History of U.S. Marine Corps Operations in World War II
Volume 1: Pearl Harbor to Guadalcanal
by
Lieutenant Colonel Frank O. Hough, USMCR,
Major Verle E. Ludwig, USMC,
Henry I. Shaw, Jr.
Historical Branch, G-3 Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps
Table of Contents
Part I: Introduction to the Marine Corps
Chapter 1: Origins of a Mission
Chapter 2: Evolution of Modern Amphibious Warfare, 1920-1941
Chapter 3: Development of Landing Craft
Chapter 4: Marine Occupation of Iceland
Chapter 5: The Marine Corps on the Eve of War
Part II: War Comes
Chapter 1: Prewar Situation in the Pacific
Chapter 3: The Southern Lifeline
Part III: The Defense of Wake
Chapter 1: Wake in the Shadow of War
Part IV: Marines in the Philippines
Chapter 3: The Siege and Capture of Corregidor
Part V: Decision at Midway
Chapter 1: Setting the Stage: Early Naval Operations
Chapter 2: Japanese Plans: Toward Midway and the North Pacific
Chapter 3: Midway Girds for Battle
Chapter 4: Midway Versus the Japanese, 4-5 June 1942
Chapter 5: Battle of the Carrier Planes, 4 June 1942
Part VI: The Turning Point: Guadalcanal
Chapter 1: Background and Preparations
Chapter 2: Guadalcanal, 7-9 August 1942
Chapter 3: Tulagi and Gavutu-Tanambogo
Chapter 4: The Battle of the Tenaru
Chapter 5: The Battle of the Ridge
Chapter 6: Action Along the Matanikau
Chapter 7: Japanese Counteroffensive
Chapter 9: Final Period, 9 December 1942-9 February 1943
Appendices
Appendix A: Bibliographical Notes
Appendix C: Marine Task Organization and Command Lists
Appendix E: First Marine Division Operation Order—Guadalcanal
Appendix F: Military Map Symbols (omitted)
Appendix G: Guide to Abbreviations (omitted)
Appendix H: Unit Commendations
1. Scene of Battle (in the Maps chapter at the end)
2: Japanese Capture of Guam, 10 December 1941
3: South Pacific
4: Defense Installations on Wake, 8–23 December 1941
5: Landing on Wake Island, 23 December 1941 (in the Maps chapter at the end)
6: Situation on Wilkes Island, 0300–Dawn, 23 December 1941
7: Japanese Landing on Bataan (in the Maps chapter at the end)
8: Corregidor with Inset Showing Manila Bay (in the Maps chapter at the end)
9: Marshalls, Gilberts, and Eastern Carolines
10: Midway Islands, June 1942 (in the Maps chapter at the end)
11: Solomon Islands with Inset Showing Santa Cruz Islands
12: Makin Raid, 17–18 August 1942
13: Guadalcanal and Florida Islands (in the Maps chapter at the end)
14: Initial Dispositions, 7 August 1942 (in the Maps chapter at the end)
15: Landings in Tulagi Area, 7 August 1942 (in the Maps chapter at the end)
16: The Perimeter, 12 August 1942
17: Battle of the Tenaru, 21 August 1942
18: The Perimeter, 12–14 September 1942
19: Edson’s Ridge—First Phase, 12–13 September 1942
20: Edson’s Ridge—Final Phase, 13 September 1942
21: Matanikau Action, 24–27 September 1942
22: Matanikau Offensive, 7–9 October 1942
23: October Attacks on the Perimeter (in the Maps chapter at the end)
24: Push Toward Kokumbona, 1–4 November 1942
25: Koli Point, 4–9 November 1942 (in the Maps chapter at the end)
26: Battle Area, December 1942–January 1943 (in the Maps chapter at the end)
27: XIV Corps Plan—First January Offensive (in the Maps chapter at the end)
28: Capture of Kokumbona and Advance to the Poha River, 23–25 January 1943 (in the Maps chapter at the end)
29: Final Phase, 26 January–9 February 1943
Illustrations
Continental Marines—Marines of Huntington’s Battalion—Marines in France in World War I—Bandit-Hunting Patrol in Nicaragua—Experimental Amphibian Tractor—Early Version of Landing Craft—Air Evacuation of Wounded in Nicaragua—Army Light Tank Landing at New River, N.C.—Pearl Harbor Attack—Japanese Landing on Guam—Japanese Patrol Craft Lost at Wake—Japanese Naval Troops Who Took Wake—Japanese on Bataan—Aerial View of Corregidor Island—Effect of Japanese Bombardment of Corregidor—An Army B-25, One of Doolittle’s Raiders—Japanese Carrier Shoho—Camouflaged Lookout Tower at Sand Island—Japanese Cruiser Mikuma—Crude Sketch Map of Guadalcanal—Equipment for the 1st Marine Division—Marine Raiders and the Crew of the Submarine Argonaut—The Original Henderson Field—Unloading Supplies at Guadalcanal—Tulagi Island—Tanambogo and Gavutu Islands—Marine Commanders on Guadalcanal—LVT Bridge Built by marine Engineers—Solomons Natives Guide a Patrol—90-mm Antiaircraft Guns of the 3rd Defense Battalion—105-mm Howitzer of the 11th Marines—Raiders’ Ridge—Marines of the 2nd Raider Battalion—The Pagoda at Henderson Field—Cactus Air Force Planes—Five Blasted Japanese Tanks—Marine Light Tanks—Japanese Torpedo Plane—Naval Gunfire Support—37-mm Guns of the Americal Division—1st Division Marines Leave Guadalcanal