Guadalcanal
The fires at Henderson field continue to burn. The recent raids are an enormous boost to Japanese morale.
Before dawn Geiger counts his planes, he has 3 bombers. 2 are made ready to take off, but both are damaged trying to take off when they hit unnoticed shell holes in the runway. 1 SBD does manage to take off, hits one of the transports and returns safely. That was the current striking power of the Cactus Air Force.
Having 2 torpedoes, but no torpedo bombers, a PBY was fitted with a homemade bomb release and was sent off to attack the transports. Dive bombers are sent along as a diversion. The PBY puts 1 torpedo into the side of 1 of the transports. Adm Fitch sends a flight of 11 B-17s from Espiritu Santo to bomb the transports, 1 is hit. By 1400 3 of the Japanese transports, Kyushu Maru, Sasako Maru, and Azumason Maru, are burning. Tanaka, fearing more American attacks, decides to move out his undamaged transports and destroyers and leave the burning ships until night when he will bring ships back and complete the unloading.
The Americans take stock. They have lost 3 dive bombers, 1 F4F and 2 P-39s. They have shot down 7 Zeros, the PBY had torpedoed a ship and the dive bombers had set another one on fire. During the afternoon, 3 twin-engined Douglas transports each bring 12 drums of gasoline. A fighter uses a third of one of those loads on 1 mission. 6 dive bombers arrive from Espiritu Santo ferried by fighter pilots. Geiger now has 10 SBDs, 4 P-39s, 3 P-400s and a handful of fighters. His biggest problem is still fuel.
The Japanese 17th Army issues tactical orders to the 2nd Division. The main body of division, in the vicinity of Kokumbona, is to deliver a surprise attack against southern flank of the American position. The attack date is tentatively set for October 18. While the main body of the 2nd Division, under Lt-Gen Masao Maruyama, pushes inland to reach its line of departure south of airfield, a force west of the Matanikau under Maj-Gen Tadashi Sumiyoshi, the 17th Army artillery commander, is to cover its rear, divert the Americans, and shell the Lunga airfields and artillery positions.
Sumiyoshi's coast force consists of 5 infantry battalions, about 2,900 men, 1 tank company, 15 150-mm howitzers, 3 100-mm guns and 7 field artillery pieces. The infantry units include the 4th Infantry and elements of the 4th, 7th and 21st Heavy Field Artillery Regiments, several mountain artillery and anti-aircraft artillery units and perhaps a part of the 124th Infantry.
Maruyama's force consists of 8 or 9 infantry battalions, about 5,600 men, plus engineer, artillery and medical troops. This force is divided into two wings. The right wing under Kawaguchi consists of 1 battalion of the 124th Infantry, 2 battalions of the 230th Infantry, parts of 3rd Light Trench Mortar Battalion, the 6th and 9th Independent Rapid Fire Gun Battalions, the 20th Independent Mountain Artillery, and engineers and medical troops. The left wing under Maj-Gen Yumio Nasu consists of the 29th Inf, the 3rd Light Trench Mortar Battalion, less detachments, a Rapid Fire Gun Battalion, a Mountain Artillery Battalion, and engineers. In reserve is the 16th Infantry and additional engineer units. This wing is to attack northward under cover of darkness from east of the Lunga with goals of capturing the airfield and destroying American forces east of the Lunga. Nasu's left wing is to attack northward from a point between Kawaguchi and the Lunga River. Supremely confident that these forces could retake Lunga Point, Hyakutake leaves the main body of the 38th Division at Rabaul and in the northern Solomons in readiness for operations in New Guinea.
The tug Vireo, the destroyer Meredith and a big gasoline barge are moving slowly toward Guadalcanal even after the transports with other supplies had turned back. The convoy is spotted by a Japanese search plane in the morning and just before noon 2 bombers attack as the convoy is just 75 miles from destination. Meredith's captain decides to continue but is informed a few minutes later that there are 2 Japanese warships in area. He wants to reverse course but the Vireo is damaged and can not keep up. He orders the crew to board the destroyer and prepares to sink the tug. A flight of 27 planes from the Japanese carrier Zuikaku attacks and in 5 minutes sinks the Meredith with bombs and torpedoes. The men of the Meredith take to life rafts and some in the water cling to the rafts. There is serious danger of shark attacks. Over hundreds of years, Melanesians had disposed of their dead by setting them afloat at sea, and generations of sharks had acquired taste for human flesh. In the end only 88 of 275 men aboard Meredith survive.
During the night the Japanese cruisers Myoko and Maya visit Guadalcanal and pour 1,500 8-inch shells into Henderson Field.
Adm Ghormley sends Nimitz a situation report, copied to Adm King. The situation is critical, aviation gas on Guadalcanal is low, enemy surface forces are attacking at hight with heavy bombardment, shore-based aircraft contingent has been reduced to a critically low number, enemy striking forces of unknown composition are forming south of Truk, and enemy ground forces are infiltrating into Guadalcanal. If the Japanese make a determined effort, Ghormley feels he can not stop them. Nimitz had received desperate messages also from Fitch and Vandegrift, but he expects them all to somehow hold on until help can arrive. Ghormley has had his confidence shaken, and Nimitz decides to relieve him. He will be replaced by Adm Halsey.
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