Marine Patrol Crossing Lunga River, Guadalcanal, circa 1942. “1775-1943, November 10, the 168th Birthday of the United States Marine Corps: These photos depict some of the events in the history of the Marine Corps during the past year. MARINES ON THE MARCH--- Through jungle thickets, swamps and burning sands, the fighting Leathernecks march on to their goals. With rifle and full packs, on day and nights of endless marching it is plain to see why they are called the toughest fighting men in this world."[A] picture taken by me personally. It is a patrol crossing the Lunga river upstream a way and this was quite a bit later in the campaign." Source: From the Thayer Soule Collection (COLL/2266) at the Archives Branch, Marine Corps History Division. OFFICIAL USMC PHOTOGRAPH. Click to enlarge.

The Battle of Guadalcanal and subsequent victory was a pivotal campaign and turning point for the war in the Pacific theater. The battle lasted from 7 August 1942 to 9 February 1943. The objective of the Allied forces, primarily made up of United States Marines, was to capture the islands of Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and Florida in the southern Solomon Islands. The focus was to utilize the islands as bases for subsequent offensive campaigns to neutralize the major Japanese stronghold in Rabaul on New Britain. The Japanese had been occupying these islands since May 1942.

The Allies employed a surprise offensive on the Japanese defenders, who were greatly outnumbered. The attacking forces managed to capture Tulagi and Florida Island, as well as the airfield which later came to be known as Henderson Field, on Guadalcanal. The airfield was under construction by the Japanese and constituted the primary target of the Allied attackers.

The Japanese attempted several counter-attacks aimed at retaking Henderson Field between August and November. This led to three major land battles, seven large naval battles, and almost daily aerial battles, which ultimately culminated in the decisive Naval Battle of Guadalcanal in early November. During the naval battle, the Japanese made their final attempt to bombard Henderson Field from the sea and land enough troops to retake it. However, their efforts were thwarted, and the Allies emerged victorious.

Evacuating a Wounded Marine, Guadalcanal, circa 1942. “JAP SNIPER VICTIM BROUGHT SAFELY IN----These four Marines are pictured carrying in their wounded comrade while under heavy sniper fire. As calmly as they would walk on their village green, these Marine Devildogs carry their buddy to safety somewhere on Guadalcanal. Bringing in the wounded. That always required a lot of personnel. A lot of effort." From the Thayer Soule Collection (COLL/2266) at the Archives Branch, Marine Corps History Division. OFFICIAL USMC PHOTOGRAPH. Click to enlarge.

By December, the Japanese were forced to abandon their efforts to retake Guadalcanal and evacuated their remaining forces by February 7, 1943. The U.S. Army's XIV Corps launched an offensive in February, paving the way for a safe exit of the remaining Japanese forces, with the Battle of Rennell Island being the last major naval engagement in the campaign.

The Guadalcanal campaign marked a significant turning point in the Pacific theater. It was the first offensive by the Allies in the area following successful defensive battles, including the Battle of the Coral Sea and the Battle of Midway in May and June of 1942. The campaign allowed the Allies to seize the strategic initiative from the Japanese after the battles at Milne Bay and Buna-Gona. It paved the way for the Solomon Islands campaign, New Guinea campaign, Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign, Mariana and Palau Islands campaign, Philippines campaign, and the Volcano and Ryukyu Islands campaign before the eventual surrender of Japan in August 1945.

After the Japanese withdrawal, Guadalcanal and Tulagi became major bases for the Allied forces. Two additional fighter runways were constructed at Lunga Point, and a bomber airfield was built at Koli Point. The Anchorage around Tulagi served as an important forward base for Allied warships and transport ships which supported further campaigns.

Marines Leaving Guadalcanal, circa 1942. “FAREWELL TO GUADALCANAL--- By truck and afoot, U. S. Marines leave Guadalcanal after months of bitter fighting for that South Pacific Island. These men participated in the first landings and were among the last to leave after the U.S. Army took over and completed the American occupation of the island. A group going down ready to leave and they look very happy about it." From the Thayer Soule Collection (COLL/2266) at the Archives Branch, Marine Corps History Division. OFFICIAL USMC PHOTOGRAPHClick to enlarge.

The pressure to reinforce Guadalcanal weakened Japanese efforts in other theaters contributing to successful counteroffensives by Australia and America in New Guinea, culminating in the capture of the key bases at Buna and Gona in early 1943. The Allies gained strategic initiative which they never relinquished. The successful neutralization of Rabaul and the forces centered there greatly facilitated the South West Pacific campaign under MacArthur and Central Pacific island-hopping campaign under Nimitz, with both efforts advancing successfully toward Japan. The remaining Japanese defenses in the South Pacific Area were either destroyed or bypassed by the United States as the war progressed.

In the History of U.S. Marine Corps Operations in World War II: Pearl Harbor to Guadalcanal and the battle's final period, the writers note of the far-reaching importance of this first victory: "Guadalcanal was the primer of ocean and jungle war. It was everything the United States could do at that moment against everything the Japanese could manage at that place. From this the Americans learned that they could beat the enemy, and they never stopped doing it. The headlines from Guadalcanal did more for home front morale than did the fast carrier raids of 1942's winter and early spring, for at last Americans had come to grips with the enemy; and the outcome of this fighting added in the bargain a boost to the spirit of the Pacific fighting man. The benefits from official and unofficial circulation of lessons learned there by the Army, Navy, and Marines were many and far-reaching." (Hough and Ludwig 1993, 371-372) - Scott Lyons, Ed.

Suggested readings:

Bartsch, William H. Victory Fever on Guadalcanal: Japan's First Land Defeat of WWII. Texas A&M University Press College Station, 2014.

Hough, Frank O., and Verle E. Ludwig. History of U.S. Marine Corps Operations in World War II: Pearl Harbor to Guadalcanal. Nashville: The Battery Press Inc., 1993.

Frank, Richard. Guadalcanal: The Definitive Account of the Landmark Battle. Penguin Books, 1990.

Multimedia: Video, Web, and Photo
Photo album: U.S. Marines on Guadalcanal |  Photo Album: Marine Fighter Squadron VMF-124 on Guadalcanal  |  All 25 US Marine Corps WWII photo albums

Video: Historian Richard Frank "Guadalcanal: The First Offensive"

Notable websites: National WWII Museum: Battle of Guadalcanal  |  Imbiblio.org: First Offensive: The Marine Campaign for Guadalcanal