08/01 Sat. United States Naval Base, Galapagos Islands; United States Naval Station, Taboga Island, Canal Zone; United States Naval Auxiliary Air Facility and United States Motor Torpedo Boat Base, Salinas, Ecuador, are established. German submarine sunk: U-166, by Coast Guard aircraft, Gulf of Mexico, 28 d. 31' N. 90 d. 45' W. 08/04 Tue. United States naval vessel sunk: Destroyer TUCKER (DD-374), in United State minefield, Segond Channel, Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides. 08/07 Fri. Marines land on Florida, Tulagi, Gavutu, Tanambogo, and Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, in the first American land offensive of the war. Under cover of naval surface and air forces (Vice Adm. F. J. Fletcher), the 1st Marine Division (Maj. Gen. A. A. Vandegrift) is put ashore by Amphibious Force, South Pacific (Rear Adm. R. K. Turner). The landings are supported by carrier and shore-based aircraft (Rear Adm. L. Noyes and Rear Adm. J. S. McCain). The overall commander is Vice Adm. R. L. Ghormley, Commander South Pacific, and the officer in tactical command is Vice Adm. F. J. Fletcher. Naval cruiser and destroyer force (Rear Adm. W. W. Smith) bombards Kiska, Aleutian Islands. United States naval vessel damaged: Destroyer MUGFORD (DD-389), by dive bomber, Solomon Islands area, 09 d. 00' S., 160 d. 00' E. 08/08 Sat. Marines win control of Tulagi, Gavutu, and Tanambogo, Solomon Islands. An unfinished enemy air strip on Guadalcanal is captured and renamed Henderson Field. German submarine lays mines off mouth of St. Johns River, east of Jacksonville, Fla. United States naval vessel sunk: Transport GEORGE F. ELLIOTT (AP-13), damaged by suicide bombers, Solomon Islands area, and sunk by United States forces, 09 d. 10' S., 160, 10' E. United States naval vessels damaged: Destroyer JARVIS (DD-393), by aircraft torpedo, Solomon Islands area, 09 d. 10' S., 160 d. 01 E. 08/09 Sun. Battle of Savo Island commences in the darkness as a Japanese force of 7 cruisers and 1 destroyer approaches west of Savo Island, Solomon Islands, undetected. The enemy sinks 4 Allied cruisers and damages 1 other cruiser and 2 destroyers by torpedo and gunfire before retiring. Allied ships depart Guadalcanal area. Japanese vessels temporarily control waters around Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. United States naval vessels sunk: Heavy cruisers ASTORIA (CA-34), QUINCY (CA-39), and VINCENNES (CA-44), by naval gunfire, Battle of Savo Island. [Fourth cruiser sunk was the Australian ship CANBERRA.] Destroyer JARVIS (DD-393), by aircraft attack, Solomon Islands, 09 d. 42' S., 158 d. 59' E. United States naval vessels damaged: Heavy cruiser CHICAGO (CA-29), by destroyer torpedo; destroyers RALPH TALBOT (DD-390) and PATTERSON (DD-392), by naval gunfire, Battle of Savo Island. 08/10 Mon. Japanese naval vessel sunk: Heavy cruiser KAKO, by submarine S-44, near Kavieng, New Ireland. 08/14 Fri. Lt. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, USA, Commanding General, European Theater of Operations, is appointed Commander in Chief of Allied Expeditionary Forces; Adm. Sir Andrew Cunningham, RN, is appointed Allied Naval Commander. United States naval vessel lost: Submarine S-39, damaged by striking submerged reef, off Rossel Island, Louisade Archipelago, and abandoned 16 August 1942. 08/15 Sat. Patrol Wing 11, is commissioned at San Juan, P. R., for operations in Caribbean Sea Frontier. Naval Air Station, Whidbey Island, Wash., is established. United State Naval Auxiliary Air Facility, Jamaica, British West Indies, is established. Marine Aircraft Wings, Pacific, is established at San Diego, Calif. 08/16 Sun. Battleship ALABAMA (BB-60) is commissioned at Portsmouth, Va. United States naval vessel sunk: Submarine GRUNION (SS-216), Pacific Ocean area, reported as presumed lost. 08/17 Mon. Second Raider Battalion ("Carlson's Raiders"), Marine Corps, transported by submarines NAUTILUS (SS-168) and ARGONAUT (APS-1) raids Makin Island in the Gilbert Islands; Nautilus gunfire supports Marines ashore. 08/20 Thu. Aircraft escort vessel LONG ISLAND (AVG-1) delivers 31 Marine Corps aircraft to Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. German submarine sunk: U-464, by naval land-based aircraft (VP-73), North Atlantic Area, 61 d. 25 ' N., 14 d. 40' W. 08/22 Sat. Brazil declares war on Germany and Italy. United States naval vessels sunk: Destroyer BLUE (DD-387), damaged by torpedo from surface craft, Solomon Islands area, and scuttled by United States forces 23 August 1942, 09 d. 17' E., 160 d. 02' E. Destroyer INGRAHAM (DD-444), by collision with oiler CHEMUNG (A0-30), off Nova Scotia, 42 d. 34' N., 60 d. 05' W. United States naval vessels damaged: Destroyer BUCK (DD-420), by collision with merchant vessel, off Nova Scotia, 42 d. 34' N., 60 d. 05' W. Oiler CHEMUNG (A0-30), by collision with destroyer INGRAHAM (DD-444) off Nova Scotia, 42 d. 34' N., 60 d. 05' W. German submarine sunk: U-654, by Army aircraft, north of Panama, 12 d. 00' N., 79 d. 56' W. 08/24 Mon. Battle of the Eastern Solomons begins and continues into the next day. Naval carrier-based aircraft (Vice Adm. F. J. Fletcher) supported by Marine and Army aircraft turn back major Japanese attempt to recapture Guadalcanal and Tulagi, Solomon Islands. United States naval vessel damaged: Carrier ENTERPRISE (CV-6), by dive bomber, Battle of the Eastern Solomons, 08 d. 38 S., 163 d. 30 ' E. Japanese naval vessel sunk: Carrier RYUJO, by carrier-based aircraft, Battle of the Eastern Solomons, 06 d. 10' S., 160 d. 50' E. 08/25 Tue. Japanese occupy Nauru, Gilbert Islands, and Goodenough Island, off southeast coast of New Guinea. Japanese naval vessel sunk: Destroyer MUZUKI, by Army aircraft, Battle of Eastern Solomons, off Santa Isabel, Solomon Islands. 08/26 Wed. Japanese land at Milne Bay, New Guinea; Army aircraft attack beached and transports. Japanese occupy Ocean Island. 08/28 Fri. Marine Corps dive bombers sink 1 Japanese destroyer, damage two others and prevent enemy reinforcements from landing on Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. Japanese naval vessels sunk: Submarine I-123, by light minelayer GAMBLE (DM-15), Solomon Islands area, near Guadalcanal. Destroyer ASAGIRI, by Marine land-based aircraft, off Santa Isabel, Solomon Islands. German submarine sunk: U-94, by naval land-based aircraft (VP-92) and HMCS OAKVILLE; Caribbean area, 17 d. 40' N., 74 d. 30' W. 08/29 Sat. United States naval vessel damaged: Transport WILLIAM WARD BURROWS (AP-6), by grounding, Solomons Islands area, 09 d. 07' S., 160 d. 10' E. 08/30 Sun. United States Naval and Army forces occupy Adak, Aleutian Islands, for air and naval base. United States naval vessel sunk: High speed transport CALHOUN (APD-2), by horizontal bomber, Solomon Islands area, 09 d. 24' S., 160 d. 01' E. 08/31 Mon. United States naval vessel damaged: Carrier SARATOGA (CV-3), by submarine torpedo, 260 miles southeast of Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, 10 d. 34' S., 164 d. 18' E. Japanese submarine sunk: RO-61, by destroyer REID (DD-369) and naval land-based aircraft (vp-43), Aleutian Islands area, 52 d. 36' N., 173 d. 57 ' W.