Posted: Oct 15, 2017 10:25 am
Had not really understood the critical hinge point Guadacanal was for both sides.....and what a horror ....
Very engaging and immensely detailed but still moves along reflecting the absolutely insane escalating carnage as both sides threw more and more men and materiele into the contest.
Some of the descriptions of naval bombardment of Henderson Field are astonishing ...how those engineers and pilots kept functioning is just legendary.
The author has clearly drawn on Japanese sources as well ....the horrendous terrain and stubborn defence by Marines and later Guardsmen was a huge wake up call to the arrogant stance the Japanese previously held.
Malaria and dengue fever took huge tolls with 160% of the US force experiencing malaria ....ergo multiple times for many.
Weight loss was astonishing yet some of the feats of individual military prowess are hard beleive......Chesty Puller notably....the description here doesn't come close to what he pulled off at Guadacanal.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chesty_Puller
He also nominated this guy for a well deserved Medal of Honour....talk about battle frenzy ....
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Basilone
The details of that 2 day battle are just unreal.
Running through enemy fire with 6 x 14 lb belts of machine gun ammo AND spare barrels weighing 50lb. I'm not much on war as dispute solving mechanism but there is awe in what some men rise to in the heat of battle.
Basilone had practiced assembling his machine guns blindfolded and it paid off as he turned two damaged guns into a functioning one in pitch black while under attack....these are 50 cal guns.....serious weapons.
Very engaging and immensely detailed but still moves along reflecting the absolutely insane escalating carnage as both sides threw more and more men and materiele into the contest.
Some of the descriptions of naval bombardment of Henderson Field are astonishing ...how those engineers and pilots kept functioning is just legendary.
The author has clearly drawn on Japanese sources as well ....the horrendous terrain and stubborn defence by Marines and later Guardsmen was a huge wake up call to the arrogant stance the Japanese previously held.
Malaria and dengue fever took huge tolls with 160% of the US force experiencing malaria ....ergo multiple times for many.
Weight loss was astonishing yet some of the feats of individual military prowess are hard beleive......Chesty Puller notably....the description here doesn't come close to what he pulled off at Guadacanal.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chesty_Puller
He also nominated this guy for a well deserved Medal of Honour....talk about battle frenzy ....
In October 1942, during the Battle for Henderson Field, his unit came under attack by a regiment of approximately 3,000 soldiers from the Japanese Sendai Division. On October 24, Japanese forces began a frontal attack using machine guns, grenades, and mortars against the American heavy machine guns. Basilone commanded two sections of machine guns that fought for the next two days until only Basilone and two other Marines were left standing.[9][10] Basilone moved an extra gun into position and maintained continual fire against the incoming Japanese forces. He then repaired and manned another machine gun, holding the defensive line until replacements arrived. As the battle went on, ammunition became critically low. Despite their supply lines having been cut off by enemies in the rear, Basilone fought through hostile ground to resupply his heavy machine gunners with urgently needed ammunition. When the last of it ran out shortly before dawn on the second day, Basilone held off the Japanese soldiers attacking his position using his pistol and a machete. By the end of the engagement, Japanese forces opposite their section of the line were virtually annihilated. For his actions during the battle, he received the United States military's highest award for valor, the Medal of Honor.[11]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Basilone
The details of that 2 day battle are just unreal.
Basilone commanded two sections of machine guns that fought for the next two days until only Basilone and two other Marines were left standing.
Running through enemy fire with 6 x 14 lb belts of machine gun ammo AND spare barrels weighing 50lb. I'm not much on war as dispute solving mechanism but there is awe in what some men rise to in the heat of battle.
Basilone had practiced assembling his machine guns blindfolded and it paid off as he turned two damaged guns into a functioning one in pitch black while under attack....these are 50 cal guns.....serious weapons.