WWII E120 Guadalcanal’s Turning Point: Carlson, Chesty, and the Fight for the West
Guadalcanal was a campaign defined by endurance. By November, the tide had shifted in favor of the Americans, but victory was far from certain. The plan was to encircle and eliminate the remaining Japanese forces, a strategy that seemed straightforward on paper but proved far more challenging to execute.
This episode covers the final push to trap the enemy—coordinated attacks from the 7th Marines, the 164th Infantry, and Carlson’s Raiders. As the Marines fought through the jungle, the Japanese slipped through gaps in the lines, turning what could have been a decisive blow into another grueling fight.
We’ll also look at the role of naval power in the campaign’s outcome, the challenges of coordinating Army and Marine units, and the growing pains of joint operations in the Pacific. This is the story of the final weeks before Guadalcanal was secured—and the men who paid the price to make it happen.
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References
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Hough, F. O., Crown, J. A. (1952). The Campaign on New Britain. United States: Historical Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps.
Melson, C. D. (1993). Up the Slot: Marines in the Central Solomons. United States: History and Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps.
Mersky, P. B. (1993). Time of the Aces: Marine Pilots in the Solomons, 1942-1944. United States: History and Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps.
The Onslow County News and Views. (1944, June 2). "Fighting Father of the Year" Tells How He Disobeyed Orders to Fight Japs. The Onslow County News and Views, p. 1.
Rentz, J. N. (1948). Bougainville and the Northern Solomons. United States: Historical Sect., Division of Public Information, Headquarters, Marine Corps.
Rentz, J. N. (1952). Marines in the Central Solomons. United States: Historical Branch, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps.
Shaw, H. I., Kane, D. T. (2013). Isolation of Rabaul: History of U. S. Marine Corps Operations in World War II, Volume II. United States: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
Shaw, H. I. (1996). First Offensive: The Marine Campaign for Guadalcanal. (n.p.): DIANE Publishing Company.
Tampa Bay Times. (1944, May 30). Marine Maj. Fred Conderman of Bern, N.C., is named "fighting father of the year" by the National Father's Day committee. Tampa Bay Times, p. 1.
Zimmerman, J. L. (1949). The Guadalcanal Campaign. United States: Historic Division, Headquarters, U. S. Marine Corps.