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It is August 4, 1942. Battalion Landing Team 15 (reinforced), has been given the mission of landing on the island of Guadalcanal in advance of the main body of the 1st Marine Division. We are to conduct a reconnaissance-in-force to the west, beyond the Mantanikau River, to determine the strength of Japanese forces in the area.

I have a full-strength Marine rifle battalion, with a company of M3 tanks, three 75mm GMCs, two 50-cal HMGs, and a mixed company of 4 Raider and one Parachute platoons attached.

The river is north to south in the battle area, with my main objective lying some 1350 yards beyond my start-line. It is jungle, with a few clear areas interspersed at random points.

The men are a mix of "old-breed" officers and NCOs and "Pearl Harbor avengers", the enlistees who barely finished basic training before they were rail-transported to San Francisco from our base at New River NC and put aboard ship. They are a microcosm of American society, from all walks of life and ethnic backgrounds, with names like Selvitelle, Grant, McClanahan, Basilone and Rouh.

My company commanders are experienced men, veterans of the "small wars" of the 1920s and 30s. However, none of them have led more than a platoon in these missions.
Now, I am leading these men into unknown territory, to "seek out and destroy" an enemy who earlier in the year forced the entire 4th Marines to surrender in the Philippines.

BLT 15 will be "the tip of the spear", the first ground unit to conduct an offensive action against an enemy of unknown strength...

Situation report, turn 4--the weather is clear, but it is twilight (1900 hrs) and visibility is only 350 yds.

North: The 1st Raider Platoon (Edson) and 1st Para Platoon (Williams) have crossed the river and taken the northern VH. They have encountered the enemy but are holding their own. The Raiders/Paras are supported by two 75mm GMCs. Baker Company is on their left.

Center: Able Company has seized the center VH, and is heavily engaged with advancing Japanese forces. They have suffered casaulties from mortar fire and small arms, but we counter with our own 60 & 81mm mortars and the tanks. A tank platoon is attached to each company, with recon patrol units mounted on some of them.

South: The other three Raider Platoons have crossed the river (which is actually a shallow creek with steep banks), and taken the southern VH--no opposition. I order them to move forward aggressively, angling northwest to take the main objective point. They have the HQ section of the tank company, a GMC, a 60mm and an 81mm mortar (in jeeps) in support. Charlie Company is on their right.

(Notes on Japanese tactics: they aggressively employ snipers, satchel charge-armed tank hunter teams, machine-gun teams and scouts in advance of the main body. These are small units, but can cause some damage. They also serve as FOs for the enemy mortars/artillery. We must not send tanks forward without close infantry support to deal with these threats. Further, our squads, especially the BAR Squads, have difficulty meeting the Japanese infantry squads face-to-face. Our weapons are far superior, but their full-strength squads outnumber ours 2-1 or more in some cases. )

Sitrep, turn 7: in the north & center, Baker & Able Companies have run into a hornets' nest. They have been attacked in force, and haven't advanced past the VHs. The Japanese are launching furious close assaults, with shouts of "banzai". I'll have to bring up my attached engineers to plug gaps, as some rifle platoons have suffered 30 to 40% casualty rates.

Strangely, in the south, Charlie Co. has met relatively light resistance. I plan on swinging this company to the north and outflanking the Japanese attacking the center and prevent the enemy from withdrawing to the west. The three raider platoons on the far left are close to another branch of the river. The main objective is 700 yards beyond that. With luck, they should be in position to take the objective within five more turns, and eliminate a few enemy mortars in the process.

After-action report, 0400 Hrs 8 August 1942: the operation of 4 August ended successfully on turn 17, with a decisive victory gained. The Japanese attacks in the north & center were contained, and repulsed with heavy loss to the enemy. The lack of contact in the south was explained when the three Raider platoons approached the main objective--some 200+ Japanese were clustered in and around this area. The enemy HQ unit was spotted by the 2nd & 3rd Raider Platoons, and was destroyed by turn 15. After supporting fire from mortars, the Raiders seized the objective, holding it from counterattacks by the enemy. The battalion suffered 219 casualties, and one M3 tank was destroyed. The enemy lost 1281 men and 14 mortars. Captain "Jeb" Stuart's M3 accounted for seven unit kills, and Sgt. Slay's squad of 3rd Platoon, Company A, scored six kills.

On the morning of August 7, the other two battalions of the 5th Marines and the entire 1st Marines landed on Guadalcanal, and my battalion was relieved that night. We pulled back to the Division HQ, and I reported to the Commanding General. We will be temporarily be assigned as division reserve, but it is hoped that our early success will be followed up by a rapid advance by other units to consolidate our gains.

"a rapid advance to consolidate our gains"...what a joke that was. We woke up one morning and looked out into the bay--our fleet had disappeared! Apparently, Adm Fletcher had heard that a Japanese fleet escorting troop transports was headed our way, so he turned tail, taking with him the unloaded supplies and the heavy artillery. Some of the wags now call ourselves the 1st Marooned Division, and so we are.

So, now we dig in and wait for the enemy to strike back, which he certainly will. The rest of August was spent in patrolling and preparing defensive positions. We have to conserve ammo, so a renewal of the attack is out of the question. We're living on short rations, and most of that is the weevily rice we captured from the Japanese. A campaign that started so promisingly is now a day-to-day struggle for survival. Sooner or later we'll be facing well-fed and fresh enemy troops, who will no doubt be anxious to extract some revenge on my "ragged-ass" Marines.

Early September 1942: patrols report that an enemy force is attempting to turn our flank and attack the airfield from the south. The General is taking 1/5 out of reserve and orders us to occupy an irregular ridgeline defending the southern approach. The General's order is for 1/5 to "delay the enemy", but we all know what this really means--the position must be held at all costs.

0600 hrs Sept 11, 1942: after some wrangling with the division commander, I've managed to keep the composite Raider/Para company attached to my command, along with Company A, 1st Light Tank Bn. The ridgeline is indeed irregular, and in some places my line is well-forward of the slopes--I'm trying to hold as far away from the enemy's objectives as possible. I do NOT allow my men to dig-in, as I want them to counterattack if the opportunity arises.

There is a tropical storm moving in, but at the moment I have a few clear fields of fire. I've been promised the support of the entire divisional artillery, but ammo is still limited.

I place the company's 60 & 81mm mortars very close to the front, in such a way as I can "fire by battery" on enemy troop concentrations. My three 37mm ATGs are in the front-line, as are my two 50-cals. The tanks are placed 50 yards behind the front (one platoon for each rifle company).

The enemy's infantry emerged from the jungle 12 turns into the battle, and were torn apart by mass fire from my automatic weapons, tanks and mortars. By turn 24 it was all over. In a last desperate attempt, the enemy's HQ even charged my line, and it was cut down. It was a valiant but foolhardy gesture. At no point was my line threatened by a breakthrough. It was a decisive victory for BLT 15.

The enemy lost 839 men. We lost 74 men, 1 M3 Stuart and 1 ammo transport. A commendation went to Sgt Reid, commander of a tank in 3rd Plt, Co A. He got nine kills in this action, raising his total to 14, tops in the battalion.

I was very proud of my men in this action. They never wavered, and are gaining experience quickly. Their morale is unsurpassed. We will hold this island, with or without the navy's support.

October 1942: another Japanese force attempted an offensive against our now-entrenched lines. A recent night convoy landed ammo and a battalion of heavy 155mm howitzers. We had another decisive victory against the futile mass infantry attacks of the enemy. The end came on turn 13.

Marine losses: 89 men, 1 Tank, I ammo carrier

Japanese losses: 870 men, 1 arty piece

By now the Japanese on Guadalcanal were largely broken, and my battalion, which is now regarded as a "fire brigade", has been detached from the
division and transferred to New Guinea at the behest of General MacArthur. He asked for the whole division, but he only managed to get my battalion. I'm not very happy with this decision, and I protested, but I was overruled. MacArthur has his own agenda, and BLT 15 now belongs to him.

Our next mission is on November 8, 1942, near Buna : We are advancing against a Japanese force of unknown size in another jungled area.

(Tactical notes: I request that my men be issued better equipment, but the Army units get first dibs, including the M1 Garand Rifles, which could be valuable to my men in the type of combat they have been engaged in. Long-distance marksmanship with the 03 Springfield doesn't mean much in the close environment of the jungle. The BAR is a very valuable weapon, as are our machine guns and mortars. In jungle fighting, establishing fire superiority is vital to accomplishing our objectives. I have heard reports that the Japanese are preparing fixed defenses in this area, so increased usage of demolitions may be required. )

November 8, 1942, 0400 hrs: this battlefield is narrow, and an east-west railroad track runs straight into the center VH group. There are three forward VHs and one in the southeast area to the rear. I have support from one battery of 155s and two batteries of 105s. I adopt my standard advance formation, with the three rifle companies in line and the Raiders/Paras on the flanks.

It is raining, with visibility only 250 yards. I've taken the northern and southern VHs, but the center VH offers a unique opportunity. It lies on a low ridge, with that railroad heading into it. There is high ground both north and south of this area, so I direct Baker Co to fashion a <-shaped ambuscade just outside these VHs. This draws the enemy directly into a killing zone, and so far it is working.

On the flanks, my Raiders/Paras are angling from the northwest and southwest towards the rear VH. The southern group is encountering strong resistance, but no contact has been made in the far north. My whole line is taking the < shape, and I hope to snap shut the jaws within a few more turns. After taking the rear VH, I will seize the center group and hopefully win another decisive victory. I have two or three units with double-digit kills so far, and the battalion's average experience is now 84. Sgt Phelps and his MG crew have been destroyed, but this is the only unit I've lost (so far) in this battle.

(Note: I heard that US Army units have landed on the coast of North Africa, thus bringing us into a two-ocean offensive. I'm glad for our dogface comrades, but I'm also concerned that we are stretching our resources too thinly. Will this delay the arrival of newer weapons to our theater?)

I started a new campaign , but will pick up in 1943--so far, I have four DVs. Next battle--assault mission Dec 1 1942--weather--thunderstorm (visibility 18)

Total casualties (to Nov 1942) : USMC 363 men, 1 AFV, I arty, 1 soft vehicle
Japanese 3439 men, 17 arty