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- For the United States Navy escort carrier, see USS Savo Island (CVE-78).
Savo Island is a volcanic island in the Solomon Islands group in the South Pacific ocean. It is located to the northeast of the northern tip of Guadalcanal Island at 9°8′0″S 159°49′0″E / 9.133333°S 159.816667°ECoordinates: 9°8′0″S 159°49′0″E / 9.133333°S 159.816667°E. Politically, Savo Island is a part of the Solomons' Central Province. The indigenous language of Savo is the Savosavo language.
The volcano of the island last erupted in the years between 1835 and 1850. One eruption was so strong that it wiped out all life on the island. A previous eruption occurred in 1568. According to the data of the World Organization of Volcanic Observatories, Savo Island is active every 100 to 300 years.
Savo Island in World War II
Because of its proximity to Guadalcanal Island and the hotly contested nature of the battles for control of the Solomon Islands, Savo Island figured in many of the naval engagements of the Solomon Islands campaign. It is most well known as the location of several naval battles fought in the adjacent "Ironbottom Sound" during World War II, between the Allied naval forces and the Imperial Japanese Navy.
List of World War II naval battles fought in the vicinity of Savo Island:
- Battle of Savo Island, 9 August 1942
- Battle of Cape Esperance (originally known as the "Second Battle of Savo Island"), 11 October–12 October 1942
- Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, 13 November–15 November 1942
- Battle of Tassafaronga, 30 November 1942
Trivia
Savo island is the setting for one of the missions in WWII strategy game Commandos 2. The mission is called The Guns of Savo Island and is a none-too-subtle remake of the classic adventure film and novel The Guns of Navarone, juxtaposed to a Pacific locale.
See also
- List of volcanoes in the Solomon Islands
- Geography of the Solomon Islands
- History of the Solomon Islands
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