Ironbottom Sound

Sunken ships

Over 50 vessels were sunk in Ironbottom Sound during the Guadalcanal Campaign. Some of the more notable wrecks are listed below.

Japanese

Cape Esperance, 11–12 October 1942

• Fubuki – Fubuki-class destroyer
• Furutaka – Furutaka-class heavy cruiser; wreck located 30 km (16 nmi; 19 mi) northwest of Savo Island

First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, 13 November 1942

• Akatsuki – Akatsuki-class destroyer
• Yūdachi – Shiratsuyu-class destroyer
• Hiei – Kongō-class battlecruiser

Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, 15 November 1942

• Kirishima – Kongō-class battlecruiser
• Ayanami – Fubuki-class destroyer
• Yamatsuki Maru – troop transport beached and then attacked by US bombers. These attacks set the transports afire and destroyed most equipment not unloaded before dawn. In September and October 1944, the wreck was used as a target for tests of the TDR-1 Drone by STAG-1 based at North Field on Banika, Russell Islands as part of the top secret project testing of America's first guided missile.
• Yamaura Maru – troop transport beached in Doma Cove
• Hirokawa Maru – military transport; grounded and lost to air attack
• Kinugawa Maru – military transport; grounded and lost to air attack

Tassafaronga, 30 November 1942

• Takanami – Yūgumo-class destroyer

Other surface battles and aerial actions, 1942–1943

• Kikuzuki – Mutsuki-class destroyer; lost to U.S. Navy air attack 4 May 1942
• Tama Maru – minesweeper; lost to U.S. Navy aerial torpedo attack 4 May 1942
• Azumasan Maru – military transport; ran aground and lost to air attack 15 October 1942
• I-3 – Type J1 submarine; torpedoed by USN PT Boat 9 December 1942
• Teruzuki – Akizuki-class; torpedoed by USN PT Boat 12 December 1942
• I-1 – Type J1 submarine; rammed by RNZN ASW Corvettes, ran aground 29 January 1943
• Makigumo – Yūgumo-class destroyer; hit Mine while under attack by PT Boat 1 February 1943
• Kyūsyū Maru – military transport; attacked by the “Cactus Air Force” (later Air Sols) from Henderson Field 14 October 1942
• Sasako Maru – military transport; attacked by the “Cactus Air Force” (later Air Sols) from Henderson Field 14 October 1942. Beached and becomes a total loss. She is also known as the Sasago Maru.

Allied

Savo Island, 9 August 1942

• Astoria – US New Orleans-class heavy cruiser
• Quincy – US New Orleans-class heavy cruiser
• Vincennes – US New Orleans-class heavy cruiser
• Canberra – Australian Kent-class heavy cruiser

Cape Esperance, 12 October 1942

• Duncan – US Gleaves-class destroyer

First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, 13 November 1942

• Atlanta – US Atlanta-class light cruiser/anti-aircraft cruiser
• Barton – US Benson-class destroyer
• Cushing – US Mahan-class destroyer
• Laffey – US Benson-class destroyer
• Monssen – US Gleaves-class destroyer
• Juneau - US Atlanta-class light cruiser

Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, 15 November 1942

• Preston – US Mahan-class destroyer
• Walke – US Sims-class destroyer
• Benham – US Benham-class destroyer

Tassafaronga, 30 November 1942

• Northampton – US Northampton-class heavy cruiser

Operation I-Go (Air Raid on Tulagi), 7 April 1943

• Kanawha – US Kanawha-class fleet oiler
• Aaron Ward – US Gleaves-class destroyer
• Moa – New Zealand Bird-class corvette

Other surface battles and aerial actions, 1942–1945

• George F. Elliott – US Heywood-class attack transport; lost to air attack 8 August 1942
• Jarvis – US Bagley-class destroyer; sunk in aerial torpedo attack 9 August 1942
• Blue – US Bagley-class destroyer; torpedoed by IJN destroyer 22 August 1942
• Colhoun – US Wickes-class destroyer; sunk in dive-bombing attack 30 August 1942
• Gregory – US Wickes-class destroyer; lost with Little in surface combat vs. IJN destroyers 5 September 1942
• Little – US Wickes-class destroyer; lost with Gregory in unnamed action vs. IJN destroyers 5 September 1942
• Seminole – US Navajo-class oceangoing tug; lost with YP-284 to gunfire of IJN destroyers 25 October 1942
• YP-284 – US Yard Patrol craft; lost with Seminole to gunfire of IJN destroyers 25 October 1942
• PT-44 – US PT boat; lost in unnamed surface action vs. IJN destroyers 12 December 1942
• PT-112 – US PT boat; lost in surface combat vs. IJN destroyers 11 January 1943
• De Haven – US Fletcher-class destroyer; lost to dive-bombing attack 1 February 1943
• PT-37 – US PT boat; sunk with PT-111 by IJN destroyer 1 February 1943
• PT-111 – US PT boat; sunk with PT-37 by IJN destroyer 1 February 1943
• PT-123 – US PT boat; lost to air attack 1 February 1943
• John Penn – US attack transport; torpedoed in air attack 13 August 1943
• Serpens – United States Coast Guard–manned Liberty ship; exploded while loading depth charges 29 January 1945