Mount Austen

Mount Austen is composed of a cluster of hills in a jungle area known as “The Gifu”. U.S. Command has decided that taking Mount Austen is a critical step in the elimination of all Japanese forces from Guadalcanal due to …

1942-12-15

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Mount Austen is composed of a cluster of hills in a jungle area known as “The Gifu”. U.S. Command has decided that taking Mount Austen is a critical step in the elimination of all Japanese forces from Guadalcanal due to its dominance over the surrounding area and its importance as a Japanese observation post for operations at Lunga. December 1942 - The Japanese conduct night infiltration raids against Henderson Field. On December 15, a team led by Lieutenant Oho sneak through American lines and destroy several P-39 fighters, culminating in General Patch commanding soldiers of the US Army’s 132nd Infantry Regiment to seize Mount Austen as quickly as possible.

Guadalcanal

The Battle of Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea Horse, part of which is sometimes called the Battle of the Gifu, took place from 15 December 1942 to 23 January 1943 and was primarily an engagement between United States and Imperial Japanese forces in the hills near the Matanikau River area on Guadalcanal during the Guadalcanal Campaign. The U.S. forces were under the overall command of Alexander Patch and the Japanese forces were under the overall command of Harukichi Hyakutake. In the battle, U.S. soldiers and Marines, assisted by native Solomon Islanders, attacked Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) forces defending well-fortified and entrenched positions on several hills and ridges. The most prominent hills were called Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea Horse by the Americans. The U.S. was attempting to destroy the Japanese forces on Guadalcanal and the Japanese were trying to hold their defensive positions until reinforcements could arrive. Both sides experienced extreme difficulties in fighting in the thick jungles and tropical environment of the battle area. Many of the American troops were also involved in their first combat operations. The Japanese were mostly cut off from resupply and suffered greatly from malnourishment and lack of medical care. After some difficulty, the U.S. succeeded in taking Mount Austen, in the process reducing a strongly defended position called the Gifu, as well as the Galloping Horse and the Sea Horse.

Wikipedia: Battle of Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea Horse

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American