Contents

Forword			iii
Preface			iv
Special Prefatory Note			v
Chapter I.	Prelude to the Offensive		1
		Advance of the Japanese	1
		U.S. Countermeasures	4
		U.S. Means Available	10
		Accumulation of Intelligence	14
		Planning and Mounting Out	19
		Rehearsals and Movement to the Objective	22
Chapter II.	Landings on Tulagi and Gavutu-Tanambogo		26
		Tulagi. The First Day	26
		Tulagi. The First Night and Succeeding Day	31
		Landings on Gavutu-Tanambogo	33
Chapter III.	Guadalcanal--The First Three Days		41
		Intelligence Situation	41
		The First Day	44
		General Vandegrift's Change of Plan	47
		The Naval Withdrawal	49
		Withdrawal of Task Force 62	52
Chapter IV.	Establishment of the Perimeter and Battle of the Tenaru		55
		The Goettge Patrol	58
		First Action along the Matanikau	60
		The Brush Patrol	61
		Beginning of Air Support	62
		Battle of the Tenaru	65
Chapter V.	The Battle of the Ridge		73
		Second Action along the Matanikau	77
		The Tasimboko Raid	79
		Gathering Strength	82
		The Battle of the Ridge	84
Chapter VI.	Development of the Perimeter and Actions to the West		92
		Coming of the Seventh Marines	93
		Action on the Matanikau, 24-26 September	96
		Actions on 7-9 October	101
		The Battle of Cape Esperance	104
Chapter VII.	Expansion to the West and the October Attack on the Airfield		106
		Action at Gurubusa and Koilotumaria	112
		The Attack of 21-28 October	113
		Matanikau Phase	114
		The Inland Phase--24-26 October	117
		The Enemy Situation--21-28 October	123
		The Battle of Santa Cruz	126
Chapter VIII.	Critical November		128
		The Aola Base	128
		Further Action on the Matanikau	130
		The Koli Point Action	133
		The Second Raider Battalion	141
		The Battle of Guadalcanal	145
Chapter IX.	Final Period--9 December 1942 to 9 February 1943		156
		Relief of the 1st Division	156
		Coming of the 2d Division	159
		Patrol of the 132d Infantry	162
		The Final Drive	162
Chapter X.	Conclusions		165
Appendices
A.	Casualties		168
B.	Bibliography		170
C.	Native Help		173
D.	Medical Experience		176
E.	Station List		181
F.	Marine Corps Aces		189

Illustrations
Men Who Took Tulagi
The Japanese Commenced An Airstrip
Gen. A. A. Vandegrift
Guadalcanal Presents A Varied Terrain
South Pacific Jungle
Crude Maps
Enroute to the Objective
Advance Along Tulagi
Final Assaults on Tulagi
Japanese Seaplane Anchorage, Gavutu-Tanambogo
Surprise Was Impossible
Gavutu and the Causeway
Loyal Natives
The Transport, George F. Elliot
Victim of Savo Island
The Existence of the Fleet Marine Force
Beach Defenses
First Plane to Land
Using Captured Japanese Guns
90mm Anti-Aircraft Guns
Loser at Tenaru
Sgt. Maj. Vousa
The Japanese Suffered Total Casualties
Carrier Torpedo Planes
Five Army P-400s Arrived
Marine Fighter Planes
Maj. John L. Smith
Marine Fighters
Kawaguchi Brigade Headquarters
Maj. Gen. Roy S. Geiger
Luckier at Home Than at Edson's Ridge
Where the Tide Turned
Wire Protected the 1st Marines' Positions
Col. Merritt A. Edson
Maj. Kenneth D. Bailey
Patrolling Intensified
Advanced Air Base Operations
Heavy Pressure on the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines
The Japanese Had The Advantage
In a Tight Spot
Action on the Matanikau
Horseshot Defense Along the Matanikau
Lt. Col. Harold W. Bauer
Malaria Began to Make Itself Felt
Air Evacuation
Capt J. J. Foss
The Operation Bogged Down
With Bow Over Dry Land
Native Help Payed Off
"Pistol Pete"?
Japanese Medium Tanks
Scientific Extermination
Sgt. John Basilone
Unremitting Japanese Air Attacks
Anti-Aircraft Gunners
Sgt. Mitchell Paige
Lt. Gen. Hyakutake
Vandegrift's Opponent
The Commandant Inspects
Additional Units Arrive
Operations Above Point Cruz
The Engineers Succeeded
Heavy Casualties Were Suffered
Gunfire Support by Day, Torpedoes by Night
Carlson's Raiders on the March
Plummeting Down
Maj. R. E. Galer
On The Way Out
Maj. Gen. Patch, USA
The Army Arrives
Matanikau Positions in December
Inside the Stockade
Guadalcanal was the Turning Point
Maps
Guadalcanal and Florida Islands
Approach of Task Forces 61 & 62 to Guadalcanal
Guadalcanl-Tulagi Objective Area
Initial Dispositions-Guadalcanal, 7 August 1942
The Perimeter
Battle of the Tenaru, 21 August 1942
Edson's Ridge-First Phase
Battle of Edson's Ridge
Edson's Ridge-Final Phase
Perimiter Following Battle of Edson's Ridge
Operation Along the Matanikau, 23 to 27 September
October Attacks Along the Perimeter
Conoley's Action, 24-26 October 1942
Carlson's Patrol: 4 November-4 December 1942

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Last updated: 9 June 2009

Compiled and formatted by Patrick Clancey