Action along the Matanikau
Part of the Pacific Theater of World War II
A painting depicts the September 27, 1942 evacuation of U.S. Marines under fire near Point Cruz on Guadalcanal as U.S. Coast Guard boat crews provide covering fire.
Date September 23 – September 27, 1942 Location Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands Result Japanese tactical victory
Combatants
United States	Empire of Japan
Commanders
Alexander Vandegrift, Merritt A. Edson Chesty Puller	Harukichi Hyakutake, Kiyotaki Kawaguchi Akinosuka Oka
Strength
2,100[1]	1,900[2]
Casualties
91 killed[3]	30 killed[4]

The Action Along the Matanikau, sometimes referred to as the Second Battle of the Matanikau, was one of a series of engagements between the United States and Imperial Japanese Navy and Army forces around the Matanikau River on Guadalcanal during the Guadalcanal campaign. This particular engagement, taking place between September 23 and September 27, 1942, was one of the largest of the Matanikau actions. Combatants Republic of China U.S.A. (from 1941) U.K. (from 1941) Australia (1941) Netherlands (1941) New Zealand (1941) Canada (1941) U.S.S.R. (from 1945) Empire of Japan Commanders Chiang Kai-shek, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Josef Stalin (from 1945) Hideki Tojo The Pacific War was... Combatants Major Allied powers: United Kingdom Soviet Union United States Republic of China and others Major Axis powers: Nazi Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Harry Truman Chiang Kai-Shek Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tojo Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead... September 27 is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is a branch of the United States armed forces involved in maritime law enforcement, mariner assistance, search and rescue, and national defense, among other duties of coast guards elsewhere. ... September 23 is the 266th day of the year (267th in leap years). ... September 27 is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... Guadalcanal, position (inset) and main towns Guadalcanal is a 2,510 square mile (6 500 km²) island in the Pacific Ocean and a province of the Solomon Islands. ... Anthem: Kimi Ga Yo Imperial Reign Slogan: Fukoku Kyohei Enrich the Country, Strengthen the Military Imperial Japan at its fullest extent during World War II Capital Tokyo Language(s) Japanese Korean (in the Korean Peninsula) Government Constitutional monarchy Emperor  - 1852-1912 Meiji Emperor HIM Mutsuhito  - 1912-1926 Taisho Emperor HIM... Gen. ... Major General Merritt Austin Edson Major General Merritt Austin Edson (April 25, 1897 – August 14, 1955), known as Red Mike, was a general in the United States Marine Corps. ... Lieutenant General Lewis Burwell Chesty Puller (June 26, 1898 – October 11, 1971) was a United States Marine mustang officer, notable as the most decorated Marine in history. ... Harukichi Hyakutake was a Japanese Imperial Army officer who commanded Japanese forces during the Pacific War. ... Combatants United States Australia New Zealand United Kingdom Tonga[1] Solomon Islands[2] Empire of Japan Commanders Robert Ghormley William Halsey, Jr. ... Combatants United States Australia Empire of Japan Commanders Alexander Vandegrift, William H. Rupertus Isoroku Yamamoto, Shigeyoshi Inoue Strength 3,000[1] 886[2] Casualties 122 killed[3] 863 killed, 23 captured[4] The Battle of Tulagi and Gavutu-Tanambogo was a land battle of the Pacific campaign of World War... Combatants United States, Australia, United Kingdom Empire of Japan Commanders Richmond K. Turner, Victor A. C. Crutchley Isoroku Yamamoto, Gunichi Mikawa Strength 8 cruisers, 15 destroyers[2] 7 cruisers, 1 destroyer[3] Casualties 4 cruisers sunk, 1 cruiser, 2 destroyers damaged, 1,077 killed[4] 3 cruisers moderately damaged, 58... Combatants United States, Australia, Solomon Islands Empire of Japan Commanders Alexander Vandegrift, Clifton B. Cates Harukichi Hyakutake, Kiyonao Ichiki â€  Strength 1,500[1] 917[2] Casualties 44 killed[3] 777 killed, 15 captured[4] The Battle of the Tenaru, also known as the Battle of the Ilu River, took place... Battle of the Eastern Solomons Conflict World War II, Pacific War Date August 24, 1942 – August 25, 1942 Place North of Santa Isabel, United States Japan Commanders William Halsey, Jr. ... Combatants United States Australia Solomon Islands Empire of Japan Commanders Alexander Vandegrift Merritt A. Edson Harukichi Hyakutake Kiyotaki Kawaguchi Strength 12,500[1] 6,217[2] Casualties 96 killed[3] 800+ killed[4] The Battle of Edsons Ridge, also known as the Battle of the Bloody Ridge and Battle... Battle of Cape Esperance Conflict World War II, Pacific War Date October 11, 1942 – October 12, 1942 Place Off Cape Esperance, Guadalcanal Result Allied victory The Battle of Cape Esperance, originally known as the Second Battle of Savo Island, was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World... Combatants United States Australia Solomon Islands Japan Commanders Alexander Vandegrift Harukichi Hyakutake Strength 23,088[1] 14,000[2] Casualties 61-86 killed[3] 2,200+ killed[4] The Battle for Henderson Field, also known as the Battle of Henderson Field, took place October 23–26, 1942, and was a... Combatants United States (U.S.) Japan Commanders William Halsey, Jr. ... Combatants United States, Australia, New Zealand Japan Commanders William Halsey, Jr Isoroku Yamamoto Strength 1 carrier, 2 battleships, 5 cruisers, 12 destroyers 2 battleships, 8 cruisers, 16 destroyers Casualties 2 light cruisers, 7 destroyers sunk, 26 aircraft destroyed, 1,732 killed[1] 2 battleships, 1 heavy cruiser, 3 destroyers, 11... The Battle of Tassafaronga was a naval battle fought between United States and Japanese forces on 30 November 1942. ... Operation KE was the three-phase withdrawal of all Japanese forces from the Battle of Guadalcanal following the defeat of the Imperial Army in ground combat centered at Henderson Field and the near destruction of Japanese naval forces in the area. ... Battle of Rennell Island Conflict World War II, Pacific War Date 29 January 1943 – 30 January 1943 Place Rennell Island, Solomon Islands Result Japanese victory The Battle of Rennell Island was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II fought on 29 January – 30 January... The Solomon Islands Campaign was a large series of battles that occurred in the Pacific Theater of World War II. This was the first large-scale campaign in the War in the Pacific, and the victories achieved by the Americans in the battles of this campaign helped secure vital bases... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Combatants United States Australia New Zealand United Kingdom Tonga[1] Solomon Islands[2] Empire of Japan Commanders Robert Ghormley William Halsey, Jr. ... Battle of Blackett Strait Conflict World War II, Pacific War Date 6 March 1943 Place Blackett Strait, Solomon Islands Result American victory The Battle of Blackett Strait was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on 6 March 1943 in the Blackett Strait, between Kolombangara... The eastern part of the Territory of New Guinea, and the northern Solomon Islands; the area in which Operation Cartwheel took place, from June 1943. ... To boost Japanese morale following the disastrous Battle of Guadalcanal, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, commander of the Imperial Japanese Navy, decided to make an inspection tour throughout the South Pacific. ... The battle of New Georgia was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II. It was part of Operation Cartwheel, and was fought in the New Georgia group of islands in the central Solomon Islands from 10 June 1943 to August 25, 1943 between forces of Japan and... The Battle of Kula Gulf was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought in the early hours of 6 July 1943, between United States and Japanese ships off the coast of Kolombangara in the Solomon Islands. ... Combatants United States New Zealand Japan Commanders Walden L. Ainsworth Shunji Izaki † Strength 3 light cruisers, 10 destroyers 1 light cruiser, 5 destroyers Casualties 1 destroyer sunk, 3 light cruisers heavily damaged, 89 killed[1] 1 light cruiser sunk, 482 killed[2] The Battle of Kolombangara (Japanese: コロンバンガラ島沖海戦) was a naval... Combatants United States Japan Commanders Frederick Moosbrugger Kaju Sugiura Strength 6 destroyers 4 destroyers Casualties None 3 destroyers sunk, 1,210 killed[1] The Battle of Vella Gulf (Japanese: ベラ湾夜戦) was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II fought on the night of August 6, 1943 – August... Battle off Horaniu Conflict World War II, Pacific War Date August 17, 1943 – August 18, 1943 Place Near Vella Lavella in the Solomon Islands Result Japanese strategic victory The Battle off Horaniu was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II fought on the night of... New Zealand soldiers land at Baka Baka, Vella Lavella to relieve the U.S. 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Division, on September 17, 1943. ... Battle of Vella Lavella Conflict World War II, Pacific War Date October 7, 1943 Place Vella Lavella in the Solomon Islands Result Japanese victory The Battle of Vella Lavella was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II fought on the night of October 6, 1943 near... The Battle of the Treasury Islands was fought from October 25 to October 27 of 1943 between New Zealand and Japan in the Solomon Islands. ... Combatants United States Australia Empire of Japan Commanders Victor H. Krulak Harukichi Hyakutake Strength 750[1] 3,000-7,000[2] Casualties 13 killed[3] 143 killed, two barges sunk[4] The Raid on Choiseul was a small unit engagement that occurred from October 28 to November 3, 1943, during... Combatants United States Australia New Zealand Fiji Empire of Japan Commanders Roy Geiger Theodore S. Wilkinson Oscar Griswold Stanley Savige Harukichi Hyakutake Masatane Kanda Strength 126,000 troops,[1] 728 aircraft[2] 65,000 troops,[3] 154 aircraft[4] Casualties 1,243 dead[5] 44,000 dead[6] The Bougainville... Combatants United States, Australia, New Zealand Empire of Japan Commanders George Kenney (land air forces), William Halsey, Jr. ... Battle of Cape St. ... Troops from New Zealand disembark from U.S. Landing Craft Infantry ship LCI-444 to occupy Green Island on February 16, 1944. ... Anthem: Kimi Ga Yo Imperial Reign Slogan: Fukoku Kyohei Enrich the Country, Strengthen the Military Imperial Japan at its fullest extent during World War II Capital Tokyo Language(s) Japanese Korean (in the Korean Peninsula) Government Constitutional monarchy Emperor  - 1852-1912 Meiji Emperor HIM Mutsuhito  - 1912-1926 Taisho Emperor HIM... The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) (: 大日本帝國海軍 Shinjitai: 大日本帝国海軍   or 日本海軍 Nippon Kaigun), officially Navy of Empire of Greater Japan, also known as the Japanese Navy or Combined Fleet was the Navy of Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japans constitutional renunciation of the use of force... The Imperial Japanese Army (: 大日本帝國陸軍 Shinjitai: 大日本帝国陸軍 Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun) was the official ground based armed force of Japan from 1867 to 1945 when it was Imperial Japan. ... Guadalcanal, position (inset) and main towns Guadalcanal is a 2,510 square mile (6 500 km²) island in the Pacific Ocean and a province of the Solomon Islands. ... Combatants United States Australia New Zealand United Kingdom Tonga[1] Solomon Islands[2] Empire of Japan Commanders Robert Ghormley William Halsey, Jr. ... September 23 is the 266th day of the year (267th in leap years). ... September 27 is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ...

The action was initiated by U.S. Marine forces on Guadalcanal with the objective of "mopping-up" Japanese stragglers from the recent Battle of Edson's Ridge and to disrupt efforts by Japanese troops to assemble in strength near the west side of the Marine defenses near the Matanikau River. The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the U.S. military responsible for providing power projection from the sea,[1] utilizing the mobility of the U.S. Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces to global crises. ... Combatants United States Australia Solomon Islands Empire of Japan Commanders Alexander Vandegrift Merritt A. Edson Harukichi Hyakutake Kiyotaki Kawaguchi Strength 12,500[1] 6,217[2] Casualties 96 killed[3] 800+ killed[4] The Battle of Edsons Ridge, also known as the Battle of the Bloody Ridge and Battle...

In the action, three U.S. Marine battalion attacks, under the overall direction of U.S. Marine Lieutenant General Alexander Vandegrift, were repulsed by elements of a Japanese Army regiment commanded by Japanese Lieutenant General Kiyotaki Kawaguchi. Also, three U.S. Marine companies were temporarily surrounded by Japanese forces, took heavy losses, and barely escaped with assistance from a U.S. Navy warship and landing craft manned by U.S. Coast Guard personnel. The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the U.S. military responsible for providing power projection from the sea,[1] utilizing the mobility of the U.S. Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces to global crises. ... Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. ... Gen. ... USN redirects here. ... The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is a branch of the United States armed forces involved in maritime law enforcement, mariner assistance, search and rescue, and national defense, among other duties of coast guards elsewhere. ...

Background

On August 7, 1942, Allied forces (primarily U.S.) landed on Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and Florida Islands in the Solomon Islands. The landings on the islands were meant to deny their use by the Japanese as bases for threatening the supply routes between the U.S. and Australia, and secure the islands as starting points for a campaign with the eventual goal of isolating the major Japanese base at Rabaul while also supporting the Allied New Guinea campaign. The landings initiated the six-month-long Guadalcanal campaign.^[5] August 7 is the 219th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (220th in leap years), with 146 days remaining. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... Tulagi, less commonly Tulaghi, is a small island (5. ... The Florida Islands are a small island group in Solomon Islands, a nation in the Pacific Ocean. ... A military base is a facility, settlement, reservation, or installation that shelters military equipment and personnel. ... A threat is a declaration of intention to inflict punishment or harm on another. ... Materiel (from the French for material) is the equipment and supplies in Military and commercial supply chain management. ... In the military sciences, a military campaign encompass related military operations, usually conducted by a defense or fighting force, directed at gaining a particular desired state of affairs, usually within geographical and temporal limitations. ... A view from Rabaul Volcano Observatory across the relatively undamaged western half of Rabaul and towards Tavurur Rabaul, Papua New Guinea, was the headquarters of German New Guinea and then the Australian mandatory territory of New Guinea from 1910 until 1937, the base of Japanese activities in the South Pacific... Combatants United States Australia New Zealand United Kingdom Tonga[1] Solomon Islands[2] Empire of Japan Commanders Robert Ghormley William Halsey, Jr. ...

Taking the Japanese by surprise, by nightfall on August 8 the Allied landing forces had secured Tulagi and nearby small islands, as well as an airfield, later called Henderson Field by Allied forces, under construction at Lunga Point on Guadalcanal.^[6] August 8 is the 220th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (221st in leap years), with 145 days remaining. ... Combatants United States Australia Empire of Japan Commanders Alexander Vandegrift, William H. Rupertus Isoroku Yamamoto, Shigeyoshi Inoue Strength 3,000[1] 886[2] Casualties 122 killed[3] 863 killed, 23 captured[4] The Battle of Tulagi and Gavutu-Tanambogo was a land battle of the Pacific campaign of World War... Honiara International Airport (IATA: HIR, ICAO: AGGH), formerly known as Henderson Field, is an airport located on Guadalcanal Island in the Solomon Islands. ...

In response to the Allied landings on Guadalcanal, the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters assigned the Imperial Japanese Army's 17th Army, a corps-sized command based at Rabaul and under the command of Lieutenant-General Harukichi Hyakutake, with the task of retaking Guadalcanal from Allied forces. The 17th Army, currently heavily involved with the Japanese campaign in New Guinea, had only a few units available to send to the southern Solomons area. Of these units, the 35th Infantry Brigade under Major General Kiyotaki Kawaguchi was at Palau, the 4th (Aoba) Infantry Regiment was in the Philippines and the 28th (Ichiki) Infantry Regiment, under the command of Colonel Kiyonao Ichiki, was at Guam. The different units began to move towards Guadalcanal immediately, but Ichiki's regiment, being the closest, would ultimately arrive first. The Imperial General Headquarters or Daihonei, as part of the Supreme War Council was the supreme command for Japanese military forces during the World War II era. ... A corps (a word that migrated from the French language, pronounced IPA: , but originating in the Latin corpus, corporis meaning body; plural same as singular) is either a large military unit or formation, an administrative grouping of troops within an army with a common function (such as artillery or signals... A view from Rabaul Volcano Observatory across the relatively undamaged western half of Rabaul and towards Tavurur Rabaul, Papua New Guinea, was the headquarters of German New Guinea and then the Australian mandatory territory of New Guinea from 1910 until 1937, the base of Japanese activities in the South Pacific... Harukichi Hyakutake was a Japanese Imperial Army officer who commanded Japanese forces during the Pacific War. ... Colonel (IPA: or ) is a military rank of a commissioned officer, with the corresponding ranks existing in nearly every country in the world. ...

The "First Element" of Ichiki's unit, consisting of about 917 soldiers, landed from destroyers at Taivu Point, east of the Lunga perimeter, on August 19 and attacked the Marine Lunga defenses during the night of August 21. In the resulting Battle of the Tenaru, all but 128 of the original 917 men of the Ichiki Regiment's First Element were killed.^[7] August 19 is the 231st day of the year (232nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... August 21 is the 233rd day of the year (234th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Combatants United States, Australia, Solomon Islands Empire of Japan Commanders Alexander Vandegrift, Clifton B. Cates Harukichi Hyakutake, Kiyonao Ichiki â€  Strength 1,500[1] 917[2] Casualties 44 killed[3] 777 killed, 15 captured[4] The Battle of the Tenaru, also known as the Battle of the Ilu River, took place...

Between August 29 and September 7, Japanese destroyers (called "Tokyo Express" by Allied forces), plus a convoy of slow barges, delivered the 6,000 men of Kawaguchi's brigade, including the rest of Ichiki's regiment (called the Second Echelon) and one battalion from the Aoba regiment, to Guadalcanal. 5,000 of the troops and Kawaguchi himself landed 20 miles east of the Lunga Perimeter at Taivu Point. The other 1,000 troops, under the command of Colonel Akinosuka Oka, landed west of the Lunga Perimeter at Kokumbona.^[8] During this time, Vandegrift continued to direct efforts to strengthen and improve the defenses of the Lunga perimeter. Between August 21 and September 3, he relocated three Marine battalions, including the 1st Raider Battalion, under U.S. Lieutenant Colonel Merritt A. Edson (Edson's Raiders), from Tulagi and Gavutu to Guadalcanal. These units added about 1,500 troops to Vandegrift's original 11,000 men defending Henderson Field.^[9] August 29 is the 241st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (242nd in leap years), with 124 days remaining. ... September 7 is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years). ... The Tokyo Express was the nickname given by United States sailors and marines to the Japanese attempts to reinforce and resupply their forces during the battle of Guadalcanal and subsequent operations in the Solomon Islands in World War II. Airplanes from Henderson Field on Guadalcanal made it too dangerous for... Colonel (IPA: or ) is a military rank of a commissioned officer, with the corresponding ranks existing in nearly every country in the world. ... August 21 is the 233rd day of the year (234th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... September 3 is the 246th day of the year (247th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Marine Raider insignia The Marine Raiders were elite units established by the United States Marine Corps during World War II to conduct amphibious light infantry warfare, particularly in landing in rubber boats and operating behind the lines. ... In the U.S. Army, Air Force and Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a commissioned officer superior to a major and inferior to a colonel. ... Major General Merritt Austin Edson Major General Merritt Austin Edson (April 25, 1897 – August 14, 1955), known as Red Mike, was a general in the United States Marine Corps. ... Alright, so Gavutu is like this island in the pacific where this battle was fought. ...

Kawaguchi set the date for his attack on the Marines for September 12 and planned for his forces, split into three divisions, to approach the Lunga perimeter inland, culminating with a surprise night attack. Oka's forces would attack the perimeter from the west while Ichiki's Second Echelon, now renamed the Kuma Battalion, would attack from the east. The main attack would be by Kawaguchi's "Center Body," numbering 3,000 men in three battalions, from the south of the Lunga perimeter.^[10] Portal:Currentevents September 12 is the 255th day of the year (256th in leap years). ...

Acting on intelligence from native island scouts, Edson's Raider battalion raided Kawaguchi's supply base at Tasimboko near Taivu Point on September 8. In Tasimboko, Edson's troops discovered "vast stockpiles" of food, ammunition, medical supplies, and a powerful shortwave radio. The mounds of supplies, along with intelligence gathered from the captured documents, informed the Marines that at least 3,000 Japanese troops were on the island and apparently planning an attack on the U.S. defenses.^[11] September 8 is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years). ... A solid-state, analog shortwave receiver Shortwave radio operates between the frequencies of 2,310 kHz and 30 MHz (30,000 kHz) [1] and came to be referred to as such in the early days of radio because the wavelengths associated with this frequency range were shorter than those commonly...

Edson, along with Colonel Gerald Thomas, Vandegrift's operations officer, believed that the Japanese attack would come at a narrow, grassy, 1,000-yard-long, coral ridge that paralleled the Lunga River and was located just south of Henderson Field. On September 11, the 840 men of Edson's battalion deployed onto and around the ridge and prepared to defend it.^[12] This article is about the date September 11 in general. ...

Kawaguchi's Center Body of 3,000 troops began their attacks on Edson's 830 Marines on the ridge beginning on September 12 in what was later called the Battle of Edson's Ridge. After numerous frontal assaults by the Japanese that almost succeeded in overwhelming Edson's men, Kawaguchi's attack was repulsed with heavy losses for the Japanese, who retreated back into the jungle on September 14. Oka's assault in the west and the Kuma Battalion's assault in the east, were also repulsed by the U.S. Marines over the same two days. The Japanese suffered about 850 killed in the battle while the Marines suffered 104 killed. Kawaguchi's units were ordered to withdraw west to the Matanikau Valley to join with Oka's unit on the west side of the Lunga Perimeter. Most of Kawaguchi's men reached the Matanikau by September September 20.^[13] Portal:Currentevents September 12 is the 255th day of the year (256th in leap years). ... Combatants United States Australia Solomon Islands Empire of Japan Commanders Alexander Vandegrift Merritt A. Edson Harukichi Hyakutake Kiyotaki Kawaguchi Strength 12,500[1] 6,217[2] Casualties 96 killed[3] 800+ killed[4] The Battle of Edsons Ridge, also known as the Battle of the Bloody Ridge and Battle... September 14 is the 257th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (258th in leap years). ... September 20 is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years). ...

As the Japanese regrouped west of the Matanikau, the U.S. forces concentrated on shoring up and strengthening their Lunga defenses. On September 18, an Allied naval convoy delivered 4,157 men from the 3rd Provisional Marine Brigade (U.S. 7th Marine Regiment) to Guadalcanal. These reinforcements allowed Vandegrift, beginning on September 19, to establish an unbroken line of defense completely around the Lunga perimeter.^[14] September 18 is the 261st day of the year (262nd in leap years). ... Official force name 7th Marine Regiment Other names 7th Marines Motto No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy. ... September 19 is the 262nd day of the year (263rd in leap years). ...

The Japanese immediately began to prepare for their next attempt to recapture Henderson Field. The 3rd Battalion, 4th (Aoba) Infantry Regiment had landed at Kamimbo Bay on the western end of Guadalcanal on September 11, too late to join Kawaguchi's attack on the U.S. Marines. By now, though, the battalion had joined Oka's forces near the Matanikau. Tokyo Express runs on September 14, 20, 21, and 24 by eight destroyers brought food and ammunition, as well as 280 men from the 1st Battalion, Aoba Regiment, to Kamimbo on Guadalcanal.^[15] September 14 is the 257th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (258th in leap years). ... September 20 is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years). ... September 21 is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years). ... September 24 is the 267th day of the year (268th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

U.S. Marine Lieutenant General Vandegrift and his staff were aware that Kawaguchi's troops had retreated to the area west of the Matanikau and that numerous groups of Japanese stragglers were scattered throughout the area between the Lunga Perimeter and the Matanikau River. Since most of Vandegrift's units were involved in strengthening the Lunga perimeter, Vandegrift decided to conduct a series of small unit operations around the Matanikau Valley. The purpose of the operations was to "mop-up" the scattered groups of Japanese troops east of the Matanikau and to keep the main body of Japanese soldiers off-balance to prevent them from consolidating their positions so close to the main Marine defenses at Lunga Point. The first operation was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment under Lieutenant Colonel Chesty Puller with a start date of September 23.^[16] Lieutenant General Lewis Burwell Chesty Puller (June 26, 1898 – October 11, 1971) was a United States Marine mustang officer, notable as the most decorated Marine in history. ... September 23 is the 266th day of the year (267th in leap years). ...

Battle

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Aftermath

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References

Notes

Asahikawa (旭川市; -shi) is a city located in Kamikawa Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. ... Binomial name Ursus arctos Linnaeus, 1758 Ursus arctos range map. ...

Books

• Alexander, Joseph H. (2000). Edson's Raiders: The 1st Marine Raider Battalion in World War II. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-020-7.
• Frank, Richard (1990). Guadalcanal: The Definitive Account of the Landmark Battle. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-394-58875-4.
• Griffith, Samuel B. (1963). The Battle for Guadalcanal. Champaign, Illinois, USA: University of Illinois Press. ISBN 0-252-06891-2.
• Morison, Samuel Eliot (1958). The Struggle for Guadalcanal, August 1942 – February 1943, vol. 5 of History of United States Naval Operations in World War II. Boston: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 0-316-58305-7. Online views of selections of the book:[1]
• Rottman, Gordon L.; Dr. Duncan Anderson (consultant editor) (2005). Japanese Army in World War II: The South Pacific and New Guinea, 1942-43. Oxford and New York: Osprey. ISBN 1-84176-870-7.
• Smith, Michael T. (2000). Bloody Ridge: The Battle That Saved Guadalcanal. New York: Pocket. ISBN 0-7434-6321-8.
• Tregaskis, Richard (1943). Guadalcanal Diary. Random House. ISBN 0-679-64023-1.

Richard B. Frank (born 1947 in Kansas) is an American lawyer and military historian. ... RAdm Samuel Eliot Morison (1887-1976), USN historian Samuel Eliot Morison, RAdm, USNR (July 9, 1887 – May 15, 1976) was an American historian, notable for producing scholarly works that were both authoritative and highly readable, an ability recognized with two Pulitzer Prizes. ... The History of United States Naval Operations in World War II is a 15-volume account of the United States Navy in World War II, written by eminent historian Samuel Eliot Morison and published by Little, Brown and Company between 1947 and 1962. ... Little, Brown and Company is a publishing house established by Charles Coffin Little and his partner, James Brown. ... An official U.S. Marine Corps photograph of Richard Tregaskis (left) with Major General Alexander A. Vandegrift, ca. ... Guadalcanal Diary is a memoir written by war correspondent Richard Tregaskis. ...

Web

• Anderson, Charles R. (1993). GUADALCANAL (brochure). U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. Retrieved on 2006-07-09.
• Cagney, James (2005). The Battle for Guadalcanal (javascript). HistoryAnimated.com. Retrieved on 2006-05-17.- Interactive animation of the battle
• Chen, C. Peter (2004 - 2006). Guadalcanal Campaign. World War II Database. Retrieved on 2006-05-17.
• Flahavin, Peter (2004). Guadalcanal Battle Sites, 1942-2004. Retrieved on 2006-08-02.- Web site with many pictures of Guadalcanal battle sites from 1942 and how they look now.
• Hoffman, Jon T. (1995). Matanikau (brochure). FROM MAKIN TO BOUGAINVILLE: Marine Raiders in the Pacific War. Marine Corps Historical Center. Retrieved on 2006-12-28.
• Hough, Frank O.; Ludwig, Verle E., and Shaw, Henry I., Jr.. Pearl Harbor to Guadalcanal. History of U.S. Marine Corps Operations in World War II. Retrieved on 2006-05-16.
• Miller, John Jr. (1949). GUADALCANAL: THE FIRST OFFENSIVE. UNITED STATES ARMY IN WORLD WAR II. Retrieved on 2006-07-04.
• Shaw, Henry I. (1992). First Offensive: The Marine Campaign For Guadalcanal. Marines in World War II Commemorative Series. Retrieved on 2006-07-25.
• Zimmerman, John L. (1949). The Guadalcanal Campaign. Marines in World War II Historical Monograph. Retrieved on 2006-07-04.

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