Name
Battle Of Guadalcanal
Date
1942
Key People
General Alexander Vandegrift- He led the US Marines to successfully defeat the Japanese at Guadalcanal and won the first American offensive of World War 2 by securing the island of Guadalcanal.
Admiral Frank Fletcher- He provided the back up support that enabled Vandegrift and the Marines to land and arrive in Guadalcanal.
Specific Location
Island Of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands
Battle Of Guadalcanal
Date
1942
Key People
General Alexander Vandegrift- He led the US Marines to successfully defeat the Japanese at Guadalcanal and won the first American offensive of World War 2 by securing the island of Guadalcanal.
Admiral Frank Fletcher- He provided the back up support that enabled Vandegrift and the Marines to land and arrive in Guadalcanal.
Specific Location
Island Of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands
Outcome Of The Event
The US won the battle
The Japanese lost the battle
Casualties
United States- 1598 men killed and 4709 wounded
Japan- 25000 men killed
Vocabulary
Island Hopping- a military tactic used when crossing an ocean by a series of shorter journeys between islands, as opposed to a single journey directly across the ocean to the destination
Relevance- The United States used this when moving from island to island. They used each island as a base for capturing the next island. The US continued to use this method while other Allied troops were attempting to clear the Japanese from Guadalcanal.
Significance Of Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands was the gateway to northern Australia which was also now vulnerable to the Japanese invasion. When the Japanese began building an airfield on Guadalcanal, from which they could attack supply routes between the US, Australia and New Zealand, it became very important for the Allies to retake the island. The Battle Of Guadalcanal was also the first Allied offensive in World War 2.
The US won the battle
The Japanese lost the battle
Casualties
United States- 1598 men killed and 4709 wounded
Japan- 25000 men killed
Vocabulary
Island Hopping- a military tactic used when crossing an ocean by a series of shorter journeys between islands, as opposed to a single journey directly across the ocean to the destination
Relevance- The United States used this when moving from island to island. They used each island as a base for capturing the next island. The US continued to use this method while other Allied troops were attempting to clear the Japanese from Guadalcanal.
Significance Of Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands was the gateway to northern Australia which was also now vulnerable to the Japanese invasion. When the Japanese began building an airfield on Guadalcanal, from which they could attack supply routes between the US, Australia and New Zealand, it became very important for the Allies to retake the island. The Battle Of Guadalcanal was also the first Allied offensive in World War 2.