This day in History 1942 : U.S. forces invade Guadalcanal

History.com ^ | August 7, 2007 | Staff

[abb]

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. Each side lost 24 warships.

The first Medal of Honor given to a Marine was awarded to Sgt. John Basilone for his fighting during Operation Watchtower. According to the recommendation for his medal, he "contributed materially to the defeat and virtually the annihilation of a Japanese regiment."

[bcsco]

Thanks, indcons. I love these pings.

bcsco

[SunkenCiv]

This is the oldest such topic, I think, of the Suprynowicz column:

Autumn, 1942: It came down to one Marine, and one ship
Culture/Society Opinion (Published) Keywords: COL. MITCHELL PAIGE REAR ADM. WILLIS A. “CHING CHONG CHINA” LEE GUADALCANAL WORLD WAR II
Source: Enter Stage Right - A Journal of Modern Conservatism
Published: October 23, 2000 Author: Vin Suprynowicz
Posted on 10/23/2000 10:11:29 PDT by gordgekko
http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a39f47141497d.htm

[colorado tanker]

Thanks for keeping the memory alive, Indcons. The MSM would rather remember Hiroshima than Guadalcanal.

[GATOR NAVY]

Frank's Guadalcanal is excellent. It really is a must read for anyone interested in the campaign.

The August 2007 issue of Naval History magazine from The U.S. Naval Intsitute has an section entitled "Guadalcanal: The Six-Month Struggle" with articles by Frank and others.

Some really cool now and then pictures at this site: Guadalcanal Battle Sites 1942-2006