75th Anniversary of the Battle of Guadalcanal Online Learning Series Pt. 1
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- Опубликовано: 6 авг 2017
- Join Richard Frank, author of Guadalcanal: The Definitive Account of the Landmark Battle, to explore the strategies by the Japanese occupiers and American invaders during the Battle of Guadalcanal. On August 7, the Marines first landed on the island 75 years ago and secured the beachhead and airfield at Lunga Point, renamed Henderson Field by the occupying American forces. After initial capture, Henderson Field would soon become the key point where the Japanese launched multiple all-out attacks to reclaim their airstrip and control of the island. Analyze the Battle of Edson’s Ridge, marked with tenacious fighting by the US Marines to draw the fierce Japanese fighters off balance, causing devastating Japanese losses.
Originally broadcast on August 7th, 2017 at 12:00pm central time
Excellent! My father, Captain Robert Haggerty was one of Chesty Puller's Company commanders. He was awarded a Silver Star for heroism in the defense of Henderson Field on October 24 and 25, 1942. The significance of this battle cannot be overstated. It was the American offensive of the war. and the first time the Japanese Army suffered a defeat. The whole country was glued to their radios keeping track of the battle.
Just saw this for the first time. My brother-in-law who became an admiral, lost his dad on the Hornet. His dad was also a Naval Academy graduate. God bless all the brave men.
Thanks, enjoyed this lecture. My Dad was on the USS Ralph Talbot (DD 390) which was savaged in the Battle of Savo Island.
Best documentary that I've found about Savo Island belongs to a RUclips poster named: Montemayor . . . ruclips.net/video/lICRQPIduFc/видео.html
Thanks for sharing. As an Edson, I appreciate your research and efforts to educate people on the importance of Guadalcanal.
Wow, Merrit Edson was a legendary Marine we learned about while at MCRD San Diego in 1985. Led from the front and EARNED the respect of ALL the Marines under his command. I'm sure your family is VERY proud of him and rightfully so my friend, Semper Fidelis.
USMC-0352
Excellent Tutorial
Precision 🎯
Thanks 😊
EXCELLENT. Also, congrats to the gal interviewing. She seems to know some about this battle and that is a plus. Many interviewers on other videos do not seem to know how to tie their shoes as related to the topic
Read his book before my trip to Guadalcanal for 75th anniversary. After reading about and then being there....WOW.
Thanks you for sharing this. This topic has always been an interest to me since reading the book Guadalcanal Diary in the fifties and then seeing the movie. on TV. My father was a WWII veteran that served in the Navy but spent most of the war in San Diego. My neighbor growing up served in the Army under Gen MacArthur, so my dad and him would have long conversations about the war that have stayed with me since. I never pass on an opportunity to learn more about that time in history.
A great book! “Guadalcanal Diary”, by Richard Tregaskis
What makes Guadalcanal Diary great is that it is written by a newspaper reporter for the American public. It is what the US military wanted the public to know. A propaganda piece. I highly recommend it not for it's compelling story or accurate detail but because of what it is. It is a story from the battlefield at a point where the outcome of the war was uncertain. A tremendously historical book.
Another book that I found to be a more interesting and enjoyable read is Shots Fired in Anger - A Rifleman's View of the Battle for Guadalcanal by Lt. John George.
Just discovered your channel! We visited a long long time ago in '07 and must get back there soon! Thanks for this Guadalcanal talk.
My dad was on the' canal with the 132nd and talked about "wash Machine Charley" flying over at night and dropping a bomb or 2.
I have heard of this “Washing Machine Charlie “ from a Guadalcanal vet who was my school teacher in 1963
Loving it. Sorry I missed the broadcast today. Did not get home in time. Keep up the great work. 👍😀
This is a great primary course driving home what Guadalcanal means to US military history.
Author Richard Frank sums it up:
"There is absolutely no doubt that between August and November (1942) the Americans are facing extraordinarily severe circumstances.
First of all, they are on very short rations. They are not at starvation level, like the Japanese are, but you see pictures of Marines who have served on Guadalcanal for any length of time, and they are very slender, very thin. You can count their ribs. There are photos that bring this home. So the simple physical privation of lack of food is very prominent.
Secondly, the Japanese make a regular practice of trying to disturb the sleep of Americans. Both with these naval bombardments, and also by sending aircraft over at night to randomly drop bombs, simply to keep American up and exhausted. They do a very good job of that. So sleeping is also another aspect about the deprivation that the forces on the island are facing.
And of course, the bombardment, Naval bombardment, is especially terrifying because Naval guns are much bigger than the average type of artillery piece that is used on land -- especially the type of artillery piece that the Japanese can bring to bear. Battleship bombardment is the most severe bombardment that the American forces ever face.
So it's not surprising that this combination, plus on top of that, the repeated air raids, and the repeated Japanese offensives, and the sense they are isolated and cut off, and basically orphaned by the Navy, is an overwhelming psychological toll on all of these individuals. It simply is a remarkable indicator of the grit that they have, that they hang under those these circumstances...
This is NOT prevailing when you outnumber the enemy 3-to-1, 4-to-1, or 10-to-1.
This is prevailing when you are on the very knife edge, of 1-to-1 odds, with the other guy having a leg up at various points in the air or at sea.
This is a very close run thing. It could have gone either way between August and November, and very nearly did.
So it's no wonder that the men who were ashore -- their faces and their bodies reflected that..."
"
Love, love, loved this
Best explanation. Now it makes more sense-Guadalcanal. Thanks.
I read what another person wrote that went something like this.
"The United States Marines and Corpsmen that fought in the Pacific are the greatest men to ever walk the face of the earth."
I'm beginning to believe that myself.
Looking at the map of the Slot [5:57], it is immediately apparent, that the Americans confined their landings to the many small islands making up the left (southwest) side of the Slot and the larger right (northeast) islands (Choiseul, Santa Isabel, and Malaita) were largely untouched. It is the smaller islands on the left side after Guadalcanal where the important battles of the Solomans campaign were fought. What is the reason for this? Did the Navy planners prefer to attack small islands? Did the Japanese garrison these larger islands heavily making them more difficult targets? Does anyone know anything about this?
Well done, Mr. Frank.
The Battle of Milne Bay was hailed at the time as the first significant defeat of a Japanese force on land in the pacific in the Second World war and that was by Australians.
Anything on the Matanikau fight would be appreciated. There's hardly anything out there about that....... Please and Thank You. :)
Much ink has been spilled over the topic of the Savo defeat of the U.S. naval screening forces, yet little is written on the failures of the air recon leading into the engagement. It is understood that Mikawa's force had been spotted first by submarine and later by aircraft earlier in the day prior to the battle, yet numerous follow-on air searches either suffered from failed radio receptions or failure to mount searches that were scheduled. Richard does not provide much insight here on the nature of the multiple errors and omissions that ultimately left the Marines sitting in such dire straits. Admiral McCain had responsibility for the naval air search function, and his forces failed to perform searches that ultimately would have located Mikawa enroute in the upper reaches of the Slot. In all my readings, I have never encountered an explanation as to why the PBY searches for those sectors were not conducted as planned.Additionally, Savo may not have ended as it did had Admiral Turner not left the screen on his flagship to attend the conference with Vandegrift, which was prompted by the incomplete unloading, the day's air raids and the "premature" retirement of Fletcher's carriers. Fletcher had already made clear that his carriers were to be preserved and withdrawn, yet Turner believed they would be kept on station to support further unloading activities. Little was written on the disagreements between the tactical commanders leading into the campaign, yet one can easily point a finger at Turner for assuming too much on naval support and too little on enemy capability. We can credit John Lundstrom for delving into some of the details that earlier writings had overlooked or dismissed.
Just a question sir,did the Japanese imperial Army buried some of the looted treasures in Solomon islands 🇸🇧 Guadalcanal?
OK------- One fact that most ignore about the Marines operating with less during the battle is that they went into Guadalcanal with WW-1 weapons including the old springfield bolt action single shot riffles. The ARMY was getting all the New M-1 auto-riffles and other weapons. Why you see so many pictures of WW-1 water cooled 30-cal machine guns on tripods in the pictures (as well as the springfields). Why so many of the meddles went to heavy Machine gun platoons that held their ground. As in WW-1 the big machine guns on tripods where what saved the Marines in all of the Japanese attacks (as well as the old 75mm howitzers). Though having extra (as casualties mounted) Tommy guns and BAR's in each squad helped a lot. The only modern weapon they received were the m-1 carbines given to the support troops and officers (many times stripped from forces still aboard ships before they left) that were quickly stollen for front line use. That was until the Army took over the Job in 43.
I was thinking the exact same thing and waiting for weaponry to be discussed as well. I didnt read his book but they say its pretty thorough so I'm sure he covered the lack of modern weaponry there. I totally agree. It was a very big deal. A Springfield is not even remotely as effective as an M-1 in countering mass charges & close quarter combat. Besides the 30-cal MGs, the other game changer were the 37mm anti tank guns that were deployed with canister rounds. I'm not so sure the Marines hold at Alligator Creek/Tenaru without it. The Japanese actually broke thru and took a few Marine positions that required the Marine reserve to be deployed to take them back. Meaning, without those canister rds severely thinning the Japanese ranks, they might've broken through in force and turned the Marine flank. I still dont think Ichiki had enough men (he stupidly attacked before his entire force was landed) to carry the field/take the airfield back....but had he waited and attacked with 3K instead of 900 men....and those 37mm werent there.....who knows what happens.
The Marines had '03 Springfields because the Marine leadership believed that accuracy was more important to a rifle than rate of fire. Marine marksmanship was defined by how well you could hit a target at 500 yards. They quickly learned that 4 or 5 "close enough" shots arriving at the same time are better at killing enemy and adopted the semiautomatic M1.
Here's what I'm wondering regarding the deficient intelligence situation, especially maps of the target area - the Australians didn't have accurate maps or charts of the area? At the very least the sea lanes and the surrounding waters of the Solomon Islands, no?
They used a great resource and practically the only one that was available at the time, coast watchers. There is a great book by Martin Clemens titles "Alone on Guadalcanal." Natives were also utilized. There is a great documentary by none other than Leslie Nielson floating around on here somewhere. He actually talks to an native who was made an honorary marine for services provided. The gentleman was also captured, tied to a tree, beaten and bayonetted several times and left for dead.
What about Tulagi and Savo Island?
Did anyone really expect that a presentation would proceed without technical difficulties?
My Great pop, a Marine was here. GENERAL JOE FOSS 60,000 TROOPS
Tulagi was the Headquarters for the Japanese in the Solomon's
Some DumButt calls in at the end of this video and asks "How many Congressional Medals of Honor" were awarded during this campaign?
As if THAT were an indication of what was really going on.
Heres's the Answer: It was early in the war, 1942. These guys were fighting like crazy, and their bosses -- the brass and politicians -- had not managing a war for a quarter century. Nobody had any idea if it was valor or luck that was keeping those poor marines, sailors and airmen alive.
(Spoiler Alert: It was Extraordinary Valor)
Nobody in the battle area cared how many medals. It was so early in the war, they didn't know medals might be out there to be won.
So yes, about 100 Congressional Medals were deserved, but only a few were given.
How's that for an answer?
.."always think joint..." lol aye aye
I didn't hear mention of the Australian Actions on Gaudalcanal with the Yanks as we called them.I guess they don't want to upset the narrative!
Australians weren't involved in the land operations.
One of the major lessons that the US military learned from the battle of Guadalcanal was to 'ovid fighting a fair parity battle with the Japanese', instead fight battles in wich the US is dominant in air, ground and sea forces- this was done from 1943 onward in both the Pacific and European theaters of war.
Additionally, although the Allies thought of a world menace of a joint German-Japanese alliance, in reality no such mechanism was entertained by either Japan or Germany - although this would have greatly benefitted both nations enormously.
Such a possible German-Japanese military link up would only have made sense if Japan had avoided completely the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hong Kong, etc and instead diverted their attacks deep into Indonesia where oil and natural resources remained abundand, close to the Japanese logistical lines and which were far geographically from the USA and Great Britain. We are lucky that both the Germans and Japanese were not masters of Grand Strategy, less we would not be living the this present day world.
+Edmund Charles
Germany and Japan (and Italy for the same matter) drafted their strategies totally independent, the joining as Axis powers was more of an afterthought. More of propaganda value than a real co-operation. I don't really understand your comments concerning Pearl Harbor and Hong Kong vs. attack into Indonesia?
The Dutch East-Indies where and always have been the target of Japanese expansion and where secured in rapid succession. Heck, they were just a mountain ridge away of conquering both Indonesia and New Guinea, which might have resulted in them gaining air-power over the entirety of North-Australia.
The rapid expansion in the South-East Pacific was intended to wipe all Allied bases in range of the price (e.g Indonesia) and to force the Allies in a long and costly route if they ever decided to try to recapture the Pacific. If they would have succeeded in taking Midway and keeping their advantage in carrier power, the US might have (in their views) been more interested in a negotiated peace. If the US Navy would have decide to operate unsupported in the Japanese regions, their Super-battleships where intended to take on and defeat the US battlefleet in one Great Battle.
I am not sure why you raised the Battle of Hong Kong as an issue. It basically lasted a week, and the UK was (and they knew it) doomed from the start.
Shahira was right, the best move for the Americans was to secure bases in Russia to bomb Japan. FDR should have required it as a condition from Stalin for opening up a second front in Europe to take the heat off the Eastern front. It would have saved a lot of island hopping, casualties, and long flights. Sharhira is often panned in historical evaluations of his intelligence, but it was not his fault, the Americans made the wrong move.
Wrong move lel...... an air campgain over Japan with B17s would have been a disaster and Gaudacanal achieved complete suprise
why they sent marines in ill never know, from my understanding anzacs should of been used to take that cursed island considering its our backyard but hey look at vietnam i suppose, those goddam marines are a force not to mess with.
I thought the kiwis and aussies were in the N.African desert?
The Battle of Milne Bay was hailed at the time as the first significant defeat of a Japanese force on land in the pacific in the Second World war and that was by Australians.
@@bsuper63
King needed his offensive for a varinaty of reasons and the british weren't concerned with the area at this point
My brother was one of those Marines in Vietnam. Raised from 4.5 yrs old as an orphan by a widowed mom, he joined the toughest service at 19, and came back a grown man!
Aussies were rather busy in New Guinea as well as Africa. Besides the Navy didn’t want forces from MacArthurs area
22:10 lol
Was he late for something, because I’ve never heard anyone race through a presentation so rapidly....anyway, he understates the effect of hunger on the Japanese Army’s performance on Guadalcanal. Nor does he mention Colonel Tsuji, who was certainly the most important Japanese staff officer on the island. And what happened to the Battle of Savo Island?
This guy us good. He knows his history. But..UGH...He calls it Guadah-Canal.
So unfortunate.
But, hey. The Japanese couldn't pronounce it either.
The Japanese pronounced it "Island of Death."
This bloke has the delivery speed of Chris Wallace on coke!
I hope that in the intervening time he discovered the intermediate 'l' in Guadalcanal...
lame audio/visuals. very lame.