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Battle of the Eastern Solomons, or the Second Battle of the Solomon Sea, Operation SN.

On June 13 1942, the Naval General Staff decided to build an airbase at Guadalcanal. Mutsuki and Transporter Kinyu Maru were first to arrive, screened by Yubari, Uzuki, Tenryu, and Tatsuta as well as the 6th DesRon.

The American counteroffensive started much earlier than expected, catching Japan unprepared with Operation Watchtower, which captured a decoy airstrip built by Japan and turned it into Henderson Field. The US gained total air superiority.

On August 16, 1942 troop transports left Truk for Guadalcanal. On August 21, the rest of the Operation Ka counteroffensive departed:

Support force anchored in Truk: Yamato, Taiyo, Akebono, Ushio
Main carrier striking force: Shokaku, Zuikaku, Destroyers Kazagumo, Yugumo, Makigumo, Akigumo, Hatsukaze, Akizuki
Mobile force: Ryujo, Tone, Amatsukaze, Tokitsukaze
Vanguard: Hiei, Kirishima, Kumano, Suzuya, Chikuma, Nagara, Destroyers Nowaki, Maikaze, Tanikaze
Advance force: Atago, Maya, Takao, Myoko, Haguro, Yura; Destroyers Kuroshio, Oyashio, Hayashio, Minegumo, Natsugumo, Asagumo; Chitose as a seaplane carrier
Outer seas screening force: Jintsu, Suzukaze, Kawakaze, Umikaze, Kagero, Isokaze, Mutsuki, Yayoi, Uzuki
Covering force: Chokai, Kinugasa, Aoba, Furutaka
Standby forces not at sea: Junyo, Mutsu, Harusame, Samidare, Murasame

The plan was to locate and destroy the US carriers Enterprise, Saratoga, and Wasp.