All three heavy cruisers, as well as two Italian destroyers, were sunk. Materially, the loss of three heavy cruisers was a disaster for a nation that lacked resources to replace them.

Among the storied ships of World War II, there's no lack of renown for aircraft carriers or battleships, but what were the cruisers used for?

Billionaire philanthropist Paul Allen found wreckage of USS Helena (CL-50), which played in important role in the Battle of Guadalcanal.

On Nov. 30, 1942, a torpedo sank the heavy cruiser New Orleans, sending it to the bottom of the Pacific. Its whereabouts were lost to history — until now.

After 22 days, the Maritime Archaeology of Guadalcanal expedition concluded its historic surveys of the infamous Ironbottom Sound.