The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal was the most complex naval engagement of the arduous Guadalcanal Campaign. Commencing on 11 November 1942, it lasted for five days and consisted of three phases: a cruiser night action, a carrier action, and a battleship night action. The Japanese precipitated the battle by launching a determined effort to land reinforcements in order to seize Henderson Field on Guadalcanal, the key American facility on the island. The U.S. Navy countered that effort and, in the ensuing action, both navies suffered heavy losses. But the Japanese failed to seize control of the seas around Guadalcanal or to significantly increase the strength of their force ashore. This action marked the last time that the Imperial Japanese Navy would launch a major offensive in the Guadalcanal area.