ACTIVITY: World War II / Sea disaster CASE: GSAF 1942.11. DATE: November 12-16, 1942 LOCATION: Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands LOCATION: The incident took place in the Pacific Ocean near Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. NAME: Unknown DESCRIPTION: He was a 19-year-old male, one of the crew of an American destroyer that was sunk during the Battle of Guadalcanal. BACKGROUND Prior to prior to December 14, 1942, the US Navy believed sharks presented “negligible danger” to personnel in the sea. Available information suggested that sharks were likely be driven away by explosions and loud noises that typically occurred during sea warfare. (See pages 4 & 5 of this report.)

During World War II, the Battle of Guadalcanal was fought between August 7, 1942 and February 9, 1943 in the Solomon Islands on and around the island of Guadalcanal. Fiercely contested on the ground, at sea, and in the air, the campaign was the first major offensive launched by Allied forces against the Empire of Japan. NARRATIVE: Among the 6,000 casualties evacuated from the Guadalcanal battle area was a 19-year-old who had drifted in the sea for 12 hours before a plane found him. “He was on a destroyer when a shell struck. The explosion threw him to the deck and fractured his ankle. As his ship sank, he jumped in and started swimming. At dawn he thought he saw land. He swam toward shore for two hours, then rested, only to feel a nibble first at one leg, then the other. Then a shark bit into his hip.”

© Global Shark Accident File, 2006. All rights reserved. This report may not be abridged or reproduced in any form without written permission of the Global Shark Accident File.

Naval Battle of Guadalcanal

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The Hospital Ship USS Solace

INJURY: His hip was bitten.

TREATMENT: He was taken aboard the hospital ship Solace.

SPECIES: Not identified.

SOURCE: The Lima News, Thursday, July 13, 1944

© Global Shark Accident File, 2006. All rights reserved. This report may not be abridged or reproduced in any form without written permission of the Global Shark Accident File.

© Global Shark Accident File, 2006. All rights reserved. This report may not be abridged or reproduced in any form without written permission of the Global Shark Accident File.

© Global Shark Accident File, 2006. All rights reserved. This report may not be abridged or reproduced in any form without written permission of the Global Shark Accident File.