HISTORY'S CURRENTS
THE BATTLE FOR GUADALCANAL

After the Japanese surprise attack on the US Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, the army and naval forces of the Japanese Empire swept across the Pacific conquering the American held Philippine Islands, French Indochina, the Dutch East Indies, and several British territories including Singapore. In order to expand further south into Australia, the Japanese had to secure the Solomon Islands, including the strategic island of Guadalcanal.

In May 1942 the US aircraft carriers dramatically defeated the Japanese carriers at the Battle of Midway. This victory ended the Japanese threat to the Hawaiian Islands, and focused American and Japanese attention the area northeast of Australia. The American Commanders in the Pacific shifted to the offensive and planed to attack the Japanese held island of Guadalcanal, securing an important airstrip the Japanese had under construction on the island.

On August 7, 1942, 11,000 US Marines, under the command of Major General Alexander A. Vandergrift, landed on the island, took the Japanese totally by surprise, and captured the airstrip. The Marines renamed the airstrip Henderson Field in honor of Major Lofton R. Henderson, the first Marine pilot to be killed at the Battle of Midway.

By August 8th the American carriers that had supported the landings had been withdrawn. Shortly thereafter, the transports, which carried more Marines and precious supplies of food and munitions, were also withdrawn. For most of the Battle of Guadalcanal the American Marines would be short of food and munitions.

The Japanese responded by sending a naval force into the "slot," a channel separating the Solomon Islands, and sank four US cruisers in a night engagement on August 8th. On the 20th, the Japanese began landing forces at night. Throughout the battle the Japanese would reinforce their army on the island at night. Americans called this maneuver the "Tokyo Express." On the 20th the Japanese attacked Henderson Field. From that point on the land battles for the island would escalate as both sides funneled reinforcements, supplies, ships, and aircraft into the battle zone.

The Battle of Guadalcanal lasted six months until February 1943. The names of the individual battles became etched in the minds of the American public and US Marine Corps lore. Bloody Ridge, Banzai charge, and the "Cactus Air Force," Marine aircraft operating off Henderson Field, became household words as Americans on the home front followed the battle in newspapers, theatre newsreels and on the radio. Heroes such as Lt. Col. Merritt (Red Mike) Edson, Sgt. John Basilone, Lt. Col. Lewis "Chesty" Puller, and air ace Capt. John Smith became Marine Corps icons during the battle.

The naval engagements off the island produced "Iron Bottom Sound" named for the large numbers of ships lost in the fight. The list of US ships lost off Guadalcanal included the cruiser USS Juneau, the "Mighty J," that went down with three groups of brothers: the five Sullivan brothers, the four Roger brothers, and the three Combs brothers.

By late January 1943, the Japanese had given up retaking Guadalcanal and began to evacuate the island. The island was secured on February 7th. The Japanese had lost 25,000 men on the island and over 600 pilots in the battle. The United States lost 1,600 men on the island and many more naval personnel during the six-month engagement. There were twelve Congressional Medals of Honor awarded during the Guadalcanal Campaign.

Guadalcanal was the first step on the road leading to Tokyo and allied victory in the Pacific during World War II.

History's currents, or current history? You Decide!