Atlas of Battles

battle, major, interwar and Second World War

Battle of the Tenaru

Battle of the Tenaru was a battle fought on 21 August 1942 at Guadalcanal, in what is now Solomon Islands. It was part of the Pacific War, which ran from 1941 to 1945. The recorded result: Allied victory. Recorded strength: 3,000; 4 tanks against 917; 800 in the attacking force.

See it on the globe Read the article

Fought21 August 1942
WhereGuadalcanal, Solomon Islands9.422S, 160.067E
OutcomeAllied victory
BelligerentsUnited States; United Kingdom; British Solomon IslandsagainstEmpire of Japan
Casualties and losses41–44 killed; 71 woundedand774–800 killed; 15 captured
Part ofPacific War1941 to 1945

Where it sits in the Pacific War

Battle of Guam, 1941Battle of Hong Kong, 1941Battle of Wake Island, 1941Battle of Corregidor, 1942Battle of Manado, 1942Battle of Kuala Lumpur, 1942Battle of Balikpapan, 1942Battle of Port Moresby, 1942Battle of Singapore, 1942Battle of Kranji, 1942Battle of Sarimbun Beach, 1942Battle of Bukit Timah, 1942Battle of Palembang, 1942Battle of Pasir Panjang, 1942Battle of Badung Strait, 1942Battle of Tjiater Pass, 1942Indian Ocean raid, 1942Battle of Midway, 1942Battle of Tulagi and Gavutu–Tanambogo, 1942Battle of the Tenaru, 1942Battle of Edson's Ridge, 1942Actions along the Matanikau, 1942Battle for Henderson Field, 1942Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, 1942Koli Point action, 1942Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, 1942Battle of Tassafaronga, 1942Battle of Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea Horse, 1942Battle of Rennell Island, 1943Battle of the Bismarck Sea, 1943Battle of Blackett Strait, 1943Battle of the Komandorski Islands, 1943Battle of Attu, 1943Battle of Wickham Anchorage, 1943Battle of Viru Harbor, 1943Battle of Kula Gulf, 1943Landing at Nassau Bay, 1943Battle of Enogai, 1943Battle of Kolombangara, 1943Drive on Munda Point, 1943New Georgia counterattack, 1943Battle of Bairoko, 1943Battle of Munda Point, 1943Battle off Horaniu, 1943Landing at Nadzab, 1943Huon Peninsula campaign, 1943Battle of Scarlet Beach, 1943Naval Battle of Vella Lavella, 1943Bougainville Campaign, 1943Landings at Cape Torokina, 1943Battle of Koromokina Lagoon, 1943Battle for Piva Trail, 1943Battle of the Treasury Islands, 1943Battle of Sattelberg, 1943Battle of Piva Forks, 1943Battle of Wareo, 1943Battle of Arawe, 1943Battle of Hellzapoppin Ridge and Hill 600A, 1943Pacification of Rabaul, 1943Battle of Mindoro, 1944Formosa Air Battle, 1944Action of 11 January 1944, 1944Battle of the Green Islands, 1944Battle of Biak, 1944Battle of Saipan, 1944Battle of the Philippine Sea, 1944Battle of Tinian, 1944Battle of Angaur, 1944Battle of Morotai, 1944Battle of Leyte, 1944Battle of Leyte Gulf, 1944Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, 1944Battle off Samar, 1944Battle of Cabo Engaño, 1944Battle of Ormoc Bay, 1944Battle of Peleliu, 1944Battle of Pearl Ridge, 1944Battle of Tarakan, 1945Action of 8 June 1945, 1945Battle of Sulu Islands, 1945Battle of Luzon, 1945Battle of Camotes Islands, 1945Battle of Tsimba Ridge, 1945Battle of Baguio, 1945Battle of Balete Pass, 1945Invasion of Palawan, 1945Battle of Mindanao, 1945Battle of the Visayas, 1945Battle of Bacsil Ridge, 1945Battle for Cebu City, 1945Battle of Slater's Knoll, 1945Operation Ten-Go, 1945Battle of the Hongorai River, 1945Battle of Davao, 1945Battle of the Malacca Strait, 1945Battle of Bessang Pass, 1945Battle of Ratsua, 1945Battle of Porton Plantation, 1945Battle of North Borneo, 1945Battle of Labuan, 1945Battle of Balikpapan, 194519411945Battle of the Tenaru, 1942
101 placed engagements of the Pacific War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date21 August 1942
PlaceGuadalcanal, Solomon Islands
9.422S, 160.067E
KindBattle, interwar and Second World War
Strength3,000; 4 tanks917; 800 in the attacking force
Casualties and losses41–44 killed; 71 wounded774–800 killed; 15 captured
Commanders
Battle of the TenaruBattle of the TenaruBattle for Henderson FieldBattle of Edson's RidgeBattle of Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea HorseKoli Point actionActions along the MatanikauBattle for Henderson Field100 km9.422S, 160.067E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

The ground today

Relief of the ground around the site of Battle of the Tenaru
Relief within about 10.0 km of the site, contours every 10 m. Copernicus DEM GLO-30, ESA.
Satellite view of the site of Battle of the Tenaru today
The same ground from Sentinel-2 on 2025-10-06. Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2025.

The recorded site stands at about 0 m; within 10.0 km the ground runs from -3 to 75 m, 78 m of relief, gently rolling country and today it is 49% water, 25% tree cover, 23% grassland.

water: 49%tree cover: 25%grassland: 23%built-up: 3%water 49%tree cover 25%grassland 23%built-up 3%
west to east, 10.0 km0 to 16 mnorth to south, 10.0 km0 to 22 m
Elevation from the Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (ESA, Airbus); land cover from ESA WorldCover 2021 (CC BY 4.0), within about 5 km of the recorded site. Computed, not recorded.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1942

Battle of the Tenaru is one of 2,997 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 27 in present-day Solomon Islands.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q1414998, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of the Tenaru, revision 1381297044, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.