US Marine vs Japanese Infantryman by Gordon L. Rottman

Author:Gordon L. Rottman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: US Marine versus Japanese Infantryman
ISBN: 9781472801364
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

The Henderson Field Attack

September 12–14, 1942

BACKGROUND TO BATTLE

Before the battle of the Tenaru was over, the determined Japanese command implemented plans to commit more troops. They realized the partly finished airfield was the Americans’ focus. It would be their Southern Solomons base of operations, allowing them to strike northward to drive the Japanese from the Solomons. The Japanese 17th Army was assigned two divisions, the 2nd and 38th. It was decided instead, however, that two available smaller forces would be immediately dispatched to Guadalcanal. This time the Japanese intended to employ a reinforced brigade fielding five infantry battalions plus the Ichiki Detachment’s 2nd Echelon, but the latter would sustain substantial casualties before being reorganized as the Kuma Battalion. On August 21, three Japanese carriers, two battleships, 11 cruisers, 17 destroyers, and a seaplane carrier sortied from Truk heading for the southern Solomons. They would locate the two American carrier groups in the area, attack them, and then engage other naval forces near Guadalcanal. This would be followed by landing reinforcements to retake Guadalcanal. The two fleets would never come in direct contact, but fight one another via air attacks on August 24–25. The battle of the Eastern Solomons delayed Japanese plans for reinforcing Guadalcanal. It also allowed American supply ships to reach Guadalcanal along with more construction troops. The Marines were still on short rations and had yet to receive any replacements. A thousand men were hospitalized with malaria.

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