Guadalcanal
From the division reserve, the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, moves to south edge of airfield during the afternoon to be able to help the provisional Raider-Parachute Battalion the next morning. One battery, the 5th Battalion, 11th Marines, is assigned to provide direct support to the ridge area. On the ridge, 2 companies of paratroopers hold the eastern spur of the center knoll, with their left flank uncovered. B Company of the Raiders holds the center of knoll on right of the paratroopers. A Company is on the right between the ridge and Lunga River. C Company is the battalion reserve.
Enemy aircraft attack throughout the day, hitting both Henderson Field and the positions next to the ridge.
Shortly after nightfall at least 2 battalions of the Kawaguchi Force attack. The main body attacks north against the center of the ridge while one force cuts through the jungle west of the ridge and isolates the right platoon of B Company of the Raiders and cuts off A Company. The platoon from B Company fights its way back 250 yards to the rear to join the battalion reserve on the northernmost knoll. The Japanese exploit the gap between the raider companies and the pioneer companies by moving strong groups in. The registered battery of the 5th Battalion, 11th Marines, opens fire on the enemy about 2100 followed shortly by 2 more batteries firing over the head of marines on the ridge. The Japanese put heavy mortar fire on paratroopers' positions on B Company's left. Japanese infantry storm the paratroopers' lines at 2230 and drive them back off their eastern spur. B Company is now exposed on 3 sides. Col Edson withdraws B Company from its exposed postion and rallies his forces on the northern knoll of Bloody Ridge, which is the line of the battalion reserve. Using C Company as a nucleus, the lines are successfully re-established on the last knoll in front of the airfield and the division command post. The Japanese continue attacking uphill against artillery, mortar, machine-gun, rifle fire and grenades. As at the Ilu they fail to break through the last lines. During the night different units of the Kawaguchi Force attack about 12 times but never break through.
Around midnight a second unit of the Kawaguchi Force attacks west against the right flank of 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, on the Ilu. A force in the strength of about 2 companies attacks against the front of the right flank unit, but fail to penetrate. A fire fight develops which lasts most of the night, but the marines' positions are never seriously in jeopardy.
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