Map Description

History Map of WWII: The Solomons — Guadalcanal and Florida Islands 1942/43


Illustrating:

The Guadalcanal Campaign, August 7, 1942 - February 9, 1943

The Guadalcanal campaign, codenamed Operation Watchtower, was the first major Allied offensive against Japan in the Pacific Theater during World War II.

The immediate objective was to deny the Japanese use of the islands as bases threatening Allied supply routes between the U.S. and Australia, and to secure a foothold for further operations aimed at isolating the major Japanese base at Rabaul (Northeastern New Britain, Papua New Guinea). After Japan captured it in January 1942, Rabaul became the headquarters of the Japanese Eighth Area Army and a major naval and air base. It was so heavily fortified that the Allies decided to bypass and isolate it rather than assault it directly.

The Allied invasion force, primarily composed of the U.S. 1st Marine Division under Major General Alexander Vandegrift, assembled in the Fiji Islands in late July 1942 in preparation for the assault on Guadalcanal. The task force included approximately 75 to 80 ships—warships and transports—under overall command divided among Vice Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher (naval and carrier support), Rear Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner (amphibious force commander), and Major General Vandegrift (ground forces). The operation was planned rapidly due to strategic urgency, with the Marines carrying only about 10 days’ worth of ammunition and limited supplies, reflecting the hasty nature of the mission.

Note: "Battle of Guadalcanal" is sometimes used as a synonym for the campaign.

Map ⓐ

Guadalcanal and Florida

The Florida Islands, Savo Island, and Guadalcanal Island are all part of the Solomon Islands group in the South Pacific, northeast of Australia.
Guadalcanal is the largest and most significant of these islands, featuring dense jungles, rugged terrain, and a strategic airfield under construction by the Japanese (later named Henderson Field by the Allies) that became the focal point of intense fighting during World War II.

Just northwest of Guadalcanal lies Savo Island, a small volcanic island that sits at the entrance to Ironbottom Sound, a key naval passage between Guadalcanal, Savo Island, and Florida Islands. Savo became infamous for the major naval battle fought nearby in August 1942.

The Florida Islands, also called the Nggela Islands, are situated immediately to the north of Guadalcanal and played a supporting role in the campaign, with Allied landings there occurring simultaneously with those on Guadalcanal.

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Initial Landings and Capture of Airfield, 7-8 August 1942

On the morning of 7 August 1942, under cover of overcast weather and a heavy naval and aerial bombardment, Allied forces launched surprise amphibious landings on Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and Florida Island in the Solomon Islands. The landing force was divided: one group targeted Guadalcanal, while the other assaulted Tulagi and the nearby islets of Gavutu and Tanambogo. Aircraft from U.S. Navy carriers bombed Japanese positions and destroyed approximately 15 to 18 Japanese floatplanes near Tulagi, significantly weakening Japanese aerial reconnaissance and defense.

Guadalcanal
Major General Alexander Vandegrift led approximately 11,000 U.S. Marines ashore between Koli Point and Lunga Point. The Japanese, primarily construction personnel with minimal combat training, were surprised and demoralized by the bombardment and offered little resistance. The Marines advanced rapidly and, by the afternoon of 8 August, had secured the unfinished airfield at Lunga Point, which would soon be named Henderson Field in honor of Major Lofton Henderson, a Marine aviator killed at the Battle of Midway.

Tulagi, Gavutu, and Tanambogo
In contrast, the Marines landing on Tulagi and the islets of Gavutu and Tanambogo—about 2,400 to 3,000 troops in total—encountered fierce resistance from Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces. The battle for Tulagi was intense and concluded by 8 August, while Gavutu and Tanambogo were secured after bitter fighting by 9 August. The Marines sustained significant casualties, and nearly all of the Japanese defenders were killed, as they fought to the death in fortified positions.

Naval and Air Actions
During the landings, Japanese bombers launched from Rabaul attacked the Allied fleet. On 8 August, they sank the transport USS George F. Elliott (AP-13) and heavily damaged the destroyer USS Jarvis (DD-393). In the air battles over two days, the Japanese lost about 36 aircraft, while the Allies lost approximately 19.

Due to concerns about further air attacks and the limited number of carrier-based fighters, Vice Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher decided to withdraw his carrier task force on the evening of 8 August. In response, Rear Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner ordered the withdrawal of his transports before unloading was complete, leaving the Marines ashore with limited supplies and ammunition.

Strategic Foothold
Despite logistical challenges, the initial landings and the rapid capture of the airfield established a critical Allied foothold in the Solomon Islands. The Marines quickly formed a defensive perimeter around the newly captured airfield. The Japanese, shocked by the landings, soon began organizing reinforcements and planning counterattacks, setting the stage for the prolonged and bloody Guadalcanal campaign.

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Attack on Bloody Ridge, 12-14 September 1942

Following the initial U.S. Marine landings on Guadalcanal on August 7–8, 1942, Allied forces quickly seized an unfinished Japanese airfield—soon named Henderson Field—and established a defensive perimeter. Over the next month, both sides rushed reinforcements to the island. Japanese forces launched probing ground attacks and subjected the Marines to regular air raids and naval bombardment. Despite this, the Americans, supported by the “Cactus Air Force” operating from Henderson Field, held firm.

Battle of Edson’s Ridge (Bloody Ridge)
Edson’s Ridge, a narrow, elevated position just south of Henderson Field, became the focus of a major Japanese assault. From September 12 to 14, the Japanese 35th Infantry Brigade, under Major General Kiyotake Kawaguchi, launched a series of night attacks aimed at overrunning Marine positions and capturing the airfield.

Defending the ridge were Lieutenant Colonel Merritt A. Edson’s 1st Marine Raider Battalion and a detachment of Marine parachute troops—outnumbered more than three to one. Despite relentless attacks, including close-quarters combat and banzai charges, the Marines held their ground. Their determined resistance, effective use of terrain, and coordinated fire support inflicted heavy casualties on the attackers. The ridge earned the name “Bloody Ridge” due to the intensity of the fighting and the high Japanese losses.

The successful defense of Edson’s Ridge marked a turning point in the Guadalcanal campaign. The Japanese failure to seize Henderson Field secured the Allies’ strategic foothold on the island and dealt the Imperial Japanese Army its first major ground defeat of the Pacific War.

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Japanese Counteroffensive, 23-26 October 1942

In the weeks following Bloody Ridge, both sides recognized the critical importance of Guadalcanal’s Henderson Field. The Japanese reinforced their troops via the “Tokyo Express” while the Americans expanded and fortified their defensive perimeter. Several clashes occurred around the Matanikau River in late September and early October, with U.S. Marines gradually pushing Japanese forces westward. The arrival of the U.S. Army’s 164th Infantry Regiment on October 13 further strengthened the American position. Meanwhile, the Japanese prepared a major counteroffensive, massing thousands of fresh troops for a decisive attempt to retake the airfield.

Japanese Counteroffensive, 23–26 October 1942

The Japanese counteroffensive, known as the Battle for Henderson Field, represented their largest and most coordinated attempt to recapture Guadalcanal’s vital airstrip. General Hyakutake’s plan involved a two-pronged assault: a frontal attack along the coast by Major General Sumiyoshi’s forces to distract the Americans, and a main attack from the south by General Maruyama’s 2nd Division, which undertook a grueling jungle march to strike the American perimeter from an unexpected direction.

October 23:
Maruyama’s troops, exhausted and delayed by the dense jungle, were not in position to attack as planned. However, Sumiyoshi’s coastal force, unaware of the postponement, began their assault at dusk. U.S. Marine artillery and small arms fire repulsed the attack, destroying all Japanese tanks involved in the attack—approximately a dozen Type 95s—and inflicted heavy casualties.

October 24–25:
Maruyama’s main force finally launched repeated night attacks against the southern perimeter of Henderson Field. The U.S. Marines, reinforced by the 164th Infantry, held firm despite intense fighting and isolated penetrations of the defensive lines. Superior American firepower, including artillery and machine guns, decimated the attacking waves. The Japanese suffered catastrophic losses, with thousands killed in futile assaults.

October 26:
The battered remnants of the Japanese force withdrew into the jungle. The failed offensive marked a turning point: the Japanese were unable to mount another major ground attack on Guadalcanal, and the Allies retained control of Henderson Field.

The Japanese counteroffensive of late October 1942 was decisively defeated. The loss crippled Japanese offensive capabilities on Guadalcanal and shifted the strategic initiative to the Allies. Henderson Field remained operational, allowing the “Cactus Air Force” to dominate the skies and support ground operations. This victory paved the way for subsequent Allied advances in the Pacific.

Credits

Courtesy of the United States Military Academy Department of History.

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