Battle of the Eastern Solomons

The Battle of the Eastern Solomons is the first mission in the American Campaign of Battlestations Pacific. This mission is all aircraft, but it is relatively easy, even on veteran difficulty. You will have to defend the "Big E" from Vals and Kates, then defend some attack aircraft, sink a small cargo conoy, and finally, send the light carrier Ryujo and her escorts to the seabed.

United States

 * 2 aircraft carriers
 * Lexington-class aircraft carrier
 * USS Saratoga
 * Yorktown-class aircraft carrier
 * USS Enterprise
 * 8 destroyers
 * Fletcher-class destroyer
 * USS Balch
 * USS Benham
 * USS Dale
 * USS Ellett
 * USS Farragut
 * USS MacDonough
 * USS Maury
 * USS Worden

Japanese Empire

 * 1 aircraft carrier
 * Ryujo
 * 1 heavy cruiser
 * Tone-class cruiser
 * Tone
 * 2 destroyers
 * Fubuki-class destroyer
 * Tokitsukaze
 * Shimakaze-class destroyer
 * Amatsukaze
 * 3 cargo ships
 * Boston Maru
 * Daifuku Maru
 * Kinryu Maru

Unlocks

 * F4F Wildcat-P-51 Mustang
 * TBF Avenger-TBM Avenger (recommended)

Objectives
Primary: Hidden:
 * Shoot down ten incoming Japanese aircraft.
 * At least four bomber squadrons must get to the navigation point.
 * Sink every hostile ship in the mission.

Defending the Enterprise and her aircraft
The first objective of the American Campaign is to defend the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. Squadrons of B5N Kates and D3A Vals attack the carrier. Your job is to shoot down ten of these aircraft and/or their escorts before they can drop their ordnance on the ''Enterprise. ''Wingman kills do not count. The first wave of attackers is unescorted, but the following waves are escorted by Ki-43 Oscars. The Oscars, however, are not much of a threat, and they can be shot down quickly. The Oscars also count towards the ten aircraft you have to shot down.

Once you have shot down ten incoming strike aircraft and/or their escorts, you will have to defend some of the "Big E's" Dauntless dive bombers and Avenger torpedo planes.