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5. Guadalcanal, Their Finest Hour
- University Press of Mississippi
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5 ] Guadalcanal, Their Finest Hour At 0740 hours,August7,the eager men of Gen. Alexander A. Vandegrift's ist Marine Division went ashore on the north coast of Guadalcanal and onto the smaller islands of Tulagi, Gavutu, and Tanambogo. Twonaval task forces and other naval units gave their support. The ist Raider Battalion, under Lt. Col. Merritt A. Edson, reinforcedby the 2nd Battalion of the 5th Marines, landed on Tulagi. The ist Parachute Battalion landed on Gavutu.Gen. Vandegrift was in personal command of the forces landing on Guadalcanalwhile the assistant division commander, B. Gen. William H. Rupertus,was in general command of the landings on the smaller islands. There was light resistance when the bulk of the division took part in the Guadalcanal landing made on BeachRed,about four miles east of Lunga Point. It was spearheaded by the ist and 3rd Battalions of the 5th Marines abreast, and followed by the ist Marines in column of battalions. By0930,the assault forces were ashore. Lackingopposition , two battalions of Col. Hunt's 5th Marines, swiftly established a 2ooo-yard-wide beachhead. Afterwards, they would proceed along the coast, securing that flank. The ist Marines, who landed later in the morning, would pass through the 5thMarines, move inland through the jungle,and secure Mount Austen, reportedly only a short distance away. Col. Gates' ist Marines did not get very far the first day,the tempo of their advance slowed as they trudged through six-foot-high kunai grass toting 71 [72] Guadalcanal The Beach Red landing. Marines coming ashorearepart of the initial waves. After crossing the beach, they moved inland to establish a beachhead. Courtesy of the U.S. National Archives. weapons and ammunition under a blistering hot tropical sun and then into ajungle sothick that the vegetation seemed to block the air. Now came the realization that intelligence concerning the terrain on Guadalcanal was faulty. Mount Austen was by no means a short way off, nor was it the "grassy knoll" as described. It fact, it was the most prominent terrain feature in the area, more than six miles away and well outside the planned perimeter. Progress was slow. The Ilu (soon to be referred to as the Tenaru River) turned out to be deep, with high banks. The 5th Marines walked across on a sandbar at the beach, but the ist Marines advancing further inland had to wait for the engineers to throw up aone-way traffic bridge, whosemidstream support consisted of two amphibious tractors. With the pace of the ist Marines slowed by horrendous heat, tropical growth, and tall kunai grass, Gen.Vandegrift realized that Mount [54.221.26.137] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 11:18 GMT) Guadalcanal, Their Finest Hour [ 73] Landing on Guadalcanal and capture of the airfield, August 7-8,1942. Courtesy of the Marine Corps Historical Center. [ 74 ] Guadalcanal This bridge, hastily constructed and supported by amphibious tractors, was heavily used during the early phases of the campaign. Courtesyof the Marine Corps Historical Center. Austen would not be reached that day; so he changed his plans accordingly. He ordered Gates to halt, consolidate, and dig in for the night. The halt was sorely needed. The men that had been cooped up in the steaming holds of overcrowed transports for two weekswere in deplorable physical condition. Burdened with excessivelyheavypacks and extra ammunition, blasted by the heat and humidity, short of water and salt tablets, they were in no condition to press forward, much less fight. Fortunately, Gates' Marines did not encounter any Japanese on their first day ashore. The progress of the 5th Marines was no more satisfactory. In spite of the repeated exhortation from the regimental commander, his ist Battalion advanced westward at an exasperatingly slow rate. Through the remainder of the afternoon, the landing continued unopposed. At 1600 hours, Gen.Vandegrift moved his headquarters ashore, while Guadalcanal, Their Finest Hour [75] expressing extreme frustration at the tortoise-like progress of the landing force. Bynightfall the prong of the Marine advance moving along the coast would make it only as far as the Ilu River, still more than looo yards from the airfield.Asecond prong became mired deep in the jungle. Now that Mount Austen was no longer a primary objective, Vandegrift ordered the airfield to be taken and a defensive perimeter set up.The beachhead wouldbe held temporarily to protect the off-loading of supplies until they could be moved into the perimeter. The nextday, August 8,thereforebegan with a westward advanceby...