Savo: The Incredible Naval Debacle Off Guadalcanal

by Richard F. Newcomb

The Battle of Savo Island is the story of the opening engagement of the Solomon Islands campaign, a unique chapter in naval history. It was the first surface encounter for a coordinated American force in nearly half a century and a very bad start. Courage and will were never lacking, but the Imperial Japanese Navy was about to hand the U.S. Navy the bitterest defeat in its history.

Genres: History, World War II, Military History, Nonfiction

237 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1961

Reviews

[Erik Empson · Rating 5 out of 5]

My appetite for the subject of military disasters is somewhat insatiable if rather morbid. And the events described this book, the opening stages of the battles for the Solomon Islands in the Pacific during WWII don't disappoint.
A combination of complacency, an underestimation of the Japanese (due to racism and propoganda), arrogance, bad planning, bad execution and a fair dose of bad luck led to the decimation of a good portion of the US navy's fleet protecting the invasion force as part of a broader strategy to ringfence Australia from Japanese expansion in the South Pacific.
Having concentrated their efforts on protecting transports and troop carriers from ariel bombardment - after the experience of Midway - the US admirals were woefully unprepared for a surface action, which, when it came from a numerically smaller but well-coordinated Japanese atttack during the dead of night, caught them completely at surprise. The US navy had a screen of destroyers protecting their cruisers, but the attitude was defensive, and dreadful communication meant that even when ships were under attack, they did not warn their compatriots.
Recriminations were few in the post war investigations, various cruiser captains getting the bulk of the blame and the upper command echelons exonerated.
The result of the blunder was an invasion force of Marines left to defend themselves, under equipped without air and sea support. There will be, no doubt, a book about that somewhere.

[Chanover55 · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me, just enough detail that you don't bogged down in the details. The story of how the American, British and Australian Navies were overrun by the Japanese in a very short time. Includes the incredible
shortsightedness of the Allied commanders, who were sometimes unfairly blamed, and those that should have known better being promoted.

[S.L. Wilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written, easy to read account of what led to the crushing Japanese victory/humiliating American defeat.

[jeffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book I actually read had a slightly different title: "Savo: The Incredible Naval Debacle off Guadalcanal," published in 1961. But, I assume it's the same book. It was new, although appalling information to me, and excitingly written. Also, a bit of attitudinal snark in there to freshen things up.

[Brian · Rating 2 out of 5]

War story.