Slopes of Mount Austen

At the close of the year, Major General Millard Harmon, commanding U.S. Army Forces in the South Pacific concluded that Mount Austen, the high ground that dominated American positions around Henderson Field, had to be taken in order to secure …

1943-01-22

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At the close of the year, Major General Millard Harmon, commanding U.S. Army Forces in the South Pacific concluded that Mount Austen, the high ground that dominated American positions around Henderson Field, had to be taken in order to secure the airfield. It was rugged terrain and the Japanese were deployed across a number of strong points and connected pillboxes with prepared fields of fire. In a series of attacks over the open hills of 'Galloping Horse', the 'WolfHounds' of the 27th Infantry made spectacular progress towards their objectives. For its part, 'Cacti', the division's 35th Infantry, slogged through deep canyons and solid jungle in a push to relieve the 132nd Infantry at 'Gifu' and capture the hill formation known as 'Sea Horse'. Eventually they successfully reduced the last pocket of Japanese Resistance east of the Matanikau River.

Mount Austen, Guadalcanal

The Guadalcanal campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by American forces, was a military campaign fought between 7 August 1942 and 9 February 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific theater of World War II. It was the first major land offensive by Allied forces against the Empire of Japan. On 7 August 1942, Allied forces, predominantly United States Marines, landed on Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and Florida in the southern Solomon Islands, with the objective of using Guadalcanal and Tulagi as bases in supporting a campaign to eventually capture or neutralize the major Japanese base at Rabaul on New Britain. The Japanese defenders, who had occupied those islands since May 1942, were outnumbered and overwhelmed by the Allies, who captured Tulagi and Florida, as well as the airfield, later named Henderson Field, that was under construction on Guadalcanal. Surprised by the Allied offensive, the Japanese made several attempts between August and November to retake Henderson Field. Three major land battles, seven large naval battles (five nighttime surface actions and two carrier battles), and almost daily aerial battles culminated in the decisive Naval Battle of Guadalcanal in early November, with the defeat of the last Japanese attempt to bombard Henderson Field from the sea and to land enough troops to retake it. In December, the Japanese abandoned their efforts to retake Guadalcanal, and evacuated their remaining forces by 7 February 1943, in the face of an offensive by the U.S. Army's XIV Corps, with the Battle of Rennell Island, the last major naval engagement, serving to secure protection for the Japanese troops to evacuate safely.

Wikipedia: Guadalcanal campaign

Japanese

American

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