Guadalcanal
Gen Maruyama's 2nd Div, 17th Army, has been marching for 10 days but have only gone a little over 10 miles. The terrain they are up against is the biggest issue, but late in the morning they finally cross the Lunga River and move into position in the dark jungles east of the Lunga and south of Bloody Ridge and are ready to launch the attack. On the left (west), the 29th Infantry, with the 16th in reserve, prepare to attack on a narrow front, while the Kawaguchi Force, now commanded by Col Toshinari Shoji, prepares to attack farther east. Machine guns are the heaviest weapons for supporting the infantry as all other guns and mortars have been abandoned on the march.
Col Chesty Puller has disposed the 1st Bn, 7th Marines, along a wide U-shaped line on the south side of Henderson Field with Bloody Ridge well enclosed in the perimeter. The marines are dug in along the edge of the jungle and the west bank of the Tenaru River. The Army's 164th Regt is posted at the end of river line with 1 battalion in reserve. During the past week the area has been well prepared for defense.
At midmorning outposts see signs of Japanese activity. Gen Nasu's left flanking troops arrive at the jumpoff point, but are waiting ro Gen Kawaguchi's right flank force to come up. Nasu waits all day for the Kawaguchi troops, but they do not come. His scouts report the thinnest part of American line is located at the point where the jungle meets the grassy field. Nasu selects this point for a frontal assault. Without Kawaguchi the pronged drive is out of the question. Nasu launches his attack at 2130 in a driving rainstorm. The marines on the hill give warning, fight to hold, then fall back as the entire position is overrun by Japanese troops rushing into the marine line. The point of attack is the corner, called by marines the Coffin Corner, where the lines emerged into the grass from the jungle. The Japanese charge with bayonets, grenades, and samurai swords. The marines aim machine guns and rifles and mow them down as they came. 1 Japanese company-sized unit manages to get through the lines behind the marines to the edge of Henderson Field. The colonel who leads them sends the premature message that Henderson Field is in Japanese hands. Gen Maruyama passes this message to Gen Hyukatake who passes it on to Yamamoto.
This misinformation about the capture of Henderson Field causes Yamamoto to put the fleet in motion. The 8th Fleet is to move down to a point 150 miles northwest of Guadalcanal and the 2nd Fleet is to move to a point equidistant from the island on the northeast. Meanwhile Rear-Adm Tamotsu Takama's Destroyer Squadron 4 is to advance to Guadalcanal to support Gen Maruyama's troops with gunfire when necessary.
During night the Japanese carriers and their attending ships refuel, when Nagumo gets a report that an American carrier scout plane has been destroyed. Nagumo turns his force and heads due north.
Troops on the right flank of the 2nd Battalion, 164th Infantry, open fire to assist the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines. Division headquarters orders the 3rd Battalion, 164th Infantry, the regimental reserve under Lt-Col Robert K. Hall, to proceed to the front to reinforce the Marine battalion by detachments. Col Puller keeps plugging holes as they develop with small units from the reserve battalion. The Division reserve is not committed. By 0200 the battalion is on the move toward the front. They arrive between 0230 and 0330 and because the night is so dark they have to be led into position almost by hand. The 2 battalions, did not defend separate sectors, but are intermingled.
Some of the American postions are overrun but the attackers are immediately destroyed by Puller's forces. The 11th Marines maintain fire in front of the threatened sector throughout the engagement. Japanese attacks continue throughout the night, but each charge is beaten back by the concentrated fire of small arms, heavy weapons and artillery. The rifles companies are supported by the weapons of M Company, the heavy machine-gun section of H Company and the 37-mm antitank guns of 164th Infantry. Maruyama withdraws his troops to regroup and prepare for another assault.
The Japanese attack, are driven off, fall back, reform and attack again. There are six attacks all together. At some time during the night Gen Nasu personally leads an attack and goes down with his men. Finally the Japanese retreat. About 1,000 Japanese bodies are in front of marine lines.
|