This fully illustrated book assesses the confrontation between the PT boats of the US Navy and the Japanese destroyers operating in the Solomon Islands during the period 1942-43. During the battles in the Solomons, the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) was forced to rely on destroyers to transport men and supplies to their forward positions. These missions, conducted at night to avoid American air power, were dubbed the Tokyo Express.

Unable to intercept the Tokyo Express using their destroyers, the US Navy deployed PT boats off Guadalcanal starting in October 1942, sinking one destroyer and damaging another. As the battles moved to the Central Solomons, the US Navy attempted to disrupt the reinforcement of Japanese forces on New Georgia Island and other Japanese positions, but this approach resulted in heavy losses. The operations of the PT boats became increasingly significant as the Japanese turned to cargo ships for the transport of troops and supplies.

The full-color artwork and mapping, as well as the carefully selected archival photographs, complement the vivid narratives of the battles and the insightful analysis in this lively retrospective on the ships and men who fought on both sides in the critical Solomon campaign at the height of World War II. Recognized expert Mark Stille explores the background of this epic conflict, charts its course during 1942-43, and provides insights into the performance of both sides in this decisive campaign of World War II in the Pacific.