Guadalcanal
After Midway, Japan emphasized defense, fortified Rabaul, built airfield on Guadalcanal. As part of the U.S. strategy in the Pacific following the July 2 JCS decision, Nimitz planned attack on the Solomons, codenamed Operation Watchtower on July 3. When radio intelligence discovered Japan builidng an airfield on Guadalcanal, the island became the first target, codename "Cactus." American forces were sent to New Caledonia held by the Free French.
"US Strategic Pacific Sites,"
from ILN 1941/03/01 - big
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"US Strategic Pacific Sites,"
from ILN 1941/03/01
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Solomon Islands,
from Buchanan - big
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Army maps of SW Pacific (big) and Guadalcanal (big) and New Guinea (big)
Higgins boats, old Eureka model in front, new 1940 LCVP with ramp in back, from ILN 1942/03/28
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Battle of Guadalcanal - Aug. 7, 1942 to Feb. 1943 (6 months)
- 1st Marine Division - from New Zealand - Archie Vandergrift
- huge landing fleet - 80 ships - unopposed on beaches
- but some fighting on Tulagi
- old Higgins boat - no front ramp - difficult to unload supplies
- article on New Orleans D-Day Museum that features a reconstructed Higgins boat designed by Higgins Industries (none of the 20,000 boats made in WWII have survived today)
Aug. 8 - Naval Battle of Savo Island - Mikawa vs. Jack Fletcher
- US lost 4 cruisers - worst since Pearl harbor
- poor use of recon, airplanes
- Fletcher did not commit 3 carriers
Aug. 20 - Cactus AF on Henderson Field - key to defense
The Slot to Bougainville, from Time 1943/01
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Aug. 21 - Battle at Tenaru sandbar
- 1st Japan landings from "Tokyo Express" down "Slot"
- Battle of Eastern Solomons - inconclusive - Enterprise damaged
- Battle of Edson's Ridge = "Bloody Ridge" - night attack by 6000 led by Kawaguchi vs. Col. Red Mike Edson
- Private Albert A. Schmid, who would become the "Pride of the Marines," was blinded by grenade explosion after he took over the machine gun of Native-American Private John Rivers, killed by a bullet in the face while his finger continued to squeeze the trigger for 200 more rounds.
Sept. - US reinforced to 20,000
- Vandergrift established perimeter defense
Sept. 15 - Torpedo Junction - Japan subs attacked US ships
- Wasp sunk, N.Carolina damaged
- US left with only one carrier, the Hornet
October = "month of despair"
Army map 1942/10
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Oct 11 - Battle of Cape Esperance
- US unable to stop Japan transports
- Japan bombardment destroyed Cactus Air Force fuel, closed airfield
- but FDR determined to hold Guadalcanal - "toehold in the South Pacific"
- war of attrition - to wear down the Japanese
- William "Bull" Halsey took command - concentrated forces
- new weapons - flamethrowers, Garand M-1
Oct. 24 - Matanikau River - Japan lost 1000 of 5600 in night attack
- Marines held defense line protecting Henderson Field
- Lewis "Chesty" Puller, cousin of George Patton, rose from private to general, fought in front lines with his men, a "Marine's Marine," a common ending to Marine prayers was: "Good night, Chesty, wherever you are."
- "Manila" John Basilone, Marine gunny sergeant, held a machine gun until his hands blistered, ran 200 yards for more ammunition, killed 38 enemy
- became the 1st Marine to win Medal of Honor in the war (was killed by a mortar round at Iwo Jima at age 27)
[Medal of Honor since 1863 = 2625 before 20th century, 1130 after 1900;
Civil War = 1520, Indian Wars = 423, Korean 1871 Exped = 15,
Spanish-American War = 109, Philippine War = 91, Boxer Rebellion = 59
Veracruz 1914 = 55, Central American interventions 1915-33 = 13
WWI = 123, WWII=433, Korea=131, Vietnam=239, peacetime = 192]
Hornet carrier sunk in Solomons by Japan suicide plane that hit tower, from ILN 1943/01/23
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destroyer helps Hornet, from ILN 1943/01/23
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Nov. 13-15 - Naval Battle of Guadalcanal (actually 5 naval battles)
- 1st classic battleship duel since Jutland
- U.S. lost 9 ships, but prevented Japan reinforcements
- new radar warned 15 minutes before night attack
- Willis Lee used battleships in narrow waters, unorthodox but successful
- Five Sullivan brothers of Waterloo Iowa lost with USS Juneau
Dec. - 1st Marines relieved
- Vandergrift joke: only 3 kinds of Marines = are overseas, have been overseas, are going overseas
- Guadalcanal saved the existence of Marine Corps
March of Time released "Naval Log of Victory" in December 1943 - U.S. resources were stretched thin to fight a 2-ocean war, but the balance of naval power had changed by the end of the year.
Feb. 6, 1943 - Guadalcanal declared secure
- US casualties 6,000 of 60,000 including 1600 dead; Japan casualties 24,000 of 36,000
MacArthur's Papuan campaign - Nov. 30 to Jan. 3, 1943
Port Moresby to New Guinea, from Time 1942/09/21
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- "Dugout Doug" ordered Bob Eichelberger to cross Owen Stanley Range - "take Buna or do not come back alive"
- 33,000 Americans & Australians - 8,546 casualties (many from disease), including 3095 dead (3 times Guadalcanal's 1600 dead of 60,000)
- Japan lost 12,000
- MacArthur awarded Medal of Honor March 25, 1943
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