The battle for Guadalcanal, fought between United States and Japanese forces from August 1942 through February 1943, ended with a decisive US victory. The island was secured and thereafter served as a springboard for continuing Allied offensives in the South Pacific area of operations. One of the more remarkable things about the victory was the final lopsided ratio of casualties. Japanese ground forces lost an estimated 14,800 killed in action, with another 9,000 dying of disease and malnutrition. In comparison, the US lost just 1,770 KIA and another 4,700 wounded.

At first glance those statistics seem to indicate the Americans had a massive tactical superiority or that Japanese ground forces were inept. Yet there is no evidence for either of those conclusions. It took American Marines and soldiers six months of grueling struggle to win on the island. Moreover, in the air and at sea both sides’ losses were remarkably similar: the US lost 436 aircraft, the Japanese 439; the Allies lost 25 warships, the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) 24. In order to understand the final lopsided outcome of the land battle, then, it’s necessary to look at the forces that fought on Guadalcanal.

Articles in this issue include:

Sword Beach. A detailed analysis of the first day’s actions at the beachhead in Normandy, June 1944.

The Stalin Line. A detailed analysis of the Soviet fortification line that was intended to stop the German invasion along the border.