The Graves of "IronBottom Sound."

The stretch of water between Guadalcanal, Savo Island, and Florida Island of the Solomon Islands was called the "Sealark Sound"
once WWII started named the Savo Sounds and became the location of the heaviest naval fighting in the Pacific. Many planes and
ships from both sides meet there watery graves in that location, I've even read accounts of 70 ships sinking in that area I've never
found numbers for the amount of planes. Being baptised by the allied forces and earning the name as "IronBottom Sounds."

Dozens of ships and planes were sunk there during the Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942 and 1943.

Guadalcanal Campaign, August 1942 - February 1943
Overview and Special Image Selection
Nice archive pictures
Guadalcanal Campaign, August 1942 - February 1943



names of 32 Allied and 14 Japanese ships sunk in that location in WWII.

List of names of "Shipwrecks in Ironbottom Sound"
Category:Shipwrecks in Ironbottom Sound - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



File:Wrecks in the Ironbottom Sound.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


The Ships of Iron Bottom sound
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJytlYgg-Dw[/YOUTUBE]

 

That map is WAY, WAAAAAY off on positions.

 

Why is the USS Minneapolis listed? It survived the war.

 

Does anyone know how many ships have been located to date?

Bob Ballard found something like 13 during his expedition in (1992?).

Has there been any more expeditions by anyone else?

 

Yes I know but the only one that was available I had one more Map but from the 92 expatiation.


Google Image Result for http://www.ussdehaven.org/images/gc01.jpg

 

Well it got scraped in 59 yes survived the war.

 

One of the best locators, is Google Earth. The locations shown are pretty accurate.

 

Have you ever tried the Pilot Simulator on Google Earth?

 

Where the heck are Hiei, Vincennes, and Astoria on that map? Serpens was a late-war, non-combat loss so probably shouldn't be included.

 

Full list of IJN ships should include:

• Akatsuki (Japanese Akatsuki-class destroyer)
• Ayanami (Japanese Fubuki-class destroyer)
• Fubuki (Japanese Fubuki-class destroyer)
• Furutaka (Japanese Furutaka-class cruiser)
• Hiei (Japanese Kongō-class battleship)
• Hirokawa Maru (Japanese military transport)
• Kasi Maru (Japanese freighter)
• Kinugawa Maru (Japanese military transport)
• Kirishima (Japanese Kongō-class battleship)
• Makigumo (Japanese Yugumo-class destroyer)
• Takanami (Japanese Yugumo-class destroyer)
• Teruzuki (Japanese Akizuki-class destroyer)
• Toa Maru (Japanese military transport)
• Yudachi (Japanese Shiratsuyu-class destroyer)

Full list of Allied ships should include:

• Aaron Ward (US Gleaves-class destroyer)
• Astoria (US New Orleans-class cruiser)
• Atlanta (US Atlanta-class anti-aircraft cruiser)
• Barton (US Benson-class destroyer)
• Blue (US Bagley-class destroyer)
• Canberra (Australian Kent-class cruiser)
• Colhoun (US Wickes-class destroyer)
• Cushing (US Mahan-class destroyer)
• De Haven (US Fletcher-class destroyer)
• Duncan (US Gleaves-class destroyer)
• George F. Elliot (US Heywood class transport)
• Gregory (US Wickes-class destroyer)
• Jarvis (US Gridley-class destroyer)
• John Penn (US miscellaneous class Attack Transport)
• Kanawha (US Kanawha/Cuyama class fleet oiler)
• Laffey (US Benson-class destroyer)
• Little (US Wickes-class destroyer)
• Moa (New Zealand Bird class corvette)
• Monssen (US Gleaves-class destroyer)
• Northampton (US Northampton-class heavy cruiser)
• Preston (US Mahan-class destroyer)
• PT-37 (US PT boat)
• PT-44 (US PT boat)
• PT-111 (US PT boat)
• PT-112 (US PT boat)
• PT-123 (US PT boat)
• Quincy (US New Orleans-class cruiser)
• Seminole (US Navajo-class oceangoing tug)
• Serpens (United States Coast Guard-manned Liberty ship)
• Vincennes (US New Orleans-class cruiser)
• Walke (US Sims-class destroyer)
• YP-284 (US Yard Patrol craft)

Though, again, I'd leave Serpens out, as a non-combat loss.

 

John, I can't believe you, of all people, forgot the USS Juneau. I guess she didn't technically sink in Iron Bottom Sound, but technically, neither did any of the ships that sank west of Savo Island either. I know, I'm really stretching it, lol.

 

There were several Japanese submarines sunk in that area also, including in Indispensible Strait and off the Russell Islands, if I'm not mistaken. I think only the I-1 was sunk in Savo Sound, however.

 

Hiei was sunk quite a ways from the 'Canal. Off map for the ones posted below.

 

Really? I remember reading somewhere that there was some question of wether Bob Ballard actually found the wreck of Kirishima or the wreck of the Hiei, since they could not positively identify it, and that they sank relatively around the same area. (Sorry I can't remember where my source is on this)

I do remember they could not identify if they found the Akatsuki and Ayanami.

 

Japanese battleship Hiei - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wreck of HIJMS Hiei Solomon Islands

There's a google map on the above page but you may have to back out to see anything.
IMPERIAL JAPANESE NAVY MYSTERIES

And finally this which may hold the info requested:
IMPERIAL JAPANESE NAVY MYSTERIES

 

I didn't forget Juneau, or Jarvis--but both sank well away from the Sound and the battle area.

 

I posted this last year, if anyone is interested about the fate of the IJN Kirishima.

http://www.ww2f.com/naval-warfare-pacific/33382-articles-naval-battle-guadalcanal.html