Naval Battle of Guadalcanal continues

14th November 1942: The Japanese navy suffers a 'crushing defeat' despite inflicting serious losses on the smaller US naval force

511 men died on the Japanese heavy cruiser Kinugasa when a combined force of US planes from Henderson Field and the USS Enterprise found her on the morning of the 14th.

The broader battle off Guadalcanal continued through the 13th and 14th November as both land and carrier-based planes clashed in the area, with US planes successfully breaking through the Japanese defences to sink many of their transports. It was a battle that ranged far and wide.

Lieutenant Colonel Bauer (1908-1942) was awarded the Medal oF Honor for his actions between May 10 to November 14, 1942. On November 14, Harold W. Bauer shot down two enemy aircraft in an attack 100 miles off Guadalcanal before being shot down himself. He was seen in the water apparently unhurt, floating in his life jacket. An intensive air and sea search over the following days failed to find him.

But the second stage of the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal took place on the night of the 14th of November. Admiral Halsey had improvised Task Force 64, consisting of the battleships USS Washington and USS South Dakota supported by four destroyers. The Task Force ships had never operated together before. Once again when the action commenced, there was confusion as to the identity of the different ships involved.

The USS Walke off Mare Island, August 1942.

The four US advance escort destroyers - the USS WALKE, PRESTON, BENHAM and GWIN - stumbled upon the Japanese force and came under sustained heavy fire. Only the GWIN escaped being sunk, suffering serious damage. The action report of the USS Walke¹ was subsequently reconstructed as all her records went down with her: