The Battle of Guadalcanal:
Guadalcanal’s story starts around four months before the 25th Division had put in its appearance. Attempting to cut the lifeline to Australia, the Japanese had swarmed ashore the island of Guadalcanal, making huge headlines in American newspapers. They were building the famous Henderson Field, the fight for which went down in history. From here, they planned to push down through the New Hebrides, New Caledonia, and possibly even to New Zealand. Since Guadalcanal was so important to the Japanese’ plans, the Allies made it equally important from a defensive standpoint.
Even though US losses were very heavy in both the naval and ground campaigns, America came through with the victory. Of the Americans, 1,600 men were killed, 4,200 wounded, and several thousand dead from malaria and other tropical diseases, while the Japanese lost 24,000 men from various causes in the Battle of Guadalcanal.
The various naval battles cost each side 24 warships: the Japanese lost 2 battleships, 4 cruisers, 1 light carrier, 11 destroyers, and 6 submarines, while the Americans lost 8 cruisers, 2 heavy carriers, and 14 destroyers. After this victory, the US positions in the Solomon Islands were never seriously threatened again.
Guadalcanal’s story starts around four months before the 25th Division had put in its appearance. Attempting to cut the lifeline to Australia, the Japanese had swarmed ashore the island of Guadalcanal, making huge headlines in American newspapers. They were building the famous Henderson Field, the fight for which went down in history. From here, they planned to push down through the New Hebrides, New Caledonia, and possibly even to New Zealand. Since Guadalcanal was so important to the Japanese’ plans, the Allies made it equally important from a defensive standpoint.
Even though US losses were very heavy in both the naval and ground campaigns, America came through with the victory. Of the Americans, 1,600 men were killed, 4,200 wounded, and several thousand dead from malaria and other tropical diseases, while the Japanese lost 24,000 men from various causes in the Battle of Guadalcanal.
The various naval battles cost each side 24 warships: the Japanese lost 2 battleships, 4 cruisers, 1 light carrier, 11 destroyers, and 6 submarines, while the Americans lost 8 cruisers, 2 heavy carriers, and 14 destroyers. After this victory, the US positions in the Solomon Islands were never seriously threatened again.