Night of Confusion?Down the "Slot"-that fabled channel between chains of islands in the Solomon group-steamed the task force of Admiral Gunichi Mikawa, Japanese Imperial Navy. His target: the Allied cruiser group gathered off Savo Island, near Guadalcanal. Three thousand Japanese guns were pointed at the destroyer Blue, on interception duty at the head of the Allied column. But no one aboard Blue noticed the enemy force churning past-so Blue roused no enemy fire. Not so lucky were the cruisers Quincy, Vincennes, Canberra and Astoria. This exciting factual book details the incredible confusion and horror that made the Battle of Savo a low point in American naval history. An American Naval Tragedy. So shocking was the defeat of American naval forces by the Japanese in Savo Sound, that the American public could not accept the true story until ten years afterward. On Guadalcanal, Marines were moving up the rugged Tenaru River country, ranging for battle and depending on the Navy for cover. On board the flagship McCawley, Admiral Turner was begging for carrier-based air support that never came. On the flag bridge of his heavy cruiser, Chokai, Admiral Gunichi Mikawa signaled the torpedo fire that opened "The Battle of Savo".