Battle for Henderson Field

The Battle for Henderson Field, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal or Battle of Lunga Point by the Japanese, took place from 23 to 26 October 1942. It was a land, sea, and air battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II and was fought between the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy and Allied forces, mainly U.S. Marines and Army. Allied forces were defending the Lunga perimeter that guarded Henderson Field on Guadal Canal, which the Allies had captured from the Japanese on 7 August 1942.

About Battle for Henderson Field in brief

The Battle for Henderson Field, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal or Battle of Lunga Point by the Japanese, took place from 23 to 26 October 1942. It was a land, sea, and air battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II and was fought between the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy and Allied forces, mainly U.S. Marines and Army. The battle was the last of three major land offensives conducted by theJapanese during the Guadal canal campaign. Allied forces were defending the Lunga perimeter that guarded Henderson Field on Guadal Canal, which the Allies had captured from the Japanese on 7 August 1942. The Japanese first attempt to recapture Henderson Field failed when a Japanese attack on 9 October failed when the Allied forces repelled the attack. The Allied aircraft that operated out of the airfield became known as the “Cactus Air Force” after the Allied codename for GuadalCanal. The landings on the islands were meant to deny their use as bases for threatening the supply routes between the U. S. and Australia, and to secure the islands as starting points for a campaign with the eventual goal of isolating the major Japanese base at Rabaul. Japan conceded defeat in the struggle for the island and evacuated many of its remaining forces by the first week of February 1943. They attempted to deliver further reinforcements, but failed during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanals in November 1942, and Japan surrendered in early 1943. The Allies were able to destroy from the Eighth Fleet of Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa’s forces to destroy the Japanese forces to return to the Pacific Ocean.

This was the beginning of the end of the Japanese occupation of the Solomon Islands in World War II and the beginning of the liberation of New Guinea. In the battle, U. S. Marine and Army forces under the overall command of Major General Alexander Vandegrift repulsed an attack by the Japan 17th Army under the command of Lieutenant General Harukichi Hyakutake. Because of the threat from CAF aircraft based at Henderson Field,. the Japanese were unable to use large, slow transport ships to deliver troops and supplies to the island. Delivering most of the soldiers’ heavy equipment and supplies, such as heavy artillery, vehicles, and ammunition, from being carried to Guadal canal with them, prevented much food and ammunition from being transported to Guadelcanal. These high speed transportation runs came to be called the “Tokyo Express” and were to be used by Allied forces throughout the campaign and came by the 9th and 9th Fleet of Vice Admiral William Halsey Jr., at Halsei’s direction. The airfield was later named “Henderson Field” by Allied forces. To protect the air field, the U S Marines established a perimeter defense around Lunga Point. On 19 August, various units of the 17th Army began to arrive on Gu Canal with the goal of driving Allied forces from the island. At the same time, Allied aircraft operating from Henderson Field successfully defended American positions on Gu can island from attacks by Japanese naval air and sea forces.

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