Guadalcanal 72 Years On

[kham]

est J. recon spots Hornet TF S. of 'canal! Nagumo is 600 miles to the N., refueling, so he can't do anything about it.

After today, IJN recon doesn't spot USN CVs for a long time. Each day after this, with USN CVs unlocated, Yamamoto and Nagumo get more worried about their location. IJN is keeping track of BB Washington and escorts who are patrolling around Rennel and San Cristobal.

They're ready to intercept an IJN surface force near 'canal. They're out of range of J. bombers.

[kham]

Transport planes deliver AvGas all day long.

est 2 USN DDs bombard J. positions W. of H. Tomorrow as well

APD MacFarland delivers 40,000 gallons AvGas. Also has 12 torpedoes and lots of 37mm ammo. 9 Vals left Buin earlier today to bomb Hornet. They didn't find her. On the way back, the Vals fly over 'canal, approaching H. from the S. An unexpected direction - they have surprise. The 9 Val dive bombers attack MacFarland!

Joe Bauer is leading a flight of F4Fx18 (or 12) from Espritu Santo to 'canal. A long trip that F4Fs often won't risk. When they arrive they have very little fuel left. The F4Fs show up just when the Vals are diving on Macfarland. On fumes, Bauer shoots down 4 Vals in a few seconds! Mac's AA gets another. A Bomb hit on Macfarland kills 27. About half the AvGas burns up due to the attack.

With the new squadron arriving, worn out fighter pilots leave.

[kham]

IJA quiet all day long, no attacks. H. gets message from HYPO that Rabaul will send two big airstrikes on the 17th. Bombers from CV Hiyo, Junyo moved to Buin (the CVs are refueling so IJN wants to be clever and get extra usage from the bombers) They'll attack H. tomorrow morning. Morning attacks are rare so IJN expect this to be a surprise. No IJN bombardment of H. tonight - they're looking for Hornet.

[kham]

est 1st Lt. Frank Holmes is flying dawn patrol in his P-400. He sees something odd on the beaches W. of H. Tarpaulins - poorly disguising supplies from the Oct 15 convoy! Not much later - DD Lardner, Aaron Ward bombard those supplies on the beach. They blow up an ammo dump! They blast away for 3 1/2 hours - 1,900 rounds!

18 Vals, 18 Zeros (from Buin) try to attack DDs Lardner and Ward. Due to yesterday's Hypo warning, there are 18 F4Fs ready and waiting. Massacre in the Sky! 6 Vals, 4 Zeros shot down for 1 F4F. The F4F pilot is saved. No damage to the DDs.

est Maruyama trail - day 2 Something Maruyama is counting on that Kawaguchi didn't have last month. Artillery! This is probably what they're taking on the trail - a very lightweight howitzer. It can be broken down into 5 pieces. With every soldier carrying either a component or a shell, they probably have thousands of rounds for pounding Marine defenses. At almost 100 pounds a piece, it's very hard for 1 man to carry a piece up steep hills on a mud trail. They're at the part of the trail where it becomes (and stays) so narrow that all must proceed single file.

est 3 SBDs fly over that area of the beach with the "hidden" supplies and spot targets for the DDs. Between the DDs, P39/400s and 6 B-17s from Espiritu Santo those supplies are pretty much gone. The B-17s finally get a chance to attack a target that doesn't run away. They're devastating. Many fires and secondary explosions are seen.

[kham]

Bauer is teaching fighter class to lesser pilots (that would be all of them)

That's not gallows humor. The F4F has more firepower, can dive faster, lots of armor...Bauer will teach them how to exploit those strong points.

Secretary of the Navy Knox on Guadalcanal: "Everybody hopes we can hold on" The attrition warfare is burning up both sides' resources faster than they can be replaced. This is what Japan wanted to avoid. Losses at 'canal can't be used to build up their defensive line.

[kham]

est Nimitz has more authority now in relation to 'canal. He starts exploiting it. He has authority to take aircraft away from any Pacific base to reinforce 'canal. He starts by diverting Army fighters and bombers to Adm. Fitch at Espiritu Santo. He diverts Fleet submarines to the 'canal area. (from Truk?) He asks Fitch and MacArthur to target Combined Fleet's (the main IJN force) oilers. The Army's best division in the Pacific, the 25th, is transferred from Oahu to SoPac. (with 'canal in mind)

Halsey arrives in Noumea. Finds out he's going to replace Ghormley. "Jesus Christ and General Jackson! This is the hottest potato they ever handed me!"

est Lt. Mester and gunner Forwood recon Rekata Bay in their SBD. Mester sees a float plane taking off - he shoots it down. 5 other planes swarm him! Shot up, he crashes off the coast of Santa Isabel. Natives drop Mester/Forwood off with coastwatcher Kuper. No quick rescue - H. is still recovering from the BB bombardment. Forwood is wounded - Kuper will operate! He's not a doctor but he *is* a NMP. Native Medical Practioner. (Kuper was born in the Solomons) Has had lots of practice working on the natives. (one reason his network is so big and loyal) Kuper operates on Forwood's leg and arm. He pops out 1 bullet after another. Forwood: "Say, he's got another bullet out!" Mester: "You must be getting lighter."

[kham]

est A BIG TE express to Tassafaronga. CAx3, DDx13! (must be worried about an interception) DDx5 peel off and pay H. a visit. Deliver a 10 minutes bombardment of Fighter One by DDx5. No effect but, they *did* target Fighter one! Due to the bombardment, Geiger decides not to risk sending bombers after the TE on a night attack.

Gen. Hyakutake is happy (about the delivery?). He tells Yamamoto he expects to capture H. on Oct 20.

[kham]

On the Maruyama Trail - day 3. They're marching up to 16 hours a day. The steep hills and cliffs are too much to handle. One artillery piece after another is abandoned at the side of the trail. Also abandoned alongside the trail... the sick. Maruyama radios back - the attack must be postponed. Attack on H. is now scheduled for Oct 22. The date is critical because there *must* be a diversionary attack across the Matanikau a few hours before the main attack. IJA needs to divert Marine artillery and reserves away from their main attack.

AvGas is still a problem. Fitch puts 175 barrels on 2 minelayers and sends them to H. IJA's harassing artillery drives Geiger to order the construction of another airfield further East - out of arty range.

[kham]

Puller's Marines wait for the 164th (Army) to go to church. Then they loot their supplies. Oorah!

A delegation of natives appeal to Father/Coastwatcher/Warlord De Klerk to lead them in battle against the J. They're willing to fight but don't have modern weapons or know how to use them. The local J. have *completely* worn out their welcome! De Klerk agrees. He will take 20 men and wipe out the 9 man J. outpost at Cape Hunter*. (on 'canal's SW coast) The locals are so enthusiastic they wind up destroying the outpost before De Klerk even gets there! 8 J. killed, the 9th flees into the jungle and is never heard of again.

[kham]

est At 'canal they find out Halsey is ComSoPac.
"One minute we were too limp with malaria to crawl out of our foxholes; the next, we were running around whooping like kids."

Here's the *famous* Halsey billboard
That one is on Tulagi. I don't know when it first appeared and if there were more like it.

est Halsey meets V. at Noumea. Halsey: I'll promise you everything I've got

est LOOK AT THAT! There's barge full of AvGas just floating around near 'canal! The US finally notices the abandoned tug Vireo and its barge of AvGas and bombs It's towed to Lunga. The 6 survivors are also rescued