Guadalcanal Campaign
Steaming from Sydney 14 July, Jarvis arrived Wellington, New Zealand, the 19th to join Task Force 62, which sailed 22 July for the Solomons. After conducting rehearsal landings in the Fiji Islands 28–30 July, the invasion force of 84 ships and 20,000 marines steamed for Guadalcanal 31 July. Protected from Japanese search planes by rain and heavy mists, the force arrived off the landing beaches at dawn 7 August.
Following naval and air bombardment of enemy defenses, the first amphibious operation of the war commenced at 0650. Jarvis patrolled watchfully as part of the protective screen while Marines established a beachhead. As landing operations progressed, Americans expected the Japanese to strike vigorously at the transports with land-based planes. However, during two attacks which occurred that afternoon the Americans sustained only minor damage on Mugford (DD-389) while splashing 14 enemy planes.
Following night patrol off the southern end of Savo Island, Jarvis returned to Lunga Point to screen the unloading transports. Warning of an impending air attack suspended these operations; and the transports and their protective screen of destroyers and cruisers deployed in the body of water between Guadalcanal and Florida Island, soon to be called "Ironbottom Sound". When enemy torpedo bombers appeared about noon 8 August, they met a lethal stream of antiaircraft fire. Only 9 of the 26 planes breached the deadly defense of flaming lead, but they set George F. Elliott (AP-13) ablaze and torpedoed Jarvis.
Read more about this topic: USS Jarvis (DD-393)
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