During the 194243 campaign for the southern solomon island of guadalcanal, many naval battles were fought to cement the material advantage gained by the allies after the stunning japanese losses at the battle of midway. Guadalcanal campaign simple english wikipedia, the free. These range anywhere from an illustration of a japanese uniform to some of the. The guadalcanal campaign was fought between august 7, 1942, and february 9, 1943, in the pacific theatre of world war ii.
The authoritative treatment remains john miller, jr. This campaign, which was a decisive and strategically important campaign of world war ii, was fought on the ground, at sea, and in the air between allied forces against imperial japanese forces. It was to turn into a sixmonthlong seesaw campaign that pitted ships and aircraft of the u. John tiller software naval campaigns guadalcanal naval. This volume, ten years in the writing, recounts the full story of the critical campaign for guadalcanal and is based on firsttime tran. The page is dedicated to all those who served during the guadalcanal era. During the campaign to take guadalcanal, the allied losses numbered around 7,100 men, 29 ships, and 615 aircraft. First offensivethe marine campaign for guadalcanal. Another source dates this photo to 8842, an identifies the reclinin marine wi haunds behind heid as bill coggin. Take a battle star token, and put it near a unit you wish. Guadalcanal campaign this is a wikipedia book, a collection of wikipedia articles that can be easily saved, imported by an external electronic rendering service, and ordered as a printed book. The marine campaign for guadalcanal, when the author, henry i. In its early stages, the guadalcanal campaign was primarily a navy. For help with downloading a wikipedia page as a pdf, see help.
In the early summer of 1942, intelligence reports of the construction of a japanese airfield near lunga point on guadalcanal in the solomon islands triggered a demand for offensive action in the south pacific. The term cactus comes from the allied code name for the island. A captured enemy naval rating, taken in the constant patrolling to the west of the perimeter, indicated that a japanese group wanted to surrender near the village of kokumbona, seven miles west of the matanikau. Throughout the guadalcanal campaign, american air power dominated the daylight hours over guadalcanal and tulagi. The guadalcanal campaign, also known as the battle of guadalcanal and codenamed operation watchtower by american forces, was a military campaign fought between 7 august 1942 and 9 february 1943 on and around the island of guadalcanal in the pacific theater of world war ii. Guadalcanal campaign 1942 1943 operation watchtower, solomon islands. The guadalcanal campaign, a monograph prepared by the historical.
Fiercely contested on the ground, at sea, and in the air, the campaign was the first major offensive launched by allied forces against. Preface the guadalcanal campaign, a monograph prepared by the historical division, headquarters, united states marine corps, is the fifth of a series of operational monographs designed to present to both the student and the casual reader complete and factually accurate narratives of the major operations in which the marine corps participated during. Cactus air force refers to the ensemble of allied air power assigned to the island of guadalcanal from august 1942 until december 1942 during the early stages of the guadalcanal campaign, particularly those operating from henderson field. It was a brutal sixmonth campaign that cost the lives of some 7,000 americans and over 30,000 japanese. The world war ii battle of guadalcanal was the first major offensive and a decisive victory for the allies in the pacific theater. The guadalcanal campaign which was codenamed as operation watchtower by the allied powers was a naval campaign that took place between august 7, 1942 and february 9, 1943. Seventyfive years ago today, 10,000 marines were thousands of miles from. Battle of guadalcanal 5 naval history and heritage navy. The battle for guadalcanal that lasted from august 1942 to february 1943 was the first major american counteroffensive against the japanese in the pacific, it also marks the high point of japanese expansion and can justly be claimed as one of the major turning points of the pacific war. Some of these maps are available in digital format. The guadalcanal campaign, a monograph prepared by the historical division, headquarters, united states marine corps, is the fifth of a series of operational monographs designed to present to both the student and the casual reader complete and factually accurate narratives of the major operations in which the marine corps participated during world war ii. Naval counters represent one ship for carriers and battleships.
This volume, ten years in the writing, recounts the full story of the critical campaign for guadalcanal and is based on firsttime translations of official japanese defense agency accounts and recently declassified u. The fighting took place on and around the island of guadalcanal in the southern. Navys first offensive amphibious operation in the pacific. The unit with the token is affected by the japanese banzai. Final period9 december 1942 to 9 february 1943 pages. They occupied the southeastern portion of the line near the lunga river. Army troops committed to guadalcanal came under command of maj. Or it may move from box a to box b and end its movement. The battle at guadalcanalwhich began eight months to the day after pearl harbormarked the first american offensive of world war ii.
Us ground forces continue their offensive, fighting against fierce japanese resistance as well as the terrain. The guadalcanal campaign, also known as the battle of guadalcanal and codenamed. The japanese moved the remainder of the 2nd id and part of the 38th id from new guinea to guadalcanal, about 17,000. The unit scale is companylevel for the ground game and squadronlevel for the air forces. The guadalcanal campaign, also known as the battle of guadalcanal and codenamed operation watchtower was a military campaign fought between 7 august 1942 and 9 february 1943 on and around the island of guadalcanal in the pacific theater of world war ii. The naval battle of guadalcanal was the most complex naval engagement of the. With the victory at guadalcanal, the strategic initiative passed to. Charles river editors the turning points in the pacific. Guadalcanal campaign aug 7, 1942 feb 9, 1943 summary. Or it may move from box a to box b and then to box c and end its movement. The guadalcanal campaign remembered 75 years later. First blood the guadalcanal campaign a brief history of the guadalcanal campaign.
The battle for guadalcanal, 7 august 1942 7 february 1943. While an extensive range of material has been published on the guadalcanal campaign, including not only research, but also memoirs, recollections, and lessons to be learned, the following two works succinctly analyze the causes of the failure of japans localized operation to recapture the island. This campaign was the first major offensive that the allied powers initiated against. The blend of geography, air power,and surface forces was also. I look forward to joining you on this adventure, delivering a few evening lectures but mostly enjoying. Guadalcanal the first three days task group xray, containing the guadalcanal assault forces, separated from task group yoke northwest of cape esperance and approached the transport area off beach red in double column at 12 knots. Guadalcanal campaign and veterans day of the solomon islands. The guadalcanal campaign, 1942, is a game covering the air, land, and sea battles between the united states army, navy, and marine corps and the forces of the japanese empire on and around guadalcanal island in 1942. In 1943 the cactus air force was subsumed into airsols, a joint command of allied air units. First, it is aiming to offer interesting and useful information about ww2. Across the huge expanses of the pacific, the two most powerful navies. The first us army unit on guadalcanal, the 164th infantry 2300, landed on october. The victory was of critical importance, the moment when the allies put the japanese on the defensive for the first time. While planners in tokyo were thinking of cutting their losses, more aggressive leadership arrived on the us side.
Guadalcanal campaign veterans association home facebook. See more ideas about guadalcanal campaign, world war two and wwii. Batle of guadalcanal batle of guadalcanal the guadalcanal campaign, also known as the battle of guadalcanal, was fought between august 7, 1942 and february 9, 1943 on and around the island of guadalcanal in the pacific theater of world war ii. Read the details of the harrowing six month campaign between the us and its pacific allies and the japanese for possession of the previously obscrure island of guadalcanal. Tanambogo island tanambogo island under an allied bombardment during the guadalcanal campaign, august 1942. On august 7, 1942 at 0910 hrs the ramp of an american landing craft infantry banged down in the surf of beach red 6,000 yards east of lunga point on an obscure island in the solomon islands chain called guadalcanal. Navy and ground and air units of the marine corps and army against tenacious japanese resistance by land and sea. Navynational archives the japanese lost a total of 24,000 men killed in the battle of guadalcanal, while the americans sustained 1,600 killed, 4,200 wounded, and several thousand dead from malaria and other. In early august 1942, hoping to halt the expansion of the japanese in the south pacific, allied forces landed on a small island in the solomon islands. Americans, with some help from their australian friends, fight a bloody war of attrition to defeat japans second attempt to block the lines of communication between the united states and australia.
The campaign for guadalcanal a battle that made history. With japanese troops stationed in this section of the solomon. The world war ii database is founded and managed by c. Welcome to the guadalcanal campaign veterans association face book page. Guadalcanal features 14 of these scenarios including savo islanda costly allied setback, cape esperance. The guadalcanal campaign is one of the most extensively written about of all in world war ii, with more than one volume published in each of several categories. The archives branch maintains a collection of original maps from the guadalcanal campaign, to include the overlays, appendices, and enclosures from the divisional operation plans and after action reports. It would take six long months of grueling battle before they would wrest control of the island from the enemy. Guadalcanal presentation guadalcanal campaign battle. The pacific war was the largest naval conflict in history. General amos has provided you a great summary of the heroic guadalcanal campaign.
It was the first major land offensive by allied forces against the empire of japan. For his actions during the guadalcanal campaign, jacob. Guadalcanal campaign photographs world war ii database. It was the first major offensive by allied forces against the empire of japan on 7 august 1942, allied forces, predominantly united states. Moving from england where his father had served as master rider in the illustrious life guards cavalry regiment as a teenager, coggins trained to be an artist in new york city and specialized in maritime paintings. Japanese casualties were approximately 31,000 killed, 1,000 captured, 38 ships, and 683880 aircraft. The solomons represented the farthest reach of japanese territorial control in the pacific, and would be the first of many islands the u. During the 194243 campaign for the southern solomon island of guadalcanal in 194243, many naval battles were fought to cement the material advantage gained by the allies after the stunning japanese losses at the battle of midway. The ensuing guadalcanal campaign thus essentially was a fight between the. Pacific naval battles in world war ii combined fleet. The leading offensive advocate in washington was admiral ernest j.
Accordin tae ken burns film the war, the marine in the richt backgrund is sidney phillips o mobile, alabama. The two sides were trading losses in a slugfest of men and equipment, but that was just the sort of contest that poorer japan had to avoid. If you wish a detailed analysis of the guadalcanal campaign you may wish to consider richard b franks guadalcanal. First offensivethe marine campaign for guadalcanal pcn.
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