mini fact: Marine and Army artillery skill was a decisive factor in the American victory.
Maj. Dale Robinson, USMC-Ret., traveled to Gua-
anal.
dalcanal with Military Historical Tours of Alexandria, Va.
Visit
www.miltours.com to plan your own military tour.
or Guadalc The Navy provided gunfire support
for the Army and Marine Corps ad- Today, few islanders think much about
vance up Guadalcanal’s coast (right). the war years on Guadalcanal, even though
The Kinugawa Maru was attacked remnants of the battle are all around them.
by dive-bombers from Henderson Their focus is on subsistence living. Very poor
Field and the USS Enterprise Nov. and not well educated, they make the best liv-
14, 1942. It was beached to prevent ing they can by fi shing, mining, or harvesting
4
ships in the battle f
sinking (below). The ship has en- lumber. Americans, however, must always re-
t 2 dured 66 years of erosion (bottom). member what Guadalcanal means to our coun-
try. Each day for six months, victory hung by a
ach los
thread in the air, on land, and at sea. American
courage, eagerness to avenge Pearl Harbor, and
se e
steadfast determination to win even before we
A Japanese Type 96 155 mm howitzer stands on Guadal- were truly ready to fi ght brought the Japanese
canal 66 years after the battle (above). Battlefield relics empire to its knees — it never took an offensive
still remain everywhere. Together with the Type 96, the action after Guadalcanal. From Japan’s view-
Japanese Type 92 105 mm cannon (below), a long-range point today, at Guadalcanal they lost more than
. and the Japane
artillery piece, was known as “Pistol Pete” because of its a battle; they lost the war. MO
daily shelling of Henderson Field.
a
c
t
:
The U.S
mini f
While on the island, it can be easy
to focus on the extraordinary actions taken
by Marines and soldiers on the ground. But
from the promontory of the Guadalcanal
American Memorial atop Hill 73, you look
out over the resting place of 24 U.S. war-
ships and nearly 5,000 of America’s fi nest
sailors. Most of the naval warfare hap-
pened at night. And it must have been hor-
rifi c for the sailors, as well as the Marines
and soldiers who watched in the dark, not
knowing whether our Navy would win.
With tenacity, courage, and some luck, the
Each
naval battle of Guadalcanal was decisive
and put the Japanese on the defensive.
“
day for six months,
victory hung by a thread.
”
5 2 M I L I T A R Y O F F I C E R J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 7 PHOTOS: ABOVE, MAJ. DALE ROBINPSHOONT, OUSS/MIMCA-RGETS.:; TTKOTPK, PHOTOS/:I MABAOGEVSE:,
TUK.ST.K NATIONAL ARCHIVES; TOP, MAJ. DALE ROBINSON, USMC-RET. J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 7 M I L I T A R Y O F F I C E R 5 3
U.S. NATIONAL ARCHIVES; LEFT, U.S. NATIONAL ARCHIVES
Apr_guadalcanal.indd 52 3/11/09 4:14:16 PM
Apr_guadalcanal.indd 53 3/11/09 4:14:22 PM
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