GUADALCANAL ...

[Jesper]

After reading book after book mentioning Guadalcanal it is great and very 'educational' (Sorry, couldn't find a better word) to see some pics from the time and area.

Hopefully more are a comin'?

(By the way, Major Gregory Boyington sits a bit low in that Corsair (?) cockpit, doesn't he?!)

Take care

J

[Warbird Kid]

(By the way, Major Gregory Boyington sits a bit low in that Corsair (?) cockpit, doesn't he?!)

The F4U-1s (I believe) didn't have an adjustable seat. That came in the later models.

[mike furline]

(By the way, Major Gregory Boyington sits a bit low in that Corsair (?) cockpit, doesn't he?!)

The F4U-1s (I believe) didn't have an adjustable seat. That came in the later models.

He's most likely not sitting on a parachute, it's just a publicity photo.

[Mark Allen M]

These photos are relatively rare as they recently came from NARA. I good friend Tim Hampton sent them to me from one of his visits to the National Archives. Photos are of Air Group 11's time on Guadalcanal.


I believe these two fellows to be Lt's Brown and Cotton of VB-11


Brown and Cotton

[Mark Allen M]

... and some more from my 'box-o-stuff'


Henderson Field


C-47s at Henderson Field viewed from the tower, Guadalcanal


P-38G 43-2264 Lightning assigned to CAPT Robert L. Petit of the 339th Ftr Sq, 347th FG on Guadalcanal, nicknamed Miss Virginia.


Martin B-26 Marauder The Hattie M. (41-17556) of the 69th BS, 38th BG, Henderson Field, Guadalcanal

Drawings of Sgt. Howard J. Brodie, 1943 B-17 during the Battle of Guadalcanal (source NMNA archives)

[Mark Allen M]

Can't forget this guy, wouldn't be right to omit a photo of him too.

Col. Lewis "Chesty" Puller of the 1st Division at Guadalcanal on September 18, 1942.

Just a small bit from Wiki ... "Soon after arriving on Guadalcanal, Puller led his battalion in a fierce action along the Matanikau, in which Puller's quick thinking saved three of his companies from annihilation. In the action, these companies were surrounded and cut off by a larger Japanese force. Puller ran to the shore, signaled a United States Navy destroyer, the USS Monssen, and then Puller directed the destroyer to provide fire support while landing craft rescued his Marines from their precarious position. U.S. Coast Guard Signalman First Class Douglas Albert Munro—Officer-in-Charge of the group of landing craft, was killed while providing covering fire from his landing craft for the Marines as they evacuated the beach and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for the action, to date the only Coast Guardsman to receive the decoration. Puller, for his actions, was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Combat "V".

Later on Guadalcanal, Puller was awarded his third Navy Cross, in what was later known as the "Battle for Henderson Field”. Puller commanded 1st Battalion 7th Marines (1/7), one of two American infantry units defending the airfield against a regiment-strength Japanese force. The 3rd Battalion of the U.S. Army's 164th Infantry Regiment (3/164) fought alongside the Marines. In a firefight on the night of October 24–25, 1942, lasting about three hours, 1/7 and 3/164 sustained 70 casualties; the Japanese force suffered over 1,400 killed in action, and the Americans held the airfield. He nominated two of his men for Medals of Honor. He was wounded on November 9."

[Speedy]

I recently finished reading "A Dawn Like Thunder" about Torpedo Squadron 8. While I was very familiar with the story of Waldron and the Devastators at Midway, I never knew the back story of the rest of the squadron that had stayed back in Hawaii with the 'new' Avengers. After the massacre at Midway, the remaining crews of VT-8 went to Guadalcanal and fought rag-tag for several months with their TBF's until they literally ran out of both airplanes and pilots. The book was quite fascinating and the pics Mark has been posting have been equally fascinating to put 'images' to the story.

[daviemax]

Thanks very much Mark for posting this. The Campaign for Guadalcanal is - IMHO - one of the greatest sagas of W.W. II. Of course there were many other important battles, and many other examples of sacrifice, but Guadalcanal embodies so many rich elements: sound strategic thinking and a strong sense of urgency by Admiral King and his cohorts; the incredible naval battles that threw into high relief the strengths and weaknesses of both navies; the heroic jungle warfare on land that often occurred in very close hand-to-hand combat, and at night; and of course the incredible air defense of the island itself. While it is true that the victory at Guadalcanal was enabled by the sinking of Japanese carriers at Midway, IMO the Battle of Guadalcanal was the true turning point of the Pacific War. As you said, may all the heroes of this campaign rest in peace.

It is very good to remember all who served in this campaign and honor their sacrifice. Let us never forget.

[Chris Brame]

Fist time I've seen ring-mounted twin MGs in a B-17 radio room. I imagine it was a local mod; would that be a ring mount from an early Dauntless or something else?

[Digger]

OK, this will get this thread moving along a bit.

Question: Which allied aircraft type and which service was the first to land at Henderson Field?

Its a hot topic but a worth while question.

[mike furline]

OK, this will get this thread moving along a bit.

Question: Which allied aircraft type and which service was the first to land at Henderson Field?

Its a hot topic but a worth while question.

http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/US ... adalcanal/

"Even though most of the division's heavy engineering equipment had disappeared with the Navy's transports, the resourceful Marines soon completed the airfield's runway with captured Japanese gear. On 12 August Admiral McCain's aide piloted a PBY-5 Catalina flying boat and bumped to a halt on what was now officially Henderson Field, named for a Marine pilot, Major Lofton R. Henderson, lost at Midway. The Navy officer pronounced the airfield fit for fighter use and took off with a load of wounded Marines, the first of 2,879 to be evacuated. Henderson Field was the centerpiece of Vandegrift's strategy; he would hold it at all costs."

"The ominous news of Japanese sightings to he east and west of the perimeter were balanced out by the joyous word that more Marines had landed. This time the Marines were aviators. On 20 August, two squadrons of Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) 23 were launched from the escort carrier Long Island (CVE-1) located 200 miles southeast of Guadalcanal. Captain John L. Smith led 19 Grumman F4F-4 Wildcats of Marine Fighting Squadron (VMF) 223 onto Henderson's narrow runway. Smith's fighters were followed by Major Richard C. Mangrum's Marine Scout-Bombing Squadron (VMSB) 232 with 12 Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless dive bombers."

Last edited by mike furline on Fri Aug 08, 2014 8:14 am, edited 1 time in total.

[daviemax]

Fist time I've seen ring-mounted twin MGs in a B-17 radio room. I imagine it was a local mod; would that be a ring mount from an early Dauntless or something else?

Looks like the drawing depicts a B-17D gun installation, which had twin .50's. It is possible that a -D mount was moved to an -E. There were a lot of local armament modifications to Pacific-based B-17s.

[Mark Allen M]

OK, this will get this thread moving along a bit.

Question: Which allied aircraft type and which service was the first to land at Henderson Field?

Its a hot topic but a worth while question.

First American aircraft was a PBY on Aug 12, 1942
"Five days after the USMC landing on the island, a PBY Catalina piloted by Lt. W. Simpson, personal aide to Admiral John McCain. Simpson had been instructed to land offshore, but feigned an engine failure as an excuse to put down on the field." Pacific wrecks

First Allied aircraft? Hmmm! Could it have been an Aussie type?

[Digger]

It was actually P-39's of the 67th FS USAAC

They flew all the way from New Caledonia or French Noumea.

The route they flew was Noumea to New Hebrides to Santo to The Lady aka Guadalcanal.
The book "Island of Fire" gives an excellent account of this but also mentions how crappy the USAAC had felt because the US Navy and or the USMC
got the credit. P-39's flew the first op in support of ground troops and demonstrated just how well the P-39 could be used if combined with other utilities.
ie, artillery, ground troops and naval support.

It was a note worthy achievement because it was the first time long range fuel tanks had been used in combat. It was also an amazing mission because
most of the flying was done over water, no escort bombers or mother ships here. The situation on the canal was so bad that the USAAC decided that even I they
got one on the strip it would be a huge boost to the troops.

Long live the P-39, the unsung hero of the Pacific, held the line until the show pony's arrived.

[daviemax]

OK, this will get this thread moving along a bit.

Question: Which allied aircraft type and which service was the first to land at Henderson Field?

Its a hot topic but a worth while question.

First American aircraft was a PBY on Aug 12, 1942
"Five days after the USMC landing on the island, a PBY Catalina piloted by Lt. W. Simpson, personal aide to Admiral John McCain. Simpson had been instructed to land offshore, but feigned an engine failure as an excuse to put down on the field." Pacific wrecks

First Allied aircraft? Hmmm! Could it have been an Aussie type?

In the book, Guadalcanal: The U.S. Marines in World War II, a Pictorial Tribute by Eric Hammel (Zenith Press, 2007) on page 51 there is a photo of McCain's PBY landing at Henderson with the caption stating it "was the first airplane ever to land. . ." on 12 August 1942. No mention of P-39s but we can keep digging.