Guadalcanal - The Battle of Alligator Creek, 1942 - Animated

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has also been rated number one by PC Magazine eight years in a row use my link below to download iolo today get 60 off system mechanic Ultimate Defense with 30 days of free 24 7 Live tech support use code the operations room at iolo.com forward slash the operations room at 6 14 am on the 7th of August 1942 Japanese Personnel on the island of Guadalcanal are nearby to lagi and Cavuto tanambogo are awoken by a bombardment by U.S Navy Cruisers and destroyers against suspected Japanese positions on the islands American transports move into position to disembark thousands of Marines on Guadalcanal but as the young men come ashore they find no Japanese resistance the arrival of American forces has taken the Japanese completely by surprise for months the U.S Navy's chief of Naval operations Admiral Ernest J King had wanted to take the offensive in the South Pacific with the momentous American victory at Midway essentially eliminating the threat posed by the Imperial Japanese Navy in the Central Pacific on the 24th of June 1942 Admiral King orders commander-in-chief of the Pacific Ocean areas at Rochester Nimitz to plan for the capture of tulagi however when American radio intelligence indicated the Japanese were building an airfield on Guadalcanal threatening Allied supply lines to Australia the island was included as a target for the operation to carry out the assault the underprepared U.S first Marine division is hastily assembled in New Zealand to undertake what was now known as operation Watchtower now on the 7th of August Marines land onto lagi Guadalcanal and gavutu tanambogo on Guadalcanal itself the Marines face almost no opposition and gradually move Inland but on tulagi and gavutu tanambogo the Marines encounter ferocious opposition from the Japanese and suffer considerable casualties and grueling battles to root out the Japanese Defenders it takes until the next day for tulanki and kavutu tanambogo to be finally declared secure almost all of the 850 Japanese Defenders of these islands are killed in the fighting with very few being taken prisoner the brutal fight for these tiny islands North of Guadalcanal is a horrific precursor of what is to come across the Pacific as the 8th of August comes to a close the Allied position appears relatively secure the airfields on Guadalcanal has been easily secured furthermore Japanese air attacks against the Allied Fleet on August 7th and 8th suffered heavy losses and in return only sank a single American Transport however all this changes in the early morning hours of the 9th of August when a Japanese Cruiser Force Under Admiral makawa ambushes and devastates two Allied Cruiser forces in the dark Waters of Guadalcanal four Allied heavy Cruisers are sunk for light Japanese losses in what becomes known as the Battle of Savo Island fortunately for the Marines Admiral mikawa chooses not to exploit his crushing Victory by attacking the American Transport Fleet anchored offshore nevertheless with their Cruiser screen shattered Admiral Kelly Turner has little choice but to pull his Fleet out of the area along with a significant amount of the Marine's intended supplies and 1 800 Marines of the second Marines who have yet to disembark with the departure of the transport Fleet the Marine Commander Major General Alexander Vandergrift has just under 11 000 Marines to protect the newly acquired airfields on Guadalcanal and over half of these are onto lagi and gavutu tanambogo with nowhere near enough Marines to form a full defensive perimeter around the Airfield Vandegrift decides to move four battalions two each from the first and fifth Marine regiments to the coast to protect against the direct Japanese counter Landing thundercrift's only reserves are a battalion from the first Marines and a light Tank Company further Inland Marines defenses consist of only a limited number of outposts and artillery units compounding the issues Vandergrift faces his Marines only have a limited supply of food and ammunition if the Marines are to survive by far their most important defensive asset is the Airfield fortunately in their Retreat the Japanese construction Personnel left their construction equipment behind and the Marines quickly put it to good use several days later on the 15th of August the Marines are approached by the British government's official representative on the island Martin Clemens along with some Solomon Scouts Clemens and the Solomon Islanders offer to scout for the Marines and provide Intelligence on Japanese military activity Vandegrift happily accepts Clemons and the Solomon Islanders offer their efforts will prove invaluable to the Marines on waddle canal by the 18th of August construction of the Airfield is complete and it is named Henderson field in honor of marine squadron commander Lofton Henderson killed at the Battle of Midway two days later on the 20th of august 19 Wildcat Fighters and 12 SBD dauntless dive bombers land at Henderson field much to the Elation of the Marines on the ground however as the Marines do their best to secure their position the Japanese are moving to try and quickly recapture Henderson field shortly after midnight on the 19th six Japanese destroyers approached taivu point with the first 917 men of Colonel ichiki's 28th Infantry Regiment first echelon ichiki had been ordered if possible to take the Airfield but if his force is unable to do so to secure his position and wait for reinforcements to arrive itiki previously an instructor at the Imperial Japanese Army's infantry School holds a reputation as an aggressive Commander having commanded Japanese infantry in China including at the 1937 Marco Polo Bridge incident which sparked Japan's long war with China before departing ichiki has reportedly been warned there could be up to 10 000 Marines on waddle canal nevertheless ichiki has confidently asserted that his force will assault the Airfield within two nights of arriving on the island as his men disembarked from the Destroyers he is supremely confident that nighttime bayonet charges a long-held tactic in the Imperial Japanese Army will crush any defending American forces Vandegrift is aware of a Japanese move to try and recapture Henderson Fields having been warned by Admiral Chester Nimitz that radio intelligence had detected the movement of Japanese forces however he has no clear information on when and where the Japanese might attack 60 Marines of a company 1st Battalion first Marines under the command of Captain brush set out to destroy a supposedly small Japanese force reportedly positioned further down the coast as they set off ichiki dispatches a patrol of 38 men in order to establish a communication post close to Alligator Creek at around midday just as brush's Force plans to stop to rest Solomon Scouts warn of approaching Japanese troops brush hastily assembles his men to Ambush the Japanese who are advancing seemingly without exercising any caution as the Japanese progress they are suddenly met by a hail of American fire from their front reeling from the southern Ambush the Japanese are unable to form an organized defense the Marines exploiting the initiative move against the Japanese Left Flank quickly overwhelming them only five of the 38 men of the forward scouting party are able to escape the ambush when brushes men later examine the bodies they realize the men are from the Imperial Japanese Army not of the Imperial Japanese Navy indicating they recently arrived on the island a Japanese map is found showing the Marines defensive perimeter in great detail realizing this brush quickly takes his men back to the perimeter Upon returning brush informs van degrift of the presence of fresh Imperial Japanese Army troops in the area however the information brush has seized does not tell Vandegrift exactly where and how the Japanese will attack and without clearer information he decides to keep his forces in place for the moment in comparison learning of the devastating Ambush late in the afternoon ichiki does not take time to contemplate what has occurred and instead Moose's entire force forward the following night Marines of the 2nd battalion first Marine regiment commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Edwin Pollock are holding defensive positions along Alligator Creek the Marines have placed a solitary line of barbed wire across the SandBar at the Tidal Lagoon at the end of the creek to cover the SandBar the Marines established machine gun positions and a 37 millimeter anti-tank gun with canister ammunition along the western Bank small groups of Marines Patrol the East Bank in spite of the many warnings and Captain brush's ambush of a Japanese Patrol the day before the Marines at Alligator Creek are unaware of any specific threat to their position as the Marines prepare to settle down for the night unbeknownst to them ichiki's force is quickly advancing towards their position earlier in the day ichiki outlined to his commanders that his force would Advance along the beach penetrate past The Sandbar and advance to an old Japanese construction unit position halfway to lunger point from this position his force would then move to capture the Airfield to the Americans East Solomon Scout Jacob vouser is searching for the Japanese force and in the night chooses to stop at a local Village to give them a small American flag the Marines had given to him however not realizing that the Japanese are already upon him at the village vuza is spotted by Japanese soldiers who quickly apprehend and search him discovering his American flag they proceed to interrogate him but Visa refuses to talk and the Japanese tie him to a tree and begin mercilessly beating him with their rifle butts they then stab fousa's chest and arms with their bayonets he still refuses to talk frustrated the Japanese men cut his neck and leave visa for dead as he passes out however hours later loser comes too and bites through his grass restraints and begins to stagger to the Marine perimeter even though he has lost a lot of blood Visa somehow manages to drag himself three miles to the second Battalion first Marines where with the last of his energy he warns them that the large Japanese force would later that night attack across Alligator Creek severely injured Visa is rushed to a hospital where he will miraculously survive sure enough in the dead of night Justice Boozer warned ichiki's man moved closer and closer to Alligator Creek Marine outposts begin to hear the whispering of voices and the clanging of equipment forcing them back to the west side of the creek second Battalion is now completely alert and aware an attack is lightly bracing themselves they Place grenades and ammunition around their foxholes and fixed bayonets as the Marines study themselves for a possible attack on the east side of the creek ichiki orders an attack Across The Sandbar covered by supporting fire from elements of his Force finally at 2 am a green flare is launched from the East Bank Illuminating the Lagoon as it eerily lingers above them 100 men of ichiki's second company launch a ferocious charge over the Sands Bar covered by machine guns and grenade discharges the men of second company shriek the ear splitting Cry of Banzai as they launch themselves into the attack the Marines immediately react opening fire with their rifles and bars clearly a major attack American 60 millimeter and 81 millimeter mortars begin to pound the area as 30 caliber and 50 caliber machine guns unleash a hail of fire against the Japanese as red tracers crisscross the Lagoon as the Japanese continues to charge through the torrent of fire the Marine's 37 millimeter anti-tank gun fires canister rounds into their ranks 122 lead balls sized down groups of the unrushing Japanese despite the murderous wave of fire the undaunted men continue to charge forward over groups of their dead and wounded comrades those leading the charge who managed to survive begin to pile up at the barbed wire a little under 30 meters from the Marines line some are able to cut the wire or throw themselves over it they charge some of the marines foxholes with bayonets and swords in hand and engage in hand-to-hand combat they are able to take a few of the marines foxholes at the point of the Japanese assault a three-man marine machine gun team desperately fights to stem the Japanese advance Private John Rivers fires belt after belt of machine gun ammunition at the charging Japanese before taking a round to the face as he lays dying his comrade Corporal lead Diamond keeps up the fire before himself being wounded in the arm taking over from Diamond private Albert Schmidt continues laying down fire with the machine gun until a grenade explodes in front of him sending fragments into his eyes blinding him and throwing him back despite this Schmitz drags himself back into position and continues to fight back with his pistol as the Marines fight the Japanese at point-blank range further up the creek a Japanese machine gun team positions themselves in an abandoned Amtrak from this position they bring flanking fire onto the 37 millimeter anti-tank gun striking the gun crew and forcing them away with his second company devastated ichiki orders his third company forward just like those before the men of the third company launched themselves Across The Sandbar under a blanket of fire as the Marines continue to use every weapon at their disposal to stem the Japanese advance yet again despite their Furious charge Across The Sandbar most of third company is cut down further up the creek ichiki's first engineer company launches an attack across the creek itself slowed while trudging through the water just like their comrades they too are smothered by a hail of fire and many are cut down if you make it to the Marine positions on the West Bank and are able to silence a 37 millimeter anti-tank gun before being killed just behind the front line Lieutenant Colonel Pollock is surveying the battlefield and decides to Stamp Out the Japanese gains at The Sandbar with an attack by a platoon from G company the platoon advances and gradually Roots out and kills all the Japanese that penetrated the Marine's position behind the Japanese line the third company's Commander pleads with etihi to withdraw but he refuses and plans a third attack Japanese machine guns and 70 millimeter guns move up to the east bank and try to pick off marine positions in response Marine Commanders call in artillery support and 75 millimeter rounds begin to plaster the East Bank this forces ichiki to move his headquarters back further behind the line despite the decimation of his Force so far in the battle ichiki orders his first and best company forward for a quick surprise attack instead of charging Across The Sandbar ichiki's first company moves out and Wades through the south on the beach towards the American line itiki hopes his first company will be able to outflank the Marine positions covering the sandbar but despite his optimism the Marine spots the first company wading through the water and prepare for an attack although the beach is only being defended by one platoon from Easy Company as the men charge out of the South they are cut down by Machine Gun and mortifier very soon the Japanese attack begins to be saturated with artillery fire a few men make it right up to the Marines positions but a cut down before they are able to reach them in the face of the Marine's overwhelming fire almost all of the men of the first company are killed in the attack with this ichiki finally orders the remains of his fourth to withdraw 200 meters back to a Coconut Grove with Sunrise Marine Commanders have no intention of letting off the pressure on the Japanese and Vandergrift quickly agrees to a plan to surround and crush them later in the morning the reserve first Battalion first Marines crosses the creek further upriver and begins to flank around the Japanese position towards a beach on their Far Side at the coastline a group of etiki's men try to respond to the encirclement by launching a bayonet charge but the charge is quickly crushed by Marine Firepower as the Marines gradually close in some try to move to the beach but are cut down by rifle fire and the few who make it onto small boats are killed by patrolling American aircraft with the net tightening in the afternoon the Marines push four Stuart light tanks Across The Sandbar and into the Coconut Grove Japanese grenades and mortar rounds explode all around them as the Defenders desperately try to fight back against the tanks without any anti-tank guns infantrymen are cut down trying to reach the tanks with mines and grenades with explosions and tracers flying all around one of the Tank's tracks is damaged seeing this the tanks position themselves together in a huddle to cover the escaping crew realizing There Is No Escape Ichi he burns the regimental colors and takes his own life instead of surrendering small groups Run for the beach and water Beyond but all are killed as the Marines move amongst the dead and dying they try to render assistance to the wounded but in their refusal to surrender the winded Japanese fire on the American Medics helping them as a consequence of this disturbing refusals to surrender the Marines take no further chances just 15 Japanese soldiers are captured alive as the battle comes to an end the Marines are presented with the horrific site of 777 dead Japanese men across the small Battlefield in return just 44 Marines have been killed whilst a relatively small battle in the context of the ongoing second world war the annihilation of ichiki's force contributes to the ongoing smashing of the sense of Japanese superiority there had prevailed since Pearl Harbor the Marines are shocked by the willingness of ichiki's men to die and to try to kill their enemies even when wounded these developments would Harden the attitudes of Allied soldiers towards their Japanese adversaries while the destruction of ichiki's force is a shocking blow the Japanese determination to retake cuando Canal would not Wane and if anything intensify for the Marines on waddle Canal there are many more hard battles to come on our sister channel the Intel report this week we're looking at how the U.S Marine Corps trained and rushed the first Marine Division to Guadalcanal

Channel: The Operations Room

Views: 891,158

Keywords: History, Second World War, ww2, Documentary, animated, war, the pacific, us navy, imperial japanese navy, usmc, united states marine corps, 1st marine division, hbo the pacific, bob leckie, guadalcanal, battle of alligator creek, alligator creek

Id: HhVaI38dvco

Length: 21min 7sec (1267 seconds)

Published: Sat Apr 29 2023