Guadalcanal: 1942 - 1943
The Guadalcanal Campaign
The Guadalcanal campaign last for six months between the United States and the Pacific Allies. It was a brutal air-sea-land campaign against the Japanese for possession of the island of Guadalcanal. The Guadalcanal campaign was the the Allies' first major offensive in the Pacific War.
The U.S. First Marine Division landed on August 7, 1942 to seize an airfield at Guadalcanal's Lunga Point and an anchorage at nearby Tulagi. Initially, action ashore was successful and Japan's aerial response was ineffective. However, two days after the initial attack, the U.S. and Australian soldiers were defeated in the Battle of Savo Island.
The Battle of Savo Island
The Battle of Savo Island was one of the worst defeats in the history of the American Navy. With their superior nighttime surface battle tactics, optical sighting systems, and Long Lance torpedoes, the Japanese sank the Canberra, Astoria, Quincy, and Vincennes. The Chicago was badly damaged and after the battle ended; the destroyer, Jarvis, was destroyed. This was a devastating defeat for the Allied forces.
Results of the Guadalcanal Campaign
While the Guadalcanal campaign exhibited the strength of the Japanese navy, the outcome was uncertain for sometime until the Japanese completed an evacuation of their surviving ground troops on February 8, 1943. Guadalcanal was expensive for both sides, but more for Japan's soldiers than the U.S. ground forces. While the aircrafts and ships of the United States were replaced, those of Japan were not. At Guadalcanal, the Japanese offensive was brought to a halt and the Japanese were shoved into a long and costly retreat.
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/wwii-pac/guadlcnl/guadlcnl.htm
http://www.battlesforguadalcanal.com/Story/Battles/savo/savo.html
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http://www.battlesforguadalcanal.com/Story/Battles/savo/savo.html
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