CONTENTS

	Forward		vii
	Preface		ix
Chapter			Page
I.	THE STRATEGIC DECISION		1-21
		Allied Organization and Missions in the Pacific Theater	1
		Japanese Advances	3
		The Problem of Command and Strategy	8
		The Decision	16
II.	PLANS FOR INVASION		22-58
		Air and Naval Plans	25
		Landing Force Plans	40
		Final Preparations	54
III.	THE INVASION		59-81
		The Approach	59
		The Northern Attack	61
		The Invasion of Guadalcanal	67
		Unloading	75
		The Enemy Strikes Back	78
IV.	CONSOLIDATING THE BEACHHEAD		82-104
		Construction and Defense of the Airfield	83
		Action on the Ilu River	90
		The Battle of the Eastern Solomons	99
		Supply	101
V.	INCREASING AIR AND GROUND ACTION		105-134
		Air Power and Supply	105
		The Counteroffensive, 12-14 September	110
		Reinforcements	119
		Actions on the Matanikau	125
VI.	THE OCTOBER COUNTEROFFENSIVE		135-169
		Japanese Strategy	137
		The U.S. Situation	139
		Air and Naval Preparations	146
		The Ground Offensive	152
		The Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands	167
VII.	DECISION AT SEA		170-189
		Reinforcements	173
		The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal	177
VIII.	ADVANCES TOWARD KOKUMBONA		190-209
		Operatons 1-11 November	190
		Push Toward the Poha	202
IX.	THE SITUATION IN DECEMBER		210-231
		General Patch Takes Command	210
		Troop Strength	214
		Air Power	220
		The American Situation on Guadalcanal	222
		The Japanese Situation	227
X.	THE DECEMBER OFFENSIVE		232-252
		Mount Austen, 15-30 December	232
		The Capture of Hill 27	246
XI.	XIV CORPS' FIRST JANUARY OFFENSIVE: THE WEST FRONT		253-280
		Capturing of the Galloping Horse	255
		The Coastal Offensive	278
XII.	XIV CORPS' FIRST JANUARY OFFENSIVE: THE SOUTH FLANK		281-305
		Taking of the Sea Horse	283
		Reduction of the Gifu	290
XIII.	FIGHTING ON GUADALCANAL		306-318
		The Americans	306
		The Measure of the Enemy	311
		Logistics	313
XIV.	XIV CORPS' SECOND JANUARY OFFENSIVE		319-335
		Plans and Preparations	322
		The 25th Division's Advance to Kokumbona	325
		CAM Division's Offensive	330
		Final Push to the Poha	333
XV.	FINAL OPERATIONS ON GUADALCANAL		336-350
		Japanese Plans	336
		Pursuit of the Enemy	340
		Summary	349
	EPILOGUE: OCCUPATION OF THE RUSSELLS		351-356

Appendix
A.	Letter from General Harmon to Admiral Ghormley, 6 October 1942		357-359
B.	General Patch's Letter of Instructions to General Collins, 5 January 1943		360-361
C.	XIV Corps Field Order No. 1, 16 January 1943		362-364
D.	A Japanese Analysis of American Combat Methods on Guadalcanal		365-368
E.	U.S. Army Battle Participation List for Guadalcanal		369-371
	Guide to Footnotes		372-375
	Bibliographical Note		376-388
Index			389

	CHARTS
1.	Organization of South Pacific Forces at the Inception of Task One	23
2.	Organization of Forces for Task One	29
3.	Organization of Landing Force for Task One	51
	MAPS
1.	The Approach, 7 August 1942	60
2.	Landings in the Tulagi Area, 7 August 1942	62
3.	Matanikau Action, 19 August 1942	90
4.	Ilu Action, 21 August 1942	96
5.	Tasimboko Raid, 8 September 1942	111
6.	Matanikau Action, 24-27 1942	127
7.	Matanikau Offensive, 7-9 Octover 1942	132
8.	Matanikau-Lunga Front, 9 October 1942	143
9.	Push Toward Kokumbona, 1-4 Nobember 1942	193
10.	Koli Point, 2-3 November 1942	196
11.	Advance to the Matanikau, 1st Battalion, 35th Infantry, 12-16 January 1943	288
12.	Gifu Positions, 10 January 1943	293
13.	Pocketing the Gifu, 18-19 January 1943	301
14.	Reduction of the Gifu, 22-23 January 1943	304
15.	Russell Islands	353
	Maps I-XXI Are in Inverse Order Inside Back Cover
I.	The Pacific Areas, 1 August 1942
II.	Strategic Situation, South and Southwest Pacific, July 1942
III.	The Target Area
IV.	Guadalcanal and Florida Islands
V.	Landing on Guadalcanal and Capture of the Airfield, 7-8 August 1942
VI.	Bloody Ridge, 12-14 September 1942
VII.	Japanese Counteroffensive, 23-26 October 1942
VIII.	Koli Point, 4-9 November 1942
IX.	Push Toward the Poha, 18-20 November 1942
X.	Ble Area, December 1942-January 1943
XI.	Mount Austen, 18-27 December 1942
XII.	Capture of Hill 27, 2 Jauary 1943
XIII.	XIV Corps Plan, First January Offensive
XIV.	Galloping Horse, 10 January 1943
XV.	Galloping Horse, 12-13 January 1943
XVI.	2d Marine Division Advance, 13-18 January 1943
XVII.	Capture of the Sea Horse, 8-January 1943
XVIII.	XIV Corps Advance, 10-18 January 1943
XIX.	XIV Corps Attack, 22 January 1943
XX.	Capture of Kokumbona and Advance to Poha River, 23-25 January 1943
XXI.	Final Phase, 26 January-9 February 1943
	ILLUSTRATIONS
1.	Buka Island Airfield	6
2.	The Battle of Midway	11
3.	Distribution of U.S. Naval Forces in the Pacific	18
4.	Maj. Gen. Millard F. Harmon	26
6.	Guadalcanal's North Coast Corridor	42
7.	Marine Commanders on Guadalcanal	46
8a.	Old-Type Landing Craft	56
8b.	Old-Type Landing Craft	56
9a.	Tulagi Island	64
9b.	Landings on Florida Island	64
10a.	Gavutu and Tanambogo	66
10b.	The Southeast End of Tulagi	66
11a.	Marine Landings on Guadalcanal	68
11b.	Bridging the Tenaru River	68
12.	The Lunga Point Airfield	72
13a.	Japanese Equipment	74
13b.	Japanese Equipment	74
14a.	Supplies Accumulating at Red Beach	76
14b.	Enemy Air Attacks on the Transports	76
15a.	Improving the Lunga Airfield	84
15b.	Improving the Lunga Airfield	84
16a.	Fire Support	88
16b.	Fire Support	88
17a.	Captain Martin Clemens	94
17b.	An Improvised Ferry	94
18a.	After the Ilu River Battle	98
18b.	After the Ilu River Battle	98
19a.	Henderson Field	102
19b.	Henderson Field	102
20a.	Bomber Strikes on the Airfield	106
20b.	Bomber Strikes on the Airfield	106
21a.	Bloody Ridge	113
21b.	Bloody Ridge	113
22.	Admiral Turner and General Vandegrift	121
23a.	Supplies and reinforcements	124
23b.	Supplies and reinforcements	124
24a.	Marine Mission to the Matanikau	130
24b.	Positions on Hill 67	130
25.	Reinforcements Landed at Lunga Point	136
26a.	Japanese Attacks on the Airfield	145
26b.	American Defense Positions	145
27a.	Aftermath of the 13-14 October Attack on the Lunga Perimeter	150
27b.	Aftermath of the 13-14 October Attack on the Lunga Perimeter	150
28a.	Wreckage on the Matanikau Sand Bar	158
28b.	Wreckage on the Matanikau Sand Bar	158
29a.	Strengthening the Lunga Perimeter	163
29b.	Strengthening the Lunga Perimeter	163
30a.	The Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands	168
30b.	The Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands	168
31.	Admiral William F. Halsey	171
32a.	The Site for Another Airfield	176
32b.	The Site for Another Airfield	176
33a.	Strategic Air Actions	178
33b.	Strategic Air Actions	178
34a.	Landing of the 182d Regimental Combat Team	182
34b.	Landing of the 182d Regimental Combat Team	182
35a.	Japanese Transports Beached and Burning 14 November	187
35b.	Japanese Transports Beached and Burning 14 November	187
36a.	Opening the Kokumbona Offensive	191
36b.	Opening the Kokumbona Offensive	191
37.	The Point Cruz Trap	194
38a.	Carlson's Raiders, Landing at Aola Bay	201
38b.	Carlson's Raiders, Landing at Aola Bay	201
39.	The Ravine in Front of Hills 80-81	207
40a.	Relief for the Marines and a Change of Command	211
40b.	Relief for the Marines and a Change of Command	211
41a.	Americal Division Reinforcements Landed 8 December	216
41b.	Americal Division Reinforcements Landed 8 December	216
42a.	Supply Troubles	224
42b.	Supply Troubles	224
43a.	Bridges and Roads	226
43b.	Bridges and Roads	226
44a.	Mount Austen's Dominant Position	234
44b.	Mount Austen's Dominant Position	234
45a.	Supply Movement to Mount Austen	236
45b.	Supply Movement to Mount Austen	236
46.	The Gifu	242
47.	The Mount Austen Battle Area	248
48a.	The First January Offensive Zone	256
48b.	The First January Offensive Zone	256
49a.	Casualty Movement	259
49b.	Casualty Movement	259
50.	The Galloping Horse	263
51.	27th Infantry Area	269
52a.	Final Attacks on the Galloping Horse	277
52b.	Final Attacks on the Galloping Horse	277
53.	The Sea Horse	282
54a.	The "Pusha Maru"	284
54b.	The Envelopment of the Sea Horse	284
55a.	Capture of the Sea Horse	291
55b.	Japanese Positions in the Gifu	291
56.	Surrender Broadcasts to the Gifu	297
57.	35th Infantry Troops Leave the line	302
58.	Employment of Tanks	308
59a.	Transportation Problems	312
59b.	Transportation Problems	312
60a.	Construction Equipment	315
60b.	Construction Equipment	315
61a.	Fire Support for the Second January Offensive	321
61b.	Fire Support for the Second January Offensive	321
62.	The Area of Advance from the Snake	324
63a.	U.S. Leaders Inspecting the Battle Zone	328
63b.	A Japanese Coastal Position	328
64.	Terrain of the Battle for Kokumbona	331
65.	The Northwest Coast of Guadalcanal	339
66a.	Cape Esperance	347
66b.	Cape Esperance	347

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Abbreviations * Military Map Symbols