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{{short description|1943 battle in the Pacific during World War II}}
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{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict          = Battle of Rennell Island
| image             = USS Chicago after Rennell Island.jpg
| image_size        = 300px
| caption           = {{USS|Chicago|CA-29|6}} low in the water on the morning of 30 January 1943, from torpedo damage inflicted the night before
| partof            = the [[Guadalcanal campaign]] of the [[Pacific War|Pacific Theater]] of [[World War II]]
| date              = 29–30 January 1943
| place             = [[Rennell Island]], Solomon Islands, Pacific Ocean
| result            = Japanese victory
| combatant1        = {{flag|United States|1912}}
| combatant2        = {{flagcountry|Empire of Japan}}
| commander1        = [[William Halsey Jr.]]<br>[[Robert C. Giffen]]
| commander2        = [[Jinichi Kusaka]]<ref>Frank, ''Guadalcanal'', p. 288. Kusaka commanded the 11th Air Fleet, headquartered at [[Rabaul]], which included the 701, [[Misawa Air Group|705]] and [[Kanoya Air Group|751]] Air Groups that participated in this battle.</ref><br>[[Rinosuke Ichimaru]]<br>Seigō Yamagata
| strength1         = 1 [[aircraft carrier]]<br>2 [[escort carrier]]s<br>3 [[heavy cruiser]]s<br>3 [[light cruiser]]s<br>8 [[destroyer]]s<br>14 [[fighter aircraft|fighters]]<ref>Morison, ''Struggle for Guadalcanal'', pp. 353, 361. Although the three U.S. carriers together carried considerably more fighter aircraft than 14, this was the number that actually participated in the battle.</ref>
| strength2         = 43 [[medium bomber]]s<ref name="guadalcanal578">Frank, ''Guadalcanal'', p. 578.</ref>
| casualties1       = [[USS Chicago (CA-29)|1 heavy cruiser sunk]]<br>1 destroyer heavily damaged<br>85 killed<ref>Frank, ''Guadalcanal'', pp. 581, 641. Breakdown of deaths by ship: ''Chicago'':&nbsp;62, ''La Vallette'':&nbsp;22, and ''Montpelier'':&nbsp;1. The Japanese bombers strafed the U.S. ships during both attacks on 29 and 30 January which may have resulted in the one death on ''Montpelier'' (Morison, ''Struggle for Guadalcanal'', p. 355).</ref>
| casualties2       = 12 medium bombers destroyed<br>60–84 killed<ref>Frank, ''Guadalcanal'', p. 581; Tagaya, pp. 66–67. Japanese personnel losses estimated by multiplying the 12 aircraft destroyed by the five to seven-man crew that [[Mitsubishi G4M]] and [[Mitsubishi G3M]] bombers usually carried.</ref>
| campaignbox       = {{Campaignbox Guadalcanal}}{{Campaignbox Solomons}}|
}}

The {{nihongo|'''Battle of Rennell Island'''|レンネル島沖海戦|Renneru-shima oki kaisen|lead=yes}} took place on 29–30 January 1943. It was the last major [[naval battle|naval engagement]] between the [[United States Navy]] and the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]] during the [[Guadalcanal campaign]] of World War II. It occurred in the [[South Pacific Area|South Pacific]] between [[Rennell Island]] and [[Guadalcanal]] in the southern [[Solomon Islands]].

In the battle, Japanese land-based [[torpedo bomber]]s, seeking to provide protection for the [[Operation Ke|impending evacuation of Japanese forces from Guadalcanal]], made several attacks over two days on U.S. warships operating as a [[task force]] south of Rennell Island. In addition to approaching Guadalcanal with the objective of engaging any Japanese ships that might come into range, the U.S. task force was protecting an [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] transport ship convoy carrying replacement troops there.

As a result of the Japanese air attacks on the task force, the [[heavy cruiser]] {{USS|Chicago|CA-29|6}} was sunk, the [[destroyer]] {{USS|La Vallette|DD-448|6}} was heavily damaged, and the rest of the U.S. task force was forced to retreat from the southern Solomons area. Partly because they turned back the U.S. task force in this battle, the Japanese successfully evacuated their remaining troops from Guadalcanal by 7 February 1943, leaving it in the hands of the Allies and ending the battle for the island.

==Background==
{{See also|Operation Ke}}
On 7 August 1942, Allied forces, consisting primarily of U.S. troops, landed on Guadalcanal, [[Tulagi]], and the [[Florida Islands]] in the [[Solomon Islands]]. The landings on the islands were meant to deny their use by the Japanese as bases for threatening the supply routes between the U.S. and Australia, and to secure the islands as starting points for a campaign with the eventual goal of isolating the major Japanese base at [[Rabaul]] while also supporting the Allied [[New Guinea campaign]]. The landings initiated the six-month-long Guadalcanal campaign.<ref>Hogue, ''Pearl Harbor to Guadalcanal'', pp. 235–236.</ref>

The last major attempt by the Japanese to drive Allied forces from Guadalcanal and Tulagi was defeated during the decisive [[Naval Battle of Guadalcanal]] in early November 1942. Thereafter, the [[Imperial Japanese Navy|Japanese Navy]] was able to deliver only subsistence supplies and a few replacement troops to [[Japanese Imperial Army|Japanese Army]] forces on Guadalcanal. Because of the threat from Allied aircraft based at [[Honiara International Airport|Henderson Field]] on Guadalcanal, plus nearby U.S. [[aircraft carrier]]s, the Japanese delivered these supplies at night, usually by [[destroyer]] or [[submarine]], in operations the Allies called the "[[Tokyo Express]]."<ref>Frank, ''Guadalcanal'', p. 526.</ref> These supplies and replacements were not enough to sustain Japanese troops on the island, who by 7 December 1942, were losing about 50&nbsp;men each day from malnutrition, disease, and Allied ground or air attacks.<ref>Frank, ''Guadalcanal'', p. 527.</ref> On 12 December 1942, the Japanese Navy proposed that Guadalcanal be abandoned. Despite initial opposition from Army leaders, who still hoped that Guadalcanal could eventually be retaken from the Allies, on 31 December 1942 the [[Imperial General Headquarters]], with approval from the [[Emperor of Japan|Emperor]], agreed to evacuate all Japanese forces from the island and establish a new line of defense for the Solomons on [[New Georgia]].<ref>Dull, ''Imperial Japanese Navy'', p. 261.</ref>

The evacuation was code-named ''[[Operation Ke]]'' (ケ号作戦), and was scheduled to begin on 14 January 1943.<ref name="Dull268">Dull, ''Imperial Japanese Navy'', p. 268.</ref> An important element in the plan was an [[air superiority]] campaign starting 28 January 1943, to inhibit Allied aircraft or warships from disrupting the final stage of the ''Ke'' operation, which was the actual evacuation of all Japanese troops from Guadalcanal.<ref>Frank, ''Guadalcanal'', p. 541.</ref>
[[File:SoPac fixtypo.jpg|thumb|South Pacific area in 1942–1943. The U.S. troop convoy and warship task forces heading towards Guadalcanal (upper center) on 29 January 1943, originated at the major Allied bases at [[Espiritu Santo]] and [[Efate]] (center right) and [[Nouméa]] (lower right). Headquarters for Japanese land-based aircraft in the Solomons area was at [[Rabaul]] (upper left).]]
Allied forces misinterpreted the ''Ke'' preparations as the beginning of another Japanese offensive to try to retake Guadalcanal.<ref>Morison, ''Struggle for Guadalcanal'', p. 351.</ref> At the same time, Admiral [[William Halsey Jr.]], the Allied theatre commander, was under pressure from his superiors to complete the replacement of the [[2nd Marine Regiment (United States)|2nd Marine Regiment]], which had been in combat on Guadalcanal since August, with fresh [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] troops.<ref>Frank, ''Guadalcanal'', p. 577.</ref> Halsey hoped to take advantage of what he believed was an impending Japanese offensive to draw Japanese naval forces into a battle, while at the same time delivering the replacement Army troops to Guadalcanal.<ref name="McGee216">McGee, ''The Solomons Campaigns'', p. 216.</ref> On 29 January 1943, Halsey sent five [[task force]]s toward the southern Solomons area to cover the relief convoy and to engage any Japanese naval forces that came into range. These five task forces included two [[fleet carrier]]s, two [[escort carrier]]s, three [[battleship]]s, 12 [[cruiser]]s, and 25 destroyers.<ref>Morison, ''Struggle for Guadalcanal'', p. 352.</ref>

Leading this array of task forces was Task Group 62.8, the troop convoy of four transports and four destroyers.<ref>Frank, ''Guadalcanal'', pp. 577–578.</ref> Ahead of the troop convoy, between [[Rennell Island]] and Guadalcanal, was Rear Admiral [[Robert C. Giffen]]'s Task Force 18 (TF&nbsp;18), a close support group of [[heavy cruiser]]s {{USS|Wichita|CA-45|6}}, {{USS|Chicago|CA-29|2}}, and {{USS|Louisville|CA-28|2}}, [[light cruiser]]s {{USS|Montpelier|CL-57|2}}, {{USS|Cleveland|CL-55|2}}, and {{USS|Columbia|CL-56|2}}; escort carriers {{USS|Chenango|CVE-28|2}} and {{USS|Suwannee|CVE-27|2}}; and eight destroyers. Giffen commanded TF&nbsp;18 from ''Wichita''.<ref name="Crenshaw62">Crenshaw, ''South Pacific Destroyer'', p. 62.</ref> A fleet carrier task force—centered on the carrier {{USS|Enterprise|CV-6|2}}—steamed about {{convert|250|mi|nmi km|lk=on|abbr=on}} behind TG&nbsp;62.8 and TF&nbsp;18. The other fleet carrier and battleship task forces were about {{convert|150|mi|nmi km|abbr=on}} farther back. Giffen, with ''Wichita'' and the two escort carriers, had just arrived in the Pacific after participating in [[Operation Torch]] in the [[North African Campaign]].<ref>Morison, ''Struggle for Guadalcanal'', pp. 352–353.</ref> Also, ''Chicago'' had just arrived back in the South Pacific, after completing repairs from damage suffered during the [[Battle of Savo Island]] almost six months before.<ref name="Crenshaw62"/>

==Battle==

===Prelude===
In addition to protecting the troop convoy, TF&nbsp;18 was charged with rendezvousing with a force of four U.S. destroyers, stationed at Tulagi, at 21:00 on 29 January in order to conduct a sweep up "[[New Georgia Sound#WWII—The Slot|The Slot]]" through New Georgia Sound north of Guadalcanal the next day to screen the unloading of the troop transports at Guadalcanal.<ref name="guadalcanal578"/> The escort carriers, under Commodore Ben Wyatt, and travelling at {{convert|18|kn|mph km/h|lk=in|abbr=on}}, were too slow to allow Giffen's force to make the scheduled rendezvous, so Giffen left the carriers behind with two destroyers at 14:00 and pushed on ahead at {{convert|24|kn|mph km/h|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Morison354">Morison, ''Struggle for Guadalcanal'', p. 354.</ref> Wary of the threat from Japanese submarines, which Allied intelligence indicated were likely in the area, Giffen arranged his cruisers and destroyers for anti-submarine defense, not expecting an air attack. The cruisers were aligned in two columns, spaced {{convert|2500|yd|m|abbr=on}} apart. ''Wichita'', ''Chicago'', and ''Louisville'', in that order, to starboard, and ''Montpelier'', ''Cleveland'', and ''Columbia'' to port. The six destroyers were in a semicircle {{convert|2|mi|nmi km|abbr=on}} ahead of the cruiser columns.<ref name="guadalcanal578"/>

Giffen's force was tracked by Japanese submarines, who reported its location and movement.<ref name="Morison354"/><ref>Tagaya, p. 66, says that it was a Japanese search airplane that spotted Giffen.</ref> Around mid-afternoon, based on the submarine reports, 16 [[Mitsubishi G4M]] Type 1 [[bomber]]s from the [[Misawa Air Group|705 Air Group]] (Misawa Kōkūtai) and 16 [[Mitsubishi G3M]] Type 96 bombers from the [[701st Naval Air Group|701 Air Group]] (Mihoro Kōkūtai) took off from Rabaul carrying torpedoes to attack Giffen's force. One G3M turned back with engine trouble, leaving 31 bombers in the attack force. The leader of the 705AG aircraft was Lieutenant [[Tomoo Nakamura]] and Lieutenant Commander Joji Hagai commanded the 701AG planes.<ref name= "guadalcanal578"/><ref>Morison, ''Struggle for Guadalcanal'', pp. 354–355; Tagaya, p. 66.</ref>

===Action on 29 January===
[[File:RennellBattleMap.jpg|thumb|left|Chart of Japanese air attack (dashed red line) on U.S. Task Force 18 (solid black line) between Rennell Island and Guadalcanal on the evening of 29 January 1943]]

At sunset, as TF&nbsp;18 headed northwest {{convert|50|mi|nmi km|abbr=on}} north of Rennell Island and {{convert|160|mi|nmi km|abbr=on}} south of Guadalcanal, several of Giffen's ships detected unidentified aircraft on [[radar]] {{convert|60|mi|nmi km|abbr=on}} west of their formation. Having previously insisted on absolute radio silence, Giffen gave no orders about what to do about the unidentified contacts, or any orders at all, for that matter.<ref name="Crenshaw62"/> With the setting of the sun, TF&nbsp;18's [[combat air patrol]] (CAP) from the two escort carriers returned to their ships for the night, leaving Giffen's ships without air cover.<ref>Morison, ''Struggle for Guadalcanal'', p. 355.</ref>

The radar contacts were the approaching Japanese torpedo bombers, who circled around to the south of TF&nbsp;18 so that they could attack from the east, with the black backdrop of the eastern sky behind them. From this direction, the Japanese bombers were hidden by the night sky, but Giffen's ships were silhouetted against the twilight of the western horizon. The 705AG aircraft attacked first, beginning at 19:19. Nakamura's aircraft missed with all of their torpedoes and one was shot down by [[anti-aircraft warfare|anti-aircraft]] fire from Giffen's ships.<ref name= "guadalcanal579">Frank, ''Guadalcanal'', p. 579; Tagaya, p. 66.</ref>

Believing the attack was over, Giffen ordered his ships to cease zigzagging and continue towards Guadalcanal on the same course and at the same speed. Meanwhile, a Japanese reconnaissance aircraft began dropping [[flares]] and floatlights to mark the course and speed of TF&nbsp;18 for the impending attack by Hagai's bombers.<ref name= "Crenshaw63">Crenshaw, ''South Pacific Destroyer'', p. 63; Tagaya, p. 66.</ref>

At 19:38, 701AG attacked, hitting ''Chicago'' with two torpedoes, causing heavy damage and bringing the cruiser to a dead stop. Another torpedo hit ''Wichita'' but did not explode. Two bombers were shot down by anti-aircraft fire, including Hagai's; he was killed. At 20:08, Giffen ordered his ships to reverse direction, to slow to {{convert|15|kn|mph km/h|abbr=on}} and to cease firing their anti-aircraft guns. The absence of muzzle flashes concealed the ships from the Japanese aircraft, who all departed the area by 23:35.<ref name="guadalcanal579"/><ref>Tagaya, p. 66.</ref> In pitch darkness, ''Louisville'' managed to take the crippled ''Chicago'' under tow and slowly headed south, away from the battle area, escorted by the rest of TF&nbsp;18.<ref>Morison, ''Struggle for Guadalcanal'', pp. 358–359.</ref>

===Action on 30 January===
[[File:USS Louisville (CA-28) tows USS Chicago (CA-29) during the Battle of Rennell Island on 30 January 1943.jpg|thumb|right|{{USS|Louisville|CA-28|6}} (right) tows the crippled ''Chicago'' on the morning of 30 January 1943.]]

Halsey immediately took steps to try to protect ''Chicago'', notifying the escort carriers to make sure they had a CAP in place at first light, ordering the ''Enterprise'' task force to approach and to augment the escort carrier CAP, and sending the fleet [[tugboat|tug]] {{USS|Navajo|AT-64|2}} to take over the tow from ''Louisville'', which was achieved at 08:00.<ref name="Crenshaw63"/> Between daybreak and 14:00, numerous Japanese scout aircraft approached TF&nbsp;18. Although they were all chased away by the CAP, they observed and reported the position of ''Chicago''. At 12:15, Lieutenant Commander Kazuo Nishioka led a force of 11 G4M torpedo bombers from the [[Kanoya Air Group|751 Air Group]] (Kanoya Kōkūtai), based at [[Kavieng]] and staging through [[Buka, Papua New Guinea|Buka, New Guinea]], launched to attack the damaged U.S. cruiser. An Australian [[Coastwatchers|coastwatcher]] in the Solomon Islands warned the U.S. forces of the bombers and estimated their arrival time as 16:00. However, Halsey ordered the other cruisers to leave ''Chicago'' behind and head for [[Efate]] in the [[Vanuatu|New Hebrides]]. They departed at 15:00, leaving behind six destroyers to protect ''Chicago'' and ''Navajo''.<ref>Frank, ''Guadalcanal'', pp. 579–580; Tagaya, pp. 66–67.</ref>

At 15:40, ''Enterprise'' was {{convert|43|mi|nmi km|abbr=on}} away from ''Chicago'', with ten of her [[fighter aircraft|fighters]] forming a CAP over the damaged cruiser. At this time, four of the CAP fighters chased and shot down a scouting G4M bomber. At 15:54, ''Enterprise''{{'}}s radar detected the incoming bombers and launched 10 more fighters. The escort carriers, however, had difficulties in getting their aircraft launched and their aircraft did not attack the bombers until the engagement was over.<ref>Morison, ''Struggle for Guadalcanal'', p. 360.</ref>
[[File:RennellBattleMap2.jpg|thumb|left|Japanese aerial attack (dotted red line) on ''Chicago'' (yellow dot) on the morning of 30 January 1943. Black arrows are U.S. carrier fighter aircraft.]]

At first, the Japanese bombers appeared to be trying to approach and attack ''Enterprise'' but turned toward ''Chicago'' after six ''Enterprise'' CAP fighters began to engage them. Four other CAP fighters chased the 751AG aircraft as they entered the anti-aircraft fire from ''Chicago''{{'}}s escorting destroyers. Two of the bombers were shot down before they could release their ordnance. Six more were shot down moments later, but not before they dropped their torpedoes.<ref>Frank, ''Guadalcanal'', pp. 580–581; Tagaya, p. 67. Of the remaining four G4Ms, three lost an engine but were able to make it back to base. One of the bombers landed at [[Munda (Solomon Islands)|Munda, New Georgia]], and the other three reached Ballale Airfield in the [[Shortland Islands]] (Tagaya).</ref>

One torpedo hit the destroyer {{USS|La Vallette|DD-448|6}} in her forward engine room, killing 22 of her crew and causing heavy damage. ''Chicago'' was hit by four torpedoes, one forward of the bridge and three others in her engineering spaces. Captain Ralph O. Davis of ''Chicago'' ordered the ship to be abandoned, and she sank, stern first, 20&nbsp;minutes later. ''Navajo'' and the escorting destroyers rescued 1,049 survivors from ''Chicago'',<ref>Crenshaw, ''South Pacific Destroyer'', pp. 64–65.</ref> but 62 of her crew died.<ref>Frank, ''Guadalcanal'', p. 581.</ref> A final attack force of Japanese torpedo bombers failed to find the remaining U.S. ships. ''Navajo'' took ''La&nbsp;Vallette'' under tow, and all of the remaining ships of TF&nbsp;18 made port at Espiritu Santo without further incident.<ref>Morison, ''Struggle for Guadalcanal'', p. 363. ''La&nbsp;Vallette'' was under repair in the U.S. until 6 August 1943. ({{cite web |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/l/la-vallette-ii.html |title=''La Vallette'' II (DD-448) |date=29 July 2015 |work=Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships |publisher=U.S. Department of the Navy, Naval History and Heritage Command |access-date=12 October 2025}})</ref>

==Aftermath==
The Japanese widely publicized the results of the engagement, claiming to have sunk a battleship and three cruisers.<ref name="Morison363">Morison, ''Struggle for Guadalcanal'', p. 363.</ref> The U.S. on the other hand, tried to conceal the loss of ''Chicago'' from the public for some time, with Admiral [[Chester Nimitz]] threatening to "shoot" any of his staff who leaked the loss of ''Chicago'' to the press. Halsey and Nimitz blamed Giffen for the defeat and wrote this in Giffen's official performance report for the period.<ref>Wukovitz, ''Setback in the Solomons'', p. 3.</ref> The defeat and resulting recriminations did not affect Giffen's career; he continued to lead Allied battleship and cruiser task forces in the Pacific until 1944 and was later promoted to [[vice admiral]].<ref>[http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/pers-us/uspers-g/r-giffen.htm Naval Historical Center] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060923121405/http://history.navy.mil/photos/pers-us/uspers-g/r-giffen.htm |date=23 September 2006 }}</ref>

With Japanese aircraft engaged with TF&nbsp;18, the Allied transports completed their mission of replacing the remaining marines on Guadalcanal over the last two days in January 1943. During this time, the other Allied task forces, including the two fleet carrier task forces, took station in the [[Coral Sea]], in anticipation of an expected Japanese offensive in the southern Solomons.<ref name="Morison363"/>

With TF&nbsp;18 forced to retreat, very few Allied naval forces were left in the immediate Guadalcanal area, allowing the Japanese to retrieve most of their remaining ground forces from Guadalcanal over three nights between 2 and 7 February 1943. This left any remaining Allied ships in the area highly exposed to Japanese attacks. Because the Allies believed that the Japanese were not evacuating, but actually sending in more reinforcements, U.S. destroyers and troop transports were proceeding with normal amphibious operations in western Guadalcanal despite losing the heavy firepower of TF 18. The destroyer {{USS|De Haven|DD-469|2}} was sunk by Japanese planes with 167 men killed and the destroyer {{USS|Nicholas|DD-449|2}} was slightly damaged and suffered two killed. Three [[PT boats]], ''PT-37'', ''PT-111'', and ''PT-123'', were sunk by Japanese forces [[List of shipwrecks in February 1943#1 February|on the same day]] as the sinking of ''De Haven'' with the loss of 15 sailors.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/d/de-haven-i.html |title=''De Haven'' I (DD-469) |date=6 July 2015 |work=Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships |publisher=U.S. Department of the Navy, Naval History and Heritage Command |access-date=12 October 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/n/nicholas-ii.html |title=''Nicholas'' II (DD-449) |date=28 June 2019 |work=Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships |publisher=U.S. Department of the Navy, Naval History and Heritage Command |access-date=12 October 2025}}</ref> The Allies were not aware of the Japanese withdrawal until it was over,<ref name="Dull268"/> but the evacuation of 11,000 starving troops and the loss of one cruiser became a footnote to the securing of Henderson Field and Guadalcanal, which provided the air support springboard to successfully complete the Solomon Islands campaign, a major turning point in the Pacific War.<ref>Frank, p. 597.</ref>

==Notes==
{{reflist|colwidth=20em}}

==References==
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite book | last = Crenshaw | first = Russell Sydnor | year = 1998 | title = South Pacific Destroyer: The Battle for the Solomons from Savo Island to Vella Gulf | publisher = Naval Institute Press | isbn = 1-55750-136-X|ref=none}}
* {{cite book | last = Dull | first = Paul S. | year = 1978 | title = A Battle History of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1941–1945 | publisher = Naval Institute Press | isbn = 0-87021-097-1 | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/battlehistoryofi0000dull|ref=none }}
* {{cite book | last = Frank | first = Richard B. | author-link = Richard B. Frank | year = 1990 | title = Guadalcanal: The Definitive Account of the Landmark Battle | publisher = [[Penguin Group]] | location = New York | isbn = 0-14-016561-4 | url = https://archive.org/details/guadalcanal00rich|ref=none }}
* {{cite book | last = McGee | first = William L. | year = 2002 | chapter = The Six-Month Struggle for Guadalcanal | title = The Solomons Campaigns, 1942–1943: From Guadalcanal to Bougainville—Pacific War Turning Point, Volume 2 (Amphibious Operations in the South Pacific in WWII) | publisher = BMC Publications | isbn = 0-9701678-7-3|ref=none}}
* {{cite book | last = Morison | first = Samuel Eliot | author-link = Samuel Eliot Morison | year = 1958 | chapter = Chapter 15 | title = The Struggle for Guadalcanal, August 1942 – February 1943'', vol. 5 of ''[[History of United States Naval Operations in World War II]] | publisher = [[Little, Brown and Company]] | location = Boston | isbn = 0-316-58305-7|ref=none}}
* {{cite book | last = Tagaya | first = Osamu | year = 2001 | title = Mitsubishi Type 1 "Rikko" 'Betty' Units of World War 2 | publisher = Osprey | location = New York | isbn = 978-1-84176-082-7|ref=none}}
{{Refend}}

==Further reading==
{{Refbegin}}
* {{Cite book | last = Domagalski | first = John J. | year = 2010 | title = Lost at Guadalcanal: The Final Battles of the Astoria and Chicago as Described by Survivors and in Official Reports | publisher = McFarland | isbn = 978-0-7864-5897-4|ref=none }}
* {{cite book | last = Roscoe | first = Theodore | year = 1953 | edition = Ninth printing, 1986 | title = United States Destroyer Operations in World War II | publisher = Naval Institute Press | location = Annapolis, Maryland | isbn = 0-87021-726-7 | url = https://archive.org/details/unitedstatesdest0000rosc|ref=none }}
* {{cite book | last = Stafford | first = Edward P. | others = Paul Stillwell (Introduction) | year = 2002|edition=reissue| title = The Big E: The Story of the USS Enterprise | publisher = Naval Institute Press | isbn = 1-55750-998-0|ref=none}}
* {{cite book | last = Tillman | first = Barrett | author-link = Barrett Tillman | year = 2012 | chapter = | title = Enterprise: America's Fightingest Ship and the Men Who Helped Win World War II | publisher = [[Simon & Schuster]] | location =  | isbn = |ref=none}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite web | last = Chen | first = C. Peter | year = 2004–2006 | url = http://www.ww2db.com/battle_spec.php?battle_id=8 | title = Battle of Rennell Island | work = World War II Database | access-date = 13 July 2006 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120513165126/http://ww2db.com/battle_spec.php?battle_id=8 | archive-date = 13 May 2012|ref=none }}
* {{cite web | last = Hough | first = Frank O. | author2 = Ludwig, Verle E. | author3 = Shaw Jr., Henry I. | url = http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/I/index.html | title = Pearl Harbor to Guadalcanal | work = History of U.S. Marine Corps Operations in World War II | access-date =16 May 2006 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060627075209/http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/I/index.html| archive-date= 27 June 2006 | url-status= live|ref=none}}
* {{cite web | last = McComb | first = David W. | year = 2008 | url = http://www.destroyerhistory.org/fletcherclass/usslavallette/witten.html | title = Battle of Rennell Island | work = Destroyer History Foundation | access-date =16 April 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080512093139/http://www.destroyerhistory.org/fletcherclass/usslavallette/witten.html <!--Added by H3llBot--> | archive-date = 12 May 2008 |ref=none}}
* {{cite web | last = Wukovitz | first = John | year = 2006 | url = http://www.thehistorynet.com/wwii/blsetbackinsolomons/ | title = Battle of Rennell Island: Setback in the Solomons | work = TheHistoryNet.com | access-date =13 July 2006| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060317090254/http://www.thehistorynet.com/wwii/blsetbackinsolomons/| archive-date = 17 March 2006|ref=none}} – Article originally printed in ''World War II'' magazine.
{{Refend}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Rennell Island, Battle Of}}
[[Category:1943 in the Solomon Islands]]
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[[Category:Conflicts in 1943]]
[[Category:Military history of Japan during World War II]]
[[Category:World War II naval operations and battles of the Pacific theatre]]
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