The Battle of Guadalcanal Island
If any army during World War II loved to ignore reality and blindly promote the theory of energy, it would definitely be the Japanese army. It seems that the Japanese military always likes to ignore practical conditions and often trusts that they can overcome difficulties with the "Bushido energy". Of course, in the early days, the Japanese army did achieve a lot of results because they often encountered the soft persimmons in the British and American armies, but when they encountered the hard ones, this set of tactics became ineffective. The Guadalcanal War is a typical example, in which they will encounter the main force of the US military, the Marine Division of the Marine Corps. And it was also in this battle that not only did the Japanese army landing suffer a disastrous defeat, but there was also a brutal phenomenon of cannibalism in the military.
Introduction to the Guadalcanal War
The Guadalcanal War, also known as the Guadalcanal War or simply the Guadalcanal War, codenamed Operation Watchtower, was a war fought by Allied forces in the Pacific theater of World War II between August 7, 1942 and February 9, 1943, on Guadalcanal Island and surrounding islands. This is part of the Allied strategic plan to maintain transportation routes between the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, and also the beginning of the Allied counterattack in the Pacific.
This is the second major offensive launched by the Allies against Japan one month after the Kokoda Trail War. The Guadalcanal War began with a small-scale landing operation by the US military, followed by successive increases in Japanese troops to retake the island, and unprecedented raids by sea, land, and air, which evolved into a decisive battle between Japan and the Allies. The more than six-month struggle between the two sides resulted in the loss of a large number of warships and aircraft, and Japan's casualties far exceeded those of the US military. Ultimately, Japan chose to withdraw its troops due to its inability to engage in costly combat. The US military ultimately fully occupied Guadalcanal and subsequently seized the Solomon Islands, ultimately gaining sea control over the entire South Pacific region. As a result, the US military began a strategic counterattack.
The Guadalcanal War was Japan's second defeat after the Midway War, and also a turning point for Japan to move from strategic advantage to disadvantage. From a global perspective, the Allied counterattack and success on Guadalcanal at the end of 1942, along with the battles of Stalingrad and Alamein, marked the beginning of the Allies' strategic counterattack phase.
War background
In the late 1930s, Japan, following its massive invasion of China, signed fascist treaties with Germany and Italy, demonstrating its ambitious ambition to dominate and divide the world; The domineering attitude of Japanese fascism forced the United States to gradually change its immaculate neutrality and increase its trade embargo measures on materials such as steel and weapon spare parts, which were extremely scarce in resources. After several unsuccessful negotiations between Japan and the United States, Japan finally declared war on the United States by launching a surprise attack on the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on December 7, 1941.
The initial policy of Japanese leaders was to eliminate American sailors, seize rich natural resource territories, and establish military strategic bases to defend the Japanese Empire in the Pacific and Asia. Subsequently, Britain, Australia, and the Netherlands were all attacked by Japan, and the Japanese army successively occupied the Philippines, Thailand, Malaya, Singapore, the Dutch East Indies, Wake Island, Gilbert Islands, New Britain, and Guam.
To obstruct Japan's expansion, maintain transportation supply routes and communication routes between the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, and strive for strategic autonomy in the South Pacific; With the tacit approval of President Roosevelt, the aggressive plan of Admiral Ernst King, Commander in Chief of the United States Fleet, emerged victorious in discussions with General George Marshall; On April 1, 1942, the Joint Chiefs of Staff officially adopted the operational plan codenamed "Watchtower", which set the Allies' policy from 1942 to 1943: to first seize the most important island in the Solomon Islands, Guadalcanal, and then launch the New Guinea War under the command of Douglas MacArthur, capture the Admiralty and Bismarck Islands, as well as the Japanese core base of Rabaul, and ultimately retake the Philippines. Admiral Chester Nimitz served as the Commander in Chief of the Allied Pacific Theater Command, headquartered in Pearl Harbor.
The construction work on Guadalcanal was discovered by the US military
Before the start of the Guadalcanal War, Japan was defeated by the United States when they launched a surprise attack on Midway Island. The United States shot down four Japanese aircraft carriers, dealing a heavy blow to Japan and losing control of Midway Island. Not only that, but it also lost its early advantage in the war. They had originally planned well to occupy Midway Island and continue to stretch their front line, vertically penetrating the Pacific theater of war, with the ultimate goal of occupying Australia.
Japan never expected to lose on their own, and their proposed battle plan has always been moving forward. Since their successful surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in the United States, their morale has skyrocketed, and they have formulated a plan for the next few years, dreaming of dominating the world. Unexpectedly, the second step was defeated, and the defeat at Midway Island also disrupted Japan's original strategic plan, forcing them to delay Japan's attack on the Pacific. At this time, the Japanese army did not realize the gap in strength, only thinking that their tactics were unlucky and would lose to the United States. After the defeat at Midway Island, they began planning to attack the South Pacific and complete their own policy.
In May 1942, the Japanese army occupied Tulagi Island and discovered Gua Island while observing it. Gua Island is located on the equator and belongs to a tropical rainforest climate. It has dense forests and a plain formed by years of rainwater accumulation. The terrain is flat and surrounded by huge trees, making it extremely concealed. It can be said that even when war flies in the sky, nothing can be seen inside, making it an excellent military base. Of course, Japan would not let go of such a good place, so it was decided to build an airport inside. The Japanese had strong execution power and could do whatever they wanted. One month later, in June, they sent thousands of engineers to secretly enter Guadalcanal to build the construction works. In just two months, the airport construction and auxiliary works were completed. Not only that, but also dispatched police forces to station and maintain the smooth progress of the fortifications without being damaged. They wanted to use it as a strategic base for attacking the South Pacific, Fiji, Samoa, etc. In the end, they only forced Australia to build a military base first to ensure the smooth progress of the subsequent war. This shows Japan's ambition to expand the theater of war by attacking the Pacific at that time.
When things go to the extreme, they will turn against each other. It is said that they are carried out in secret, with engineers and police forces dispatched. The defense is so tight that it is difficult not to attract attention. After a while, it was discovered by American reconnaissance soldiers. On August 7, 1942, the US military quietly landed on Guadalcanal. At that time, there were not many military troops on the island, but more engineers who were building fortifications. These troops had no combat power at all. When American soldiers approached them, they ran around and fled in a chaotic manner. As soon as the arriving US troops saw the almost completed airport and fortifications, they were overjoyed and exclaimed that they had picked up a big bargain. There were still a large number of supplies on the island, and in a state of pride, they only focused on picking up the successful results and forgot to send out war reports, which also led to the tragic situation of the newly landed US troops.
The news was transmitted back to Japan, and Japan was almost so angry that they vomited blood. The 3000 engineers they sent worked tirelessly day and night, finally finishing their mission. Surprisingly, the United States intervened and took it back. It happened that the resentment of being beaten by the US military on Midway Island was all spread among these US soldiers.
The Japanese army was driven away to make meat pies
On the morning of August 9, 1942, the Japanese launched a surprise attack on the US fleet in the darkness before dawn, causing heavy losses and sinking of four cruisers, resulting in over 1270 casualties. Then they began shelling Guadalcanal and launched a counterattack. But Americans are not vegetarians either, and soon after, the colors and swords on both sides turned red again. The first is the fierce and harsh Battle of the mouth of the Tanaru River. Large scale wars are not single line operations, often involving multiple lines of action. In fact, when the military headquarters learned of the US landing on Guadalcanal, they decided to withdraw their troops from the 17th Army and recapture Guadalcanal with the cooperation of sailors.
On August 16th, the commander of the 17th Army, Haruhiko Hyakutake, dispatched Colonel Ichiki to lead a vanguard of about 1000 troops on six destroyers to rescue Guadalcanal. At this moment, the US military had just suffered a setback from the Japanese army and had weak defenses, so they took advantage of the moonlight and successfully landed in an inconspicuous corner 30 kilometers east of Henderson Field without any trouble. After learning of the successful landing of Ichiki, the US military launched a strong blockade against the Japanese on August 20th and successfully repelled the attack of the Japanese Zero fighter planes. On the morning of August 21st, Ichiki led a vanguard of 500 soldiers to launch an attack on the US military position at the mouth of the Tanaru River. Despite the aggressive and arrogant "Bushido energy" of the Japanese army, the difference in equipment quickly led to a one-sided defeat in the war. All the US light and heavy machine guns were fired in rotation, and a large area of the Japanese army fell down with a loud roar. His arrogance and recklessness ultimately cost him and the Japanese army a painful price.
After a one night battle, the US secretly sent a battalion to flank the Japanese army and launch a two pronged attack, causing the Japanese army to retreat towards the coast. Due to the resistance of the Japanese army on the beachhead, the US military had no choice but to deploy light tanks to completely eliminate the remnants of the Japanese army. The war is nearing its end, and the casualties of the Japanese army are extremely severe. At this time, the US military carried forward its humanitarian efforts and instructed military doctors to bring medical equipment and medication to the battlefield to treat Japanese wounded soldiers.
But the Japanese army did not buy it. They believed in the energy of Bushido and swore to be loyal to the emperor to the death. At the moment when the American army approached, they decided to sound their grenades and die with the American army! This behavior undoubtedly angered the Americans completely. They had good intentions to save you, but were killed by your hand mine, which killed countless medical staff. With just one command, the tank army crushed the forest where the Japanese army was located. These steel guys, like a group of super steel monsters, caused the Japanese army to cry and howl for a while. Wherever they went, corpses were scattered everywhere, and the battlefield immediately became a purgatory on earth. In addition, the enraged US military also deployed bombers to the battlefield to carry out devastating sweeps of the Japanese army's location. In the past, countless Japanese soldiers were beaten into sieves. Seeing this brutal situation, the struggling Japanese army also lost the courage to surround and survive, and picked up the knife in their hand to commit seppuku.
The Tanaru River War came to an end, with over 800 Japanese soldiers surviving and many being crushed into meat patties. The US military gained air superiority on the Guadalcanal battlefield with minimal casualties.
The disastrous defeat of the Japanese army in naval battles
Let's talk about the maritime dispute between Japan and the United States. The US military used infantry, planes, and tanks to give the Japanese a taste of their strength on Guadalcanal; On the sea near Guadalcanal, the Japanese once again indulged in heavy flavors. When did the Japanese receive such insults? Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku immediately dispatched a fleet to rescue Guadalcanal and ordered the main force of the Combined Fleet to counterattack, attempting to engage in a decisive battle with the US aircraft carrier formation in the waters surrounding Guadalcanal. On the morning of August 23rd, the US aircraft carrier formation was discovered by the Japanese army when entering the waters off Guadalcanal, and the war was on high alert.
On the afternoon of September 4th, the Japanese dispatched bombers and war planes from the "Ryujo" aircraft carrier to divert the Japanese fleet, preparing to bomb the US military airport on Guadalcanal. However, it seems that the US military had already known about the Japanese actions and deployed a large number of defense measures around the airport, waiting for Japanese fighter jets to drill deeper. As soon as the Japanese fighter jet appeared above the airport, it was shot down by the US military, and the Japanese surprise attack plan failed. In addition to the airport defense battle, the US military's Fletcher also launched an automatic attack on the Japanese aircraft carrier "Ryukyu", deploying 30 bombers and 8 torpedo planes. After reconnaissance of the Japanese main aircraft carrier, the 30 bombers bombarded the target with a barrage of bombs, destroying the proud "Ryukyu" aircraft carrier.
In another battlefield, Japanese reconnaissance planes also discovered the location of the US aircraft carrier. Despite being shot down by the US ship, the signal of "discovering the enemy" was still transmitted back to the Japanese command center. Fletcher quickly instructed these two aircraft carriers to separate to avoid being swept away by the Japanese army. At 4:30 pm, a group of Japanese fighter jets rushed towards the Enterprise aircraft carrier. However, due to the poor quality of the Japanese pilots, the American Enterprise aircraft carrier miraculously survived. Although it was also hit by four shells, it was still able to operate after emergency repairs. On August 24th, US reconnaissance planes spotted several support ships of the Japanese support forces and immediately ordered bombers to bomb them. Eventually, two ships were sunk and two were injured, forcing the Japanese ships to reluctantly return.
In this naval battle, a Japanese aircraft carrier was sunk, while the US military increased its strength by another 6000, gradually putting the Japanese at a disadvantage. General Tanaka of the Japanese army personally led his fleet to counterattack the American army in order to save the situation. Turner dispatched 5 cruisers and 8 destroyers to receive the call. The fleets of the two armies once again sailed into the Tiedi Bay north of Guadalcanal, revisiting their former location. The US military suffered a major loss here three months ago, but unexpectedly suffered another loss this time. The Japanese army first discovered the location of the US military, and the first to strike was stronger, while the second to strike suffered. The US military was bombed by Japanese fighter jets in a mess, but fortunately, due to the shortage of Japanese artillery power, the US military did not suffer significant damage.
So the Americans began to counterattack. Three days later, from 5:00 am to 3:30 pm on November 14th, all bombers launched by the Enterprise aircraft carrier launched a strong air raid on the Japanese army on Guadalcanal, sinking six transport ships. One day later, they were mobilized again and sank all four other transport ships. They also used incendiary bombs to burn all the logistics supplies that were difficult for the Japanese to transport, and the Japanese sailors abandoned their helmets and armor. The remaining ships had to evacuate in a dejected state
The final battle of survival
On the battlefield of Guadalcanal, the Japanese army sent 8400 troops to aid Guadalcanal, and decided to launch a large-scale ground attack on September 12th to fight to the death against the US army. General Kawaguchi is commanding the attack this time. In this offensive, the Japanese army mobilized 6000 troops, and as they crossed muddy swamps and dense forests, their stamina was also depleted. The US military, on the other hand, waited by the roadside and built defensive fortifications early, waiting for work to come. Come on, little Japan! On the night of September 12th, with the launch of a signal flare, the Japanese army launched their first round of attack, and the American troops lying on the ground also opened fire on the Japanese army with all their might. After a night of intense fighting on both sides, the American troops successfully repelled the Japanese attack. On the night of September 13th, Yamaguchi once again gathered hundreds of troops, divided into six groups, and charged up the mountain from the dark forest. This time, intense hand to hand combat broke out on both sides of the entire US defense line, resulting in heavy casualties. As dawn approached, American fighter jets and tank aid arrived, and the Japanese army was immediately defeated and fled into the dense forest.
The Japanese army is still unwilling to be defeated and is vigorously mobilizing the entire country to support the military forces on Guadalcanal. By mid October, Guadalcanal has gathered 22000 Japanese troops, and the US military has also continued to support them. There are more than 23000 US troops on Guadalcanal, and the military forces on both sides are evenly matched. The Japanese army won every battle, and the commander-in-chief, Haruhiko Momobu, couldn't sit still. He decided to personally command: Major General Sumiyoshi, the artillery commander, would shell the American positions built along the river from the west; From Maruyama Mountain, the troops from the south will split into two routes to attack Guadalcanal Airport, with one route under continuous command from Yamaguchi; In addition, planes and warships also launched a full-scale counterattack. The official start date is October 23rd. First, Major General Sumiyoshi commanded the artillery to shell the American positions, followed by 12 tanks and infantry at the end. Troops for the enemy, earth for floods. In the face of the Japanese attack, the US military also arranged the combat tasks one by one, and the two sides entered the strategic decisive battle.
The US military gradually gained an advantage and quickly destroyed three Japanese light tanks. Subsequently, the American blasters repeatedly inserted grenades into the tracks of Japanese tanks; The US armored vehicles also continuously fired anti tank guns. After a fierce battle on both sides for 5 hours, the Japanese army suffered heavy casualties and could no longer withstand it. Major General Sumiyoshi then led his troops to hide in the dense forest. The next morning, the Japanese commander was furious upon hearing the news of another defeat and ordered a fierce attack on Henderson Field that evening. In the evening, amidst thunderstorms, the Japanese army bombarded the American military base with cannons, and even soldiers rushed out of the dense forest to charge towards the American army. The US military also fired wildly at the other side. The Japanese launched multiple attacks, but were all repelled by the Americans. In the end, the Japanese once again exerted their Bushido energy and fought fiercely against the American army with bayonets, engaging in close combat. The sky and earth were shrouded in darkness, and corpses were scattered everywhere. All the troops participated in this decisive battle for survival.
The US military gained an advantage in this intense war with more sophisticated weapons, and the Japanese knew that the situation was hopeless and could not win, so they had to withdraw and preserve their active forces. On the night of October 25th, Major General Nasu of the Japanese army concentrated all their artillery to intensively bomb the defensive positions of the American army. Soon, the US artillery began to counterattack, and both sides engaged in intense artillery battles. Amidst the rumbling sound of artillery, the Japanese army shouted loudly to open the charge. As Major General Nasu was shot and fell to the ground, the Japanese army became even more arrogant. Through several rounds of military exchanges, the US military figured out the Japanese attack tactics and hid in trenches to engage in a strategic battle with the enemy. Together, snipers were dispatched to specifically shoot down Japanese commanders, causing significant setbacks to the Japanese command. The two sides fought continuously for two days and two nights, and the mountains were bald and turned into scorched earth. Both sides continue to send troops in support. In mid November, the military strength of both sides reached 30000. The US military dispatched the distinguished general MacArthur to drive the Japanese army to a small area.
Japanese logistics supply presents problems
At this moment, the disaster that belongs to the Japanese army has arrived. We had planned to fight quickly, so the military supplies we carried, especially food, were very limited. Japan also realized this issue and began to transport food to the front lines. After losing three times as many war planes as Midway Island, the Japanese abandoned airdrops. The Japanese army invented the idea of using waterproof rubber bags to supply food, but they didn't know that waterproof bags were waterproof but food wasn't, so this idea was shattered. Then the Japanese army came up with a "clever trick" of transporting iron barrels, but at this time, the difficulty of "fishing for barrels in the sea" was almost the same as "climbing to the sky", and the US military was constantly patrolling. Eventually, only a few of these materials actually reached the hands of the Japanese army.
According to the materials, the Japanese army did not receive any supplies for 20 days during the Guadalcanal War. Although Japan continuously pours food into the sea, the resources that Guadalcanal can receive are very limited. The Japanese army was so hungry that they had to eat wild fruits and gnaw on tree bark. In short, in order to survive, they ate everything in the forest that could be eaten but not. But the war is still ongoing, and the US military is still on the periphery, just showing up and being shot. What if everything in the forest is eaten up? It's cannibalism! When the US military captured Japanese soldiers once, they found that they had dug out the hearts of the American soldiers' bodies, boiled them in hot water, and then began to feast on them.
This scene greatly shocked the American soldiers, who couldn't hold on and immediately retched. If the enemy's body cannot be found, we can only use the bodies of our compatriots as a cushion. Cutting a piece of butt meat is a day's food. With this technique, the Japanese army survived day after day. But soon they faced new challenges, lacking nutrition for a long time and fighting in the hot and humid rainforest. They quickly contracted beriberi and various dysentery. And there are no medical supplies left in the military, and these malaria epidemics have taken away the lives of many young soldiers.
Achievements and impacts of war
On December 12th, Japanese sailors proposed to abandon Guadalcanal. In the Guadalcanal War, the Japanese army deployed a total of 40000 soldiers, with more than half of them killed in action. On January 4, 1943, the Japanese High Command decided to cease the seizure of Guadalcanal and secretly evacuate. The arrogant Japanese army has always refused to admit their defeat on Guadalcanal. The primary person responsible for the defeat in the war, Haruhiko Baiwu, has always been resentful and extremely concerned about face. In despair, he once said to his subordinate Imamura, "There has never been such an example in military history, a commander who lost 20000 soldiers." Haruhiko Baiwu wanted to commit suicide, but Imamura obstructed him. Years later, due to the heavy shadow of defeat, he went insane, lost his energy, and died.
In February 1943, the Japanese army deployed 300 aircraft and over 20 destroyers for protection, and withdrew from Guadalcanal in three batches. On February 9th, the US military declared that the Guadalcanal War had finally succeeded.
Not only did the Japanese navy and aviation suffer heavy losses, but the army, which had never been in the north since World War II, was also abandoned by the US military. The arrogant Japanese army had to lower their heads. The loss of a large number of warships, fighter jets, and well-trained pilots greatly weakened the Japanese army and left them in a state of decline. If the defeat in the Battle of Midway was only a turning point for the Japanese army on the Pacific battlefield, then the Guadalcanal War was a turning point for Japan's entire World War II period. The Japanese army's strength was further weakened, and they completely lost their strategic autonomy. From then on, they could only engage in strategic defense and retreat step by step.