Guadalcanal Essay, Research Paper

August 7, 1942, .Large force of ships, unknown number or types, entering the sound. What can they be? x Tapped a Japanese radio operator, stationed on the island of Tulagi, neighboring Guadalcanal. This was the beginning of a pivotal battle at Guadalcanal, which would lead to the road to Tokyo and victory. The battle that lasted over six months presented U.S. troops with the obstacles of nature and the Japanese. These were overcome, but at a considerable cost. The Japanese fought with tactics foreign to American soldiers, presenting a new type of battle. The Japanese lost the Battle of Guadalcanal to the United States due to their strategies and assumptions that were grounded in ignorance.

The cultural precepts of the Japanese soldier had a negative impact on their effectiveness in battle. Bushido led the samurais to believe that a single samurai could handle up to ten marines. In the battle of Tenaru, this ideology of Bushido manifested itself. A sizable amount of the 10,000 soldiers was stationed at a beachhead near Tenaru. Colonel Kiyono Ichiki arrogantly sent out 1,000 soldiers to overtake the beachhead. The Japanese troops were decimated with 827 casualties whereas the Americans suffered only 128 deaths. The attacks by Japanese soldiers, who never gave up, proved brave but fatal because of their overestimation of their strengths as a samurai.

The prejudices about American troops proved fatal. Colonel Kiyono Ichiki believed that in the mind of an American, the night was for dancing. Attacks on U.S. troops were planned at night because of this ignorant misconception, and to the amazement of the Japanese, they were beat at night due to their weak attacks. After the U.S. had won all the decisive battles at Guadalcanal, the emperor continued to underestimate the U.S. and produced this arrogant statement: .The darkness is very deep but dawn is about to break in the eastern sky. Today the finest of the Japanese army, navy, and air units are gathering. Sooner or later, they will head toward the Salomon Islands where a decisive battle will be fought between Japan and America. x Two months later Japan completely withdrew its forces from the island. Only 13,000 out of the original 36,000 troops survived.

The Japanese military did not realize or evaluate the magnitude of the U.S. navy and air force sufficiently. The U.S. led Japan in the quantity of ships in every category. The U.S. had two carriers, Japan zero, the U.S. had four light cruisers, Japan zero, the U.S. had sixty-two destroyers, Japan seven. The production of aircraft in 1942 for America was 49,445 while Japan had 8,861. Japan was behind in technological innovations as well. They had the original form of radar only on select ships while Americans had an advanced form of radar that could actually direct fighter planes to protect ships.

The Japanese were not prepared for the manpower, skills, and industrial resources that the U.S. had to offer. The cultural beliefs of the Japanese were a hindrance to them on the battlefield, as well as the stereotypes of Americans. Additionally, they did not understand how powerful the U.S. military was. Maybe the Battle at Guadalcanal can exemplify for other militaries how assumptions can be fatal.