Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Major General Alexander Vandergrift Major General Alexander Patch up to 60,000 men
Japanese
Lieutenant General Harukichi Hyakutake General Hitoshi Imamura rising to 36,200 men
Operation Watchtower
Having checked the advance of the Japanese at the Battle of the Coral Sea and decisively defeated them at the Battle of Midway, the Allies began to move to the offensive in the summer of 1942. Conceived by Admiral Ernest King, Commander-in-Chief, US Fleet, Operation Watchtower called for Allied troops to land in the Solomon Islands at Tulagi, GavutuTanambogo, and Guadalcanal. Such an operation would protect the Allied lines of communication to Australia and allow for the capture of a Japanese airfield then under construction at Lunga Point, Guadalcanal. To oversee the operation, the South Pacific Area was created with Vice Admiral Robert Ghormley in command, reporting to Admiral Chester Nimitz at Pearl Harbor. The ground forces for the invasion would be under the leadership of Major General Alexander Vandegrift, with his 1st Marine Division forming the bulk of the 16,000 troops involved. Assembling near Fiji on July 26, the Watchtower force consisted of 75 ships led by Vice Admiral Frank J. Fletcher with Rear Admiral Richmond K. Turner overseeing the amphibious forces.
Going Ashore
Approaching the area in poor weather, the Allied force remained undetected by the Japanese. On August 7, the landings began with 3,000 Marines assaulting the seaplane bases at Tulagi and Gavutu-Tanambogo. Though Japanese resistance was fierce, the islands were secured on August 8 and 9 respectively. The situation on Guadalcanal was different as Vandegrift landed with 11,000 men against minimal opposition. Pushing forward the next day, they advanced to the Lunga River, secured the airfield, and drove off the Japanese construction troops that were in the area. The Japanese retreated west to the Matanikau River. In their haste to retreat, they left behind large quantities of food and construction equipment. At sea, Fletcher's carrier aircraft incurred losses as they battled Japanese land-based aircraft from Rabaul. Concerned about aircraft losses and his ships' fuel supplies, he withdrew from the area on the evening of August 8. That evening, Allied naval forces suffered a severe defeat at the nearby Battle of Savo Island, losing four cruisers. His air cover gone, Turner withdrew on August 9 despite the fact that not all of the troops and supplies had been landed (Map).
Holding Guadalcanal
Fast enough to reach the island, unload, and escape before dawn, the destroyer supply line was dubbed the "Tokyo Express." Though effective, this method precluded the delivery of heavy equipment and weapons. His troops suffering from tropical diseases and food shortages, Vandegrift was reinforced and re-supplied in late-August and early-September. Having built up sufficient strength, Major General Kiyotake Kawaguchi attacked the Allied position at Lunga Ridge, south of Henderson Field, on September 12. In two nights of brutal fighting, the Marines held, forcing the Japanese to retreat.
On September 18, Vandegrift was further reinforced, though the carrier USS Wasp was sunk covering the convoy. An American thrust against the Matanikau was checked late in the month, but actions in early October inflicted heavy losses on the Japanese and delayed their next offensive against the Lunga perimeter. With the struggle raging, Ghormley was convinced to dispatch US Army troops to aid Vandegrift. This coincided with a large Express run scheduled for October 10/11. On that evening, the two forces collided and Rear Admiral Norman Scott won a victory at the Battle of Cape Esperance. Not to be deterred, the Japanese sent a large convoy towards the island on October 13. To provide cover, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto dispatched two battleships to bombard Henderson Field. Arriving after midnight on October 14, they succeeded in destroying 48 of CAF's 90 aircraft. Replacements were quickly flown to the island and CAF began attacks on the convoy that day but to no effect. Reaching Tassafaronga on the island's western shore, the convoy began unloading the next day. Returning, CAF aircraft were more successful, destroying three cargo ships. Despite their efforts, 4,500 Japanese troops landed.
On the night of November 12/13, the Allied covering force encountered the Japanese battleships in the opening actions of the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. Taking off on November 14, CAF and aircraft from USS Enterprise spotted and sunk seven of Tanaka's transports. Though taking heavy losses the first night, American warships turned the tide on the night of November 14/15. Tanaka's remaining four transports beached themselves at Tassafaronga before dawn, but were quickly destroyed by Allied aircraft. The failure to reinforce the island led to the abandonment of the November offensive. On November 26, Lieutenant General Hitoshi Imamura took command of the newly created Eighth Area Army at Rabaul which included Hyakutake's command. Though he initially began planning for attacks at Lunga, the Allied offensive against Buna on New Guinea led to a shift in priorities as it presented a greater threat to Rabaul. As result, offensive operations on Guadalcanal were suspended. Though the Japanese won a naval victory at Tassafaronga on November 30, the supply situation on the island was becoming desperate. On December 12, the Imperial Japanese Navy recommended that the island be abandoned. The army concurred and on December 31 the Emperor endorsed the decision. As the Japanese planned their withdraw, changes occurred on Guadalcanal with Vandegrift and the battle weary 1st Marine Division departing and Major General Alexander Patch's XIV Corps taking over. On December 18, Patch began an offensive against Mount Austen. This stalled on January 4, 1943 due to strong enemy defenses. The attack was renewed on January 10 with troops also striking ridges known as the Seahorse and the Galloping Horse. By January 23, all objectives had been secured. As this fight was concluding, the Japanese had begun their evacuation which was dubbed Operation Ke. Unsure of Japanese intentions, Halsey sent Patch reinforcements which led to the naval Battle of Rennell Island on January 29/30. Concerned about a Japanese offensive, Patch did not aggressively pursue the retreating enemy. By February 7, Operation Ke was complete with 10,652 Japanese soldiers having left the island. Realizing the enemy had departed, Patch declared the island secured on February 9.