This Day In History | World War II August 7, 1942 U.S. forces invade Guadalcanal

http://www.historychannel.com/tdih/tdih.jsp?category=worldwarii ^

[mainepatsfan]

This Day In History | World War II

August 7

1942 U.S. forces invade Guadalcanal

On this day in 1942, the U.S. 1st Marine Division begins Operation Watchtower, the first U.S. offensive of the war, by landing on Guadalcanal, one of the Solomon Islands.

On July 6, 1942, the Japanese landed on Guadalcanal Island and began constructing an airfield there. Operation Watchtower was the codename for the U.S. plan to invade Guadalcanal and the surrounding islands. During the attack, American troops landed on five islands within the Solomon chain. Although the invasion came as a complete surprise to the Japanese (bad weather had grounded their scouting aircraft), the landings on Florida, Tulagi, Gavutu, and Tananbogo met much initial opposition from the Japanese defenders.

But the Americans who landed on Guadalcanal met little resistance-at least at first. More than 11,000 Marines had landed, and 24 hours had passed, before the Japanese manning the garrison there knew of the attack. The U.S. forces quickly took their main objective, the airfield, and the outnumbered Japanese troops retreated, but not for long. Reinforcements were brought in, and fierce hand-to-hand jungle fighting ensued. "I have never heard or read of this kind of fighting," wrote one American major general on the scene. "These people refuse to surrender."

The Americans were at a particular disadvantage, being assaulted from both the sea and air. But the U.S. Navy was able to reinforce its troops to a greater extent, and by February 1943, the Japanese had retreated on secret orders of their emperor (so secret, the Americans did not even know it had taken place until they began happening upon abandoned positions, empty boats, and discarded supplies). In total, the Japanese had lost more than 25,000 men, compared with a loss of 1,600 by the Americans.

[Waco]

25,000 vs. 1600,,,,ponder that muzzies.

[Vaquero]

Dad was in the second wave of Marines on the 'canal', after that they shipped him off to Bougainville in the first wave. A mosquito then infected him with some bit of nasty and they shipped him state side where, after he healed, was a guard at the naval prison in Portsmouth. He was all set to head back to the pacific war when Truman bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki(thank God).

He would never speak of it even when I asked him questions.

He is in a nursing home and he still ain't talking.

God Bless America.

[Psalm 73]

Thanks for the post - I read "Guadalcanal Diary" as a kid and re-read a few years ago - great book.

[DieHard the Hunter]

> God Bless America.

And God bless your Dad. Next time you see him, please tell him "Thank you" from those of us in the South Pacific who are grateful not to be speaking Japanese, due to the sacrifices made by men like him 64 years ago.

Men like your Dad are my heroes.

*DieHard*

[johnny7]

I believe when the Marines landed... some were still wearing the WWI-style helmet and all were carrying the 06 Springfields. I don't even think they had many Higgins Boats at that time.

In his book Goodbye Darkness, William Manchester devotes a chapter to it. It's simply called...'The Canal'.

[greasepaint]

who made the decision to invade Guadacanal?

MacArthur, Halsey, Nimitz, King, Marshall?

[Go Army.com]

Modern Day Headline for Gudalcanal Invasion:

"Japanese Freedom Fighters Resist Murderous Marines"

[sergeantdave]

If anyone has a lead on where I might find and buy a book titled "Marines at War," please contact me.

Published in 1943 by Hyperion Press, this book covers the Guadalcanal campaign.

[GATOR NAVY]

...compared with a loss of 1,600 by the Americans.

That's a very low figure and probably counting only Army and Marines.

Richard Frank's "Guadalcanal" (which I highly recommend) lists U.S. ground force deaths at 1,789 and U.S. naval deaths at 4,911. He has total Allied air, ground and naval deaths at 7,100 and Japanese air, ground and naval deaths at a minimum of 30,300.

[GATOR NAVY]

King was the driving force behind Watchtower. He didn't believe that the Germany first policy we had agreed to with the British meant that there should be no offensive action in the Pacific.

[Snickersnee]

My father (1915-2000) landed on the Canal on D-Day with the 10th Marines, and according to him it was pretty uneventful. A couple of mornings later the sun came up on an unpleasant surprise: the Navy had gone; pulled out leaving nothing but a clear horizon. Only about 1/3 of their supplies had been unloaded and for the next 2-3 months my father lived on canned corned beef and hardtack crackers, plus what they could find in the jungle and liberate from the "Japs."

Later in life, he was a printer for the WaPo on the night shift -- I remember watching him fix his lunch in the afternoon, invariably the same menu: canned corned beef w/ a little mustard on Wonder bread. Can't imagine how he did it.

[greasepaint]

was MacArthur involved,
or was it all Navy / M.C.?

my understanding is that the
Army got involved at some point

[GATOR NAVY]

The Army, yes. They were not part of the initial invasion but Army forces joined the Marines as the battle continued. MacArthur, no. MacArthur commanded the South West Pacific Area with his HQ in Australia. Guadalcanal was part of the South Pacific Area commanded initially by Ghormley with his HQ in New Caledonia. Ghromley was relieved by Halsey.

[GATOR NAVY]

Or I should say Ghromley was relieved by Nimitz, technically for medical reasons but really because Nimitz lost confidence in his abilities to fight. Halsey was Ghromley's replacement.

[jordan8]

Try here.