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The '''Battle of Tassafaronga''' was a naval battle between American and [[Japanese]] forces in [[World War II]].  It was part of the [[Guadalcanal]] campaign and resulted in a Japanese victory.

The '''Battle of Tassafaronga''' was a naval battle between American and [[Japanese]] forces in [[World War II]].  It was part of the [[Guadalcanal]] campaign and resulted in a Japanese victory.

The Guadalcanal campaign had going on since August, with the Americans occupying a small sliver of territory around Henderson airfield in the north of the island, and the Japanese occupying the rest.  A number of attempts had already been made to dislodge the Americans, and the waters around the island had been the site of several naval battles, including the [[Battle of the Eastern Solomons]] and the [[Battle of Santa Cruz]].  Control of the waters was hotly contested, as both sides had to resupply their forces by ship.  The Japanese tended to schedule their supply runs for the nighttime hours, and the [[United States Marine Corps|Marines]] on Guadalcanal came to dub them the “Tokyo Express”.<ref>''Historical Atlas of the U.S. Navy'', by Craig L. Symonds, the Naval Institute, 1995</ref>

The Guadalcanal campaign had going on since August, with the Americans occupying a small sliver of territory around Henderson airfield in the north of the island, and the Japanese occupying the rest.  A number of attempts had already been made to dislodge the Americans, and the waters around the island had been the site of several naval battles, including the [[Battle of the Eastern Solomons]] and the [[Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands|Battle of Santa Cruz]].  Control of the waters was hotly contested, as both sides had to resupply their forces by ship.  The Japanese tended to schedule their supply runs for the nighttime hours, and the [[United States Marine Corps|Marines]] on Guadalcanal came to dub them the “Tokyo Express”.<ref>''Historical Atlas of the U.S. Navy'', by Craig L. Symonds, the Naval Institute, 1995</ref>

On the night of November 30, an American task force under Rear Admiral Carlton H. Wright, consisting of five [[cruisers]] and six [[destroyer]]s, intercepted a supply convoy of eight Japanese destroyers commanded by Rear Admiral Tanaka Raizo.  The Americans detected the Japanese fleet first, and US destroyers opened the battle, launching torpedoes at the enemy.  The cruisers opened fire a few minutes later with their guns, hitting a Japanese destroyer, but the Japanese responded with their own Long Lance torpedoes, hitting the cruisers ''Minneapolis'', ''New Orleans'', ''Pensacola'', and finally the ''Northhampton''.<ref>''A History of War at Sea'', by Helmut Pemsel, Naval Institute Press, 1975</ref>  The Japanese retreated, although two of their ships stayed to rescue sailors from the wrecked destroyer.  The ''Northhampton'' later sank from the damage inflicted on her, although most of her crew was able to evacuate safely.  Among the men rescued from the American cruiser was the future actor [[Jason Robards]].<ref>''World War II: 4139 Strange and Fascinating Facts'', by Don McCombs and Fred L. Worth, Random House, 1983</ref>

On the night of November 30, an American task force under Rear Admiral Carlton H. Wright, consisting of five [[cruisers]] and six [[destroyer]]s, intercepted a supply convoy of eight Japanese destroyers commanded by Rear Admiral Tanaka Raizo.  The Americans detected the Japanese fleet first, and US destroyers opened the battle, launching torpedoes at the enemy.  The cruisers opened fire a few minutes later with their guns, hitting a Japanese destroyer, but the Japanese responded with their own Long Lance torpedoes, hitting the cruisers ''Minneapolis'', ''New Orleans'', ''Pensacola'', and finally the ''Northhampton''.<ref>''A History of War at Sea'', by Helmut Pemsel, Naval Institute Press, 1975</ref>  The Japanese retreated, although two of their ships stayed to rescue sailors from the wrecked destroyer.  The ''Northhampton'' later sank from the damage inflicted on her, although most of her crew was able to evacuate safely.  Among the men rescued from the American cruiser was the future actor [[Jason Robards]].<ref>''World War II: 4139 Strange and Fascinating Facts'', by Don McCombs and Fred L. Worth, Random House, 1983</ref>