The 6th Cruiser Division was a cruiser division of the Imperial Japanese Navy that played a prominent role during the early stages of the Pacific War. The unit operated the four oldest heavy cruisers
Japanese heavy cruiser Aoba, flagship of the 6th Cruiser Division.
Heavy cruiser Kako's main battery after modernization.
Rear Admiral Aritomo Gotō was the commander of the 6th Cruiser Division (CruDiv6) during the Pacific War.
Warships of the 6th Cruiser Division, part of Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa's striking force, dealt a major defeat to Allied naval forces at the Battle of Savo Island on 9 August 1942 by sinking four heavy cruisers.
The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons took place on 24–25 August 1942 and was the third carrier battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II and the second major engagement fought between the Uni
USS Enterprise maneuvering radically under aerial attack and afire on 24 August 1942. Anti-aircraft shell bursts are visible above the carrier.
U.S. carriers Wasp (foreground), Saratoga, and Enterprise (background) operating in the Pacific south of Guadalcanal on 12 August 1942
Shōkaku, photographed from Zuikaku, underway during the battle, 24 August 1942
The disabled Ryūjō (just right of center) under high-level attack by B-17 bombers. The destroyer Amatsukaze (bottom left) is moving away from Ryujo at full speed and the Tokitsukaze is backing away from the bow of Ryūjō to evade the falling bombs.