On this date in 1942 U.S. ground forces engaged in offensive actions in World War Two for the first time when U.S. Marines landed on Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and Florida islands in the British Solomon's. The landing at Guadalcanal was comprised of the 1st Marine Division and numbered 11,000 men in strength.
Marines landing on Guadalcanal on August 7, 1942.
The degree to which this is truly momentous is sometimes lost. This event occurred just nine months after Pearl Harbor and even fewer, obviously, after Midway. The hard fought campaign would ultimately involve 60,000 U.S. troops, about half that number of Japanese troops, and include both Marine and U.S. Army elements. The goal was the simple one of retaking lost territory in the South Pacific.
The initial landing force was principally made up of Marines. The initial landings saw the rapid fall of all of the objectives, save for Guadalcanal, the most substantial one. The Japanese were on the offensive in New Guinea at the time and had rolled their advances to the doorstep of Australia.
Lt. Gen. Gott.
British Lt. Gen. William "Strafer" Gott was killed when his transport plane was shot down by German fighters. He had just been appointed to command the British 8th Army.
Churchill had appointed Gott over objections of some of his advisors, who wished to see Bernard Law Montgomery appointed. Anthony Eden had urged the appointment, as he had served with Gott in the First World War and had a high opinion of him. According to at least one of Montgomery's advisors, Gott himself was desperately worn down by his prior commands prior to accepting this one.
His death would result in Montgomery's appointment. Churchill went on to state that the "hand of God" had been involved in removing Gott, and it was, while a terrible tragedy for Gott and those in the airplane with him, a bizarrely fortuitous event for the British in elevating Montgomery.
.jpg)
