

Aliases (1)

Statements (46)
Predicate Object
instanceOf World War II battle
naval battle
alsoKnownAs Rennell Island engagement
belligerent Imperial Japanese Navy
United States Navy
campaignPhase final phase of the Guadalcanal campaign
cause Japanese attempt to disrupt U.S. naval cover for Guadalcanal evacuation and reinforcement operations
combatType naval air engagement
conflict Pacific War
conflictType sea battle involving carrier- and land-based aircraft
countryInvolved Empire of Japan
United States
endDate 1943-01-30
followedBy Operation Ke (Japanese evacuation of Guadalcanal)
historicalSignificance last major Japanese air attack on U.S. surface ships during the Guadalcanal campaign
JapaneseAirCommander Rear Admiral Takatsugu Jojima
JapaneseLosses several attacking aircraft shot down
location Solomon Islands
near Rennell Island
natureOfEngagement night torpedo-bomber attack on U.S. task force
notableShipDamaged USS La Vallette (DD-448)
USS Louisville (CA-28)
USS Wichita (CA-45)
notableShipSunk USS Chicago (CA-29)
objectiveOfJapan inflict losses on U.S. warships supporting Guadalcanal operations
objectiveOfUnitedStates cover the final stages of the Guadalcanal campaign
partOf Guadalcanal campaign
Solomon Islands campaign
precededBy Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
primaryAttackingForce Japanese Mitsubishi G4M "Betty" bombers
Japanese land-based torpedo bombers
result Japanese tactical victory
U.S. strategic situation at Guadalcanal unchanged
startDate 1943-01-29
strategicConsequence did not prevent U.S. from maintaining control around Guadalcanal
occurred just before completion of Japanese evacuation of Guadalcanal
strategicContext Japanese efforts to cover and support Operation Ke
U.S. efforts to reinforce and resupply Guadalcanal
theater Pacific Theater of World War II
timePeriod late January 1943
U.S.Commander Admiral William Halsey Jr. (overall South Pacific Area command)
U.S.Losses heavy cruiser USS Chicago sunk
several cruisers and destroyers damaged
U.S.TaskForceCommander Rear Admiral Robert C. Giffen
war World War II
year 1943

Referenced by (5)

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