Posted by Ultradog MN on August 06, 2012 at 18:49:03 from (65.103.0.124):
The Japanese had landed on Guadalcanal in May of this year and were busily engaged in building an airfield. Allied aircraft had seen it and knew it was intended to threaten and harass the supply lines from the mainland US to Australia and New Guniea. But what to do? The Allies had already committed themselves to defeating Germany First and most of the available men, materiel and shipping were already being gathered for Operation Torch - the landing in North Africa. So they scraped together a hodge podge group of ships and landing craft and they gathered the storied 1st and the 2nd ("To None") Marine divisions and sent them off on a wing with a prayer to a tiny speck, a foul, malarial piece of rotting jungle in the South Pacific. And for the next 6 months their mothers and wives and sweethearts will worry and wonder and wish for a good ending there. This is a place where names are made famous; Vandergrift, Henderson Field, the Cactus Air Force, Edson's Hill, Tenaru, Iron Bottom Sound, the Tokyo Express. A place where the Allies cut their teeth on amphibious landings. It's a place where Lt. Genjiou Inui and James R "Rube" Garrett will write their compelling diaries. It is a tiny speck in the South Pacific with a huge strateigic value from which 7000 Marines and 30,000 Japanese do not return to their mothers and lovers and friends.
In the meantime: Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, commander of the entire Japanese Fleet wastes no time. He radios his commanders in Rabaul, New Brighton and tells them to sortie. He sends Adm. Gunichi Mikawa with 5 Heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers and a destroyer south to attack the American shipping. Against them Adm R. Kelly turner will put up 6 Heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers and 8 destroyers. On the 9th they will fight it out in tight confines in the Battle of Savo Island. The results will be the worst ash kicking the American Navy has ever recieved. The American Heavies Astoria, Vincennes, and Quincy plus the Australian Heavy cruiser Canberra will all be sunk, Heavy cruiser Chicago will be heavily damaged as will destroyers Ralph Talbot and the Patterson. Two Japanese Heavies will be moderately damaged. 1100 American and Aussie sailors will go down to watery graves while only 60 Japanese will be killed. The Japanese rejoice. The American public is appalled. The politicians are livid. The top brass is ashamed. And it's only the beginning of the Guadalcanal/Solomon Islands campaign. 70 years ago this week.
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