The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, a multi-day battle that would
see more than 1,700 Americans killed, began on this day in
history, Nov. 12, 1942.

Guadalcanal is the largest island in the Solomon Islands, a
country located in the Pacific Ocean northeast of Australia
and east of Papua New Guinea. 

On February 8, 1943, Japanese troops evacuated Guadalcanal,
leaving the island in Allied possession after a prolonged campaign.

The American victory paved the way for other Allied wins in the
Solomon Islands.

Guadalcanal is the largest of the Solomons, a group of 992 islands
and atolls, 347 of which are inhabited, in the South Pacific Ocean.

"Guadalcanal" Painting by Keinichi Nakamura 1943.