Battle of Guadalcanal
Up until August 1942, the Allies had been on the defensive in the
Pacific Theatre. The offensive capability of the Japanese had been reduced
following the naval battles of Coral Sea and Midway. However, Japan was still
on the offensive and was planning invasions of Fiji, New Caledonia, and Samoa.
By August 1942, the Imperial Japanese Navy was in the process of constructing a
series of bases in the Solomon Islands that would provide a staging area for
these planned invasions and offer protection of their major base at Rabaul. The
Allies saw this as a major threat to Australia. The Japanese were in the
process of constructing an airfield on Guadalcanal that could increase Japanese
air cover for their naval forces advancing in the South Pacific. The Allies planned
to invade the Solomon Islands in an effort to deny the use of the islands by
the Japanese. This would also be the starting point for an Island hopping
campaign aimed at retaking the Philippines and eventually invading the Japanese
mainland.On 7 August, 11,000 Marines of the 1st Marine Division under the
command of Major General Alexander Vandergrift landed on Guadalcanal. The only
resistance the Marines faced was the jungle itself. On 8 August, they
successfully secured the Japanese airfield, which the Marines named “Henderson
Field.” The American Navy planned to withdraw from the area on 9 August after
Japanese aircraft attacked the fleet during the initial landings. During the
night of 8 August, the Japanese Navy surprised the Allied warships and sank one
Australian and three American cruisers. The Navy could not afford to lose
another carrier, so they left the Marines without unloading needed equipment
and supplies. The Marines formed a perimeter around Henderson Field and small
contingent of American aircraft, known as the “Cactus Air Force,” stationed
there. The Japanese landed thousands of troops throughout the month and
continually attacked the Marines in an attempt to recapture the airfield.
Finally, in February of 1943 the Japanese withdrew their forces from the
Island. The victory at Guadalcanal was an important military and psychological
victory for the Allies. After the campaign, Allied personnel regarded the
Japanese military with less fear than previously. Japanese general Torashiro
Kawabe even said, “As for the turning point, when the positive action ceased or
even became negative, it was, I feel, at Guadalcanal.”