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Operation Watchtower
The Guadalcanal campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by American forces, was a military campaign fought between 7 August 1942 and 9 February 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific theater of World War II. It was the first major land offensive by Allied forces against the Empire of Japan. On 7 August 1942, Allied forces, predominantly United States Marines, landed on Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and Florida in the southern Solomon Islands, with the objective of using Guadalcanal and Tulagi as bases in supporting a campaign to eventually capture or neutralize the major Japanese base at Rabaul on New Britain. The Japanese defenders, who had occupied those islands since May 1942, were outnumbered and overwhelmed by the Allies, who captured Tulagi and Florida, as well as the airfield – later named Henderson Field – that was under construction on Guadalcanal. Surprised by the Allied offensive, the Japanese made sev ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Solomon Islands Campaign
The Solomon Islands campaign was a major campaign of the Pacific War of World War II. The campaign began with Japanese landings and occupation of several areas in the British Solomon Islands and Bougainville, in the Territory of New Guinea, during the first six months of 1942. The Japanese occupied these locations and began the construction of several naval and air bases with the goals of protecting the flank of the Japanese offensive in New Guinea, establishing a security barrier for the major Japanese base at Rabaul on New Britain, and providing bases for interdicting supply lines between the Allied powers of the United States and Australia and New Zealand. The Allies, to defend their communication and supply lines in the South Pacific, supported a counteroffensive in New Guinea, isolated the Japanese base at Rabaul, and counterattacked the Japanese in the Solomons with landings on Guadalcanal (see Guadalcanal campaign) and small neighboring islands on 7 August 1942. These ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alexander Patch
General Alexander McCarrell Patch (November 23, 1889 – November 21, 1945) was a senior United States Army officer who fought in both world wars, rising to rank of general. During World War II, he commanded U.S. Army and Marine Corps forces during the Guadalcanal Campaign in the Pacific, and the Seventh Army on the Western Front in Europe. With an invasion of Japan still an apparent likelihood, Patch returned to the U.S. in August 1945 to take charge of the Fourth Army headquartered at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. He died three months later in November at age 55, his health having been ravaged during his time in the Pacific early in the war. "Sandy" Patch and Lucian Truscott were the only two U.S. Army officers on active service during World War II to command a division, corps, and field army. A lieutenant general at the time of his passing, he was posthumously promoted to four-star general in July 1954. Early life and military career Born at Fort Huachuca, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Battle Of Guadalcanal Order Of Battle
The Guadalcanal Campaign, called Operation ''Watchtower'', was the first major Allied offensive in the Pacific Theater of Operations in World War II. The campaign lasted from the initial American landings on 7 August 1942 until the final Japanese evacuation on 9 February 1943, a period of six months, far longer than was expected by Allied planners. The initial 7 August landings on Guadalcanal itself and Tulagi across Savo Sound (the site of a Japanese seaplane base) were carried out by US Marines under the command of Major General Alexander A. Vandegrift. In recognition of his courage and extraordinary leadership during the Corps's four-month struggle, he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor the following year. Forces of the US Army began arriving to relieve the exhausted Marines on 13 October. On 8 December Vandegrift was replaced by Major General Alexander M. Patch, US Army, who was named commander of the XIV Army Corps on 2 January 1943. Patch declared t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Harukichi Hyakutake
was a general in the Japanese Imperial Army in World War II. He is sometimes referred to as Haruyoshi Hyakutake or Seikichi Hyakutake. His elder brothers Saburō Hyakutake and Gengo Hyakutake were admirals in the Imperial Japanese Navy. Biography Early career Born in Saga prefecture, Hyakutake graduated as an infantry officer from the 21st class of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1909. Noted generals Kanji Ishiwara and Jo Iimura were among his classmates, as was future Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek. He attended the 33rd class of the Army Staff College in 1921, where he studied cryptanalysis, and was assigned to the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff after graduation. From 1925 to 1927, as a lieutenant colonel, Hyakutake served as the Japanese Resident Officer in Poland. In 1928 he was assigned to the Headquarters of the Kwantung Army in China. As a colonel he worked at the Army's signal school in 1932 then as a section chief in the General Staff until 1935. After co ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hitoshi Imamura
was a Japanese general who served in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II, and was subsequently convicted of war crimes. Early career A native of Sendai city, Miyagi Prefecture, Imamura's father was a judge. Imamura graduated from the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1907 and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the infantry on 26 December of that year. He was promoted to lieutenant in November 1910 and attended the Army War College (Japan) in 1915. He was promoted to captain in 1917, and was sent to England as a military attaché the following year. He was promoted to major in August 1922 and to lieutenant-colonel in August 1926. In April 1927, he was appointed as a military attaché to British India. Promoted to colonel on 1 August 1930, he held staff positions in the Operations Section of the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff from 1931–1932. His younger brother was Imamura Hosaku, an officer in the Kwantung Army who also fought in Chinese Civil War as a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Raizō Tanaka
was a rear admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during most of World War II. A specialist in the heavy torpedoes that were carried by all the destroyers and cruisers of the IJN, Tanaka mainly commanded destroyer squadrons, with a cruiser or two attached, and he was the primary leader of the "Tokyo Express" reinforcement and resupply shipments during the long campaign for the island of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands of the South Pacific Ocean. From the Americans, Tanaka acquired the nickname of "Tenacious Tanaka" for his stalwart opposition. Early career Tanaka was born in what is now part of Yamaguchi city, in Yamaguchi Prefecture. After high school, Tanaka entered the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy, where he was a member of the 41st graduating class in 1913, ranked 34th out of 118 midshipmen to graduate. As a midshipman, Tanaka served on the cruisers and , battleship . After promotion to sub-lieutenant, he served on the cruiser and battlecruiser . He then att ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gunichi Mikawa
was a vice-admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. Mikawa was the commander of a heavy cruiser force that won a spectacular IJN victory over the U.S. Navy and the Royal Australian Navy at the Battle of Savo Island in Ironbottom Sound on the night of 8–9 August 1942. In this battle, his squadron of cruisers, plus one destroyer, sank three USN cruisers, plus the RAN heavy cruiser ; Mikawa's force suffered no losses in the actual battle, although heavy cruiser ''Kako'' was sunk by the undetected American submarine on the return to their base near Rabaul in the Bismarck Archipelago. However, his later career was of mixed success, and he was reassigned to lesser posts after the loss of a troop convoy destined for New Guinea. After the war Mikawa retired back to Japan, where he died in 1981 at the age of 92. Early career Mikawa was a native of Hiroshima prefecture. He graduated from the 38th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1910, ranked th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shōji Nishimura
was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Biography Nishimura was from Akita prefecture in the northern Tōhoku region of Japan. He was a graduate of the 39th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1911, ranking 21st out of 148 cadets. As a midshipman, he served on the armored cruiser and the battleship . After his commissioning as an ensign, he was assigned back to ''Aso'', and then to the battlecruiser . Nishimura attended naval artillery and torpedo school from 1914 to 1915, and then was assigned to the destroyer , the armored cruiser , and the battlecruiser . As a lieutenant from 1917, Nishimura specialized in navigation, and served as chief navigator on a large number of vessels, including the corvette , the destroyers , , , and , the light cruisers and , and the battleship . Nishimura was promoted to lieutenant commander in 1928. He was subsequently chief navigator on the armored cruiser . He was given his first command, of the destroyer ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jinichi Kusaka
, was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Fellow Admiral Ryūnosuke Kusaka was his cousin. Biography A native of Ishikawa Prefecture, Kusaka graduated from the 37th class of the Imperial Japanese Navy Academy, ranked 21st in a class of 179 cadets. He served as midshipman on the cruisers and , and after being commissioned as ensign was assigned to the cruiser and battleship . As a lieutenant during World War I, he served on the cruiser , followed by the battleship and destroyer , but was not on any combat missions. After the end of the war, he attended the Naval Staff College, emerging in 1921 as a lieutenant commander. He was assigned to the battleship as Vice Chief Gunnery Officer, and to the battleships and as Chief Gunnery Officer. After Kusaka's promotion to captain on 1 December 1930, he was sent overseas to the United States and Europe for one year. After his return, he received his first command, the cruiser . He was subsequently captain of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Takeo Kurita
was a vice admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. Kurita commanded IJN 2nd Fleet, the main Japanese attack force during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the largest naval battle in history. Biography Early life Takeo Kurita was born in Mito city, Ibaraki Prefecture, in 1889. He was sent off to Etajima in 1905 and graduated from the 38th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1910, ranked 28th out of a class of 149 cadets. As a midshipman, he served on the cruisers and . On being commissioned as ensign in 1911, he was assigned to . After his promotion to sub-lieutenant in 1913, Kurita served on the battleship , destroyer and cruiser . Kurita became a lieutenant on 1 December 1916, and served on a number of ships: protected cruiser , destroyers and . He also served as either the chief torpedo officer or executive officer on ''Minekaze'', , and . In 1920, he was given his first command: the destroyer ''Shigure''. In 1921, he assumed command of . Pro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nishizō Tsukahara
, was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Biography Tsukahara was born in Fukui Prefecture, but his official residence was Kofu city, Yamanashi Prefecture, where he was raised. Tsukahara graduated from the 36th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1908. He was ranked 20th out of 119 cadets, and noted Admiral Chuichi Nagumo was his classmate. He served his midshipman duty aboard the cruisers ''Soya'', and ''Iwate'' and battleship ''Okinoshima''. After he was commissioned as an ensign in 1910, he was assigned to the ''Shikishima'', followed by destroyer ''Yūdachi''. Tsukahara subsequently served on the ''Yamashiro'' and cruiser ''Aso''. After his promotion to lieutenant in 1914, he was assigned to , and was chief navigator on ''Mogami'' in 1916, followed by ''Chitose'', repair ship ''Kanto'', and battlecruiser ''Ibuki''. Tsukahara graduated from the Navy Staff College in 1920, and was promoted to lieutenant commander. He held a num ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nobutake Kondō
was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. As commander of IJN 2nd Fleet, the Navy's principal detached force for independent operations, Kondō was regarded as second in importance only to Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. Biography Early life and career Kondō was a native of Osaka. He graduated at the head of his class of 172 cadets from the 35th session of the Imperial Japanese Navy Academy in 1907. As a midshipman he served on the cruiser ''Itsukushima'' and battleship ''Mikasa''. After his commissioning as ensign, he was assigned to the cruiser ''Aso'', destroyer ''Kisaragi'' and battleship ''Kongō''. From 1912-1913, he was a naval attaché to the United Kingdom. After his return to Japan, he served briefly on the ''Fusō'', then in a number of staff positions throughout World War I. From 1916-1917, he was chief Gunnery Officer on ''Akitsushima''. After the end of the war, Kondō attended the Naval Staff College, and was promoted to lieutenant com ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
