#ThisDayInHistory Allied Troops Won Decisive Against Japan
On this day in 1943, The Battle of Guadalcanal ended with an Allied victory over Japan.
The Guadalcanal campaign was the Allied forces' first significant land offensive 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, intending to use 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, and the airfield – later named Henderson Field – under construction on Guadalcanal.
Surprised by the Allied offensive, the Japanese made several attempts between August and November to retake Henderson Field.
Three major land battles, seven significant naval battles (five nighttime surface actions and two carrier battles), and almost daily aerial battles culminated in the decisive Naval Battle of Guadalcanal in early November, with the defeat of the last Japanese attempt to bombard Henderson Field from the sea and to land enough troops to retake it.
In December, the Japanese abandoned their efforts to retake Guadalcanal. They evacuated their remaining forces by 7 February 1943, in the face of an offensive by the U.S. Army's XIV Corps, with the Battle of Rennell Island, the last major naval engagement, serving to secure protection for the Japanese troops to evacuate safely.
The U.S. Navy suffered such high personnel losses during the campaign that it refused to release total casualty figures for years publicly. However, as the campaign continued and the American public became increasingly aware of the plight and perceived heroism of the American forces on Guadalcanal, more forces were dispatched to the area.
This spelled trouble for Japan as its military-industrial complex could not match the output of American industry and manpower.
The Guadalcanal campaign was costly to Japan strategically and in material losses and manpower.
Roughly 30,000 personnel, including 25,000 experienced ground troops, died during the campaign.
As many as three-quarters of the deaths were from non-combat causes such as starvation and various tropical diseases.
#ThisDayInHistory
February 9, 1943