Guadalcanal 1942-43.Japan's Bid to Knock Out Henderson Field and
the Cactus Air Force
Stille, Mark/Laurier, Jim (Illustr.)
The campaign for Guadalcanal, which stretched from August 1942
until February 1943, centered on Henderson Field. The airfield was
captured by the US on 8 August and placed into operation by 20
August. As long as the airfield was kept operational and stocked
with sufficient striking power, the Japanese could not run convoys
with heavy equipment and large amounts of supplies to the island.
Instead, they were forced to rely on night runs by destroyers which
could not carry enough men or supplies to shift the balance
decisively against the American garrison on the island.
The American air contingent on the island, named the ‘Cactus Air
Force', comprised Marine, Navy and Army Air Force units. It had the
challenging mission of defending the airfield against constant
Japanese attacks, and more importantly, of striking major Japanese
attempts to reinforce the island. The mission of neutralizing
Henderson Field fell primarily to the Imperial Navy's Air Force
flying out of airfields in the Rabaul area. The units charged with
this mission were among the most accomplished in the entire
Imperial Navy with a high proportion of very experienced pilots and
a superb air superiority fighter (the famous ‘Zero'). However, the
distance from Rabaul to Guadalcanal handicapped Japanese operations
and their primary bomber was terribly vulnerable to
interception.
This book traces the air campaign from both sides and explores the
factors behind the American victory and the Japanese defeat. The
text is supported by full-colour illustrations and contemporary
photography.
Paperback, 96 Seiten, durchgängig bebildert mit zeitgenössischen
Fotos, Farbillustrationen von Kampfsituationen, Karten und 3D
Operationsdiagrammen, engl. Text
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Best.-Nr. ACM013