Landing on Disputed Ground

On the morning of November 12, 1942, after several days at sea from New Caledonia, the convoy bearing the soldiers of the 182nd Infantry arrived at Lunga Point off the shores of Guadalcanal, and began to unload at Kukum Beach. The photo at right is taken in November, 1942, but it is unclear whether or not this is the 182nd Infantry landing.

In the background, the terrain of Guadalcanal can be seen clearly. Hugging the coastline are neat rows of coconut groves from pre-war plantations. Inland, flat coastal plains give way to steep hills and soaring mountain peaks. Henderson Field, the key objective of the campaign (captured early on by the Marines) can be seen at right.

Safely Ashore

The men of the 182nd arrived safely at Guadalcanal, and immediately began unloading and organizing supplies on the beach. The photo at right shows soldiers (possibly of Company L, judging by the label on the soldier's duffel bag) in process of unloading.

Japanese Aerial Attack

It was only a matter of hours before the stark reality of war hit the men of Company G, as they were moving supplies on the beach. A swarm of Japanese fighters and bombers appeared in the sky, taking aim at the convoy the soldiers had just left.

At right, in a photo taken from the transport USS President Adams,  smoke rises from Japanese aircraft shot out of the sky.

The Convoy Escapes to Sea

The Japanese aerial attack was blasted out of the sky by American land, sea, and air defenses. Men of the 182nd even claimed to have shot down a plane. In this photo, the transport USS President Jackson can be seen maneuvering to sea. The cruiser USS San Francisco lurks in the background. The air is full of flak bursts and smoke.

The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal

Despite victory in the air on November 12, a far more dangerous foe was advancing towards the American positions on Guadalcanal. A huge Japanese task force, full of reinforcement troops, and led by two powerful battleships, arrived in the vicinity of Guadalcanal that evening.Tremendous naval action transpired over the next 3 days and nights, including short range combat between battleships from both sides. Despite tremendous losses, American forces were able to turn back the Japanese reinforcements, and sink their two battleships, in the waters that came to be known as Iron Bottom Sound. The American position on Guadalcanal was at last firmly established.

The photo at right is possibly a shot of the battleship USS Washington engaged in night action during this ferocious battle. Soldiers of the 182nd observed these awe inspiring night exchanges, noting that the sky looked like the Fourth of July. Additional photos and paintings of the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal can be found at Navsource.

Into the Hills

After a few days on the coast of Guadalcanal, on November 18, the 182nd Infantry began the trek into the inland hills. The march in the steep, overgrown terrain was difficult, and the soldiers were not used to the tropical conditions. Ed Monahan served as the lead scout for the march. They finally established defensive positions atop Hill 66, seen here just to the left of center in this photo.

First Casualties

After establishing positions on Hill 66, Company G sent out a detail to fill canteens at a water hole. This detail was ambushed by a sizeable Japanese force. The first day of combat was a brutal one for the company. Five men were wounded, and two were reported Missing in Action. It was later confirmed that both men (2nd Lieutenant James Crowley and Private Lloyd Williams) had been killed.

Face to Face with the Enemy

It quickly became apparent that the Japanese were entrenched ahead of the 182nd, and would defend their ground stubbornly. Advances were rebuffed with casualties. By late November, the lines had become fixed and a stalemate ensued. But the Japanese forces on the island were cut off, both from reinforcements, and more importantly from resupply. They were slowly starving to death.

This map overlay shows the position of Company G and other units from the 182nd. Items marked in red are the estimated positions of the enemy. Map overlays were sketched on semi-transparent paper, which could then be lined up with a map, using the numbered cross mark to align it properly.

Combat Message

Field radios were still in their infancy in the early part of the war, and telephone wire strung between outposts was still a common manner of communication. The army travelled with tons of paper and forms, both to disseminate orders, and to record events. This memo, dated November 26, reminds officers of the 182nd that their men out on patrol had a critical responsibility to accurately report observations of enemy activity.

Christmas on Guadalcanal

Army food was generally pre-packaged items such as K Rations, but on holidays, the men frequently ate like kings. These photos of Company G men indicate that the man in the white tank top is Chick Weldon, while one of the others is named Brunelli. That holiday season, Father Laurence Brock wrote home to the people of the Boston area, to let them know what a great holiday meal the men of the 182nd had enjoyed.

The Final Push

By early 1943, American forces had developed a plan to drive overland, westwards towards Cape Esperance. Allied forces had established control of the sea and air around the island, and this final campaign was designed to crush the remaining Japanese forces on the island. But the Americans were unaware that the Japanese were simultaneously planning a secret, organized retreat towards Cape Esperance, with a stealthy evacuation by sea. The Americans pushed west, while the Japanese slowly retreated.

In this post-war Army map, the various units involved in the westward advance are labeled in blue. The 182nd Infantry Regiment can be seen towards the center of the offensive. It was reported that tension arose between the 182nd Infantry and the 5th Marines advancing on their left, over the rate of the 182nd's advance. This map seems to indicate a steady rate of advance for the 182nd, in fact much more rapid than the 6th Marines closer to the beach. A more rapid advance may have opened a dangerous gap in their lines.

Ahead of the 182nd lay steep very terrain behind Hill 90. To the east, Hill 66, site of earlier positions of the 182nd, can be seen. The Water Hole where Company G was ambushed is at the base of the southernmost clear tip of Hill 66, not marked on this map.

Driving the Japanese Out

In this photo, an unidentified Army unit marches on Guadalcanal, on January 30, 1943. During this final phase of the campaign, the 182nd Infantry was attached to the First Marine Division, in a unit known as the "CAM" (Combined Army and Marine) Division.

By early February, the Allied offensive reached Cape Esperance. Unfortunately, thousands of Japanese troops had been safely evacuated, to fight another day. But Guadalcanal was at last secure. The men who served with the 182nd while it was attached to the First Marine Division were later authorized to wear the presitigious Presidential Unit Citation.

Some Time for Fun

Life on Guadalcanal was generally difficult, and much of the time was spent in foxholes on the lines. But behind the lines, there was time for fun and relaxtion. In this photo from Tony Dziuszko, soldiers of what is presumably Company G eagerly await the finished product of their homemade still.

The Price of Victory

Guadalcanal had been a long, difficult struggle, but it proved the turning point of the war in the Pacific. Five men from Company G were killed during their time on the island, and many others wounded. In addition to combat casualties, disease took a terrible toll on soldiers on Guadalcanal. In this cemetery photo, the graves of two soldiers killed in action can be seen at far left. 2nd Lieutenant James Crowley's grave is enclosed in a small fence, while the marker for Private First Class Marion Carawan can just be made out at the far left edge of the photo.

The soldiers on the island repeatedly took the time to memorialize and remember their lost friends. On New Year's Eve, 1942, a huge memorial service was held at this cemetery, with coverage by Life Magazine. The photos from that event can be seen here. Ed Monahan, renowned for his singing, was the soloist at the event, and can be seen in this photo, at far right. He can be identified by the feature that others in the unit teased him about - his faded hairline. The man standing just to the right of the loudspeaker appears to be Father Brock. Close inspection of the altar shows that many of the items were made from battlefield supplies - including a cross made of artillery shells.