The campaign for the island of Guadalcanal, an island located in the Solomon Islands group off the north-eastern coast of Australia, started on August 7, 1942. The United States Naval Intelligence office located at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, found out that the Japanese were building an airfield at Guadalcanal, the purpose of which was to cut off the convoy routes to Australia. The invasion plans were already approved at the time, but the date set for the invasion was set for early 1943. Admiral King in Washington immediately stepped up the plans to August 1 of '42. Admiral Chester Nimitz, Commander-in-Chief Pacific Fleet and Commander-in-Chief Pacific Ocean Area, appointed Admiral Ghormley as Commander-in-Chief South Pacific Area. Admiral Ghormley sent Admiral "Black" Jack Fletcher's task force of 3 carriers, the Saratoga, Hornet, and Enterprise, to cover Admiral Kelly Turner's invasion force.