Military History: The Guadalcanal Invasion

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August 7-9, 1942

Situated northeast of Australia, Guadalcanal is an island in the Solomon Island chain. Like most battle locations, the island, though jungle covered, was strategically a giant to both the Axis and the Allies. The Allies required control of the island to ensure their ability to protect Australia. This would allow for a buildup of Allied troops in Australia who would eventually embark on a major assault on the Japanese. The Axis, in particular the Japanese, hoped to gain control of the island in order to block the sea route between America and Australia.
Reconnaissance reports informed the Allies that the Japanese had begun building an airstrip on Guadalcanal at Lunga plantation. By the end of June 1942, it was estimated that 3000 Japanese soldiers occupied the island. The Allies needed to act.

In the early morning hours of August 7, 1942 a large attack force began to assemble between the islands of Guadalcanal and Tulagi. The invasion force included; thirteen large transports, six cargo ships and four small transports all carrying approximately 19,000 U.S. Marines. These were protected by eight cruisers (including three Australian cruisers), five minesweepers and fifteen destroyers. These were supported from sea by three aircraft carriers, a battleship, six cruisers, sixteen destroyers and five oilers.

At 6 AM on August 7, 1942, the cruiser Quincy began bombarding the Japanese position near Lunga plantation known to the military as Lunga Point. Soon after, Marines on nine of the transports along with those on the six cargo ships and most of the escorts attacked Guadalcanal at a spot a few miles east of Lunga Point. This seemed to progress almost effortlessly. By 9 AM Marines landed on the beach. Fighting only a few enemy combat troops, the Marines pushed westward. By the afternoon of August 8, the Allies seized the almost completed Japanese airfield at Lunga Point.

The Japanese began air attacks on the afternoon of August 7. The first wave sent from Rabaul was unsuccessful. As Allied troops began to unload supplies the Japanese succeed in making a nuisance of themselves. Allies were already over whelmed with the unloading of supplies. Piles of supplies on the beaches delayed the unloading of cargo ships. In the midst of this, Japanese bombings added to the confusion. The Japanese ultimately took only three ships out of service over the three day period. However, the bombings forced the big transport and cargo ships to leave the area without fully unloading. The short supplies would play apart in the continued battle over the next several months.