The Bear Battalion Attacks PTO (id:#57676)

Fanatic Enterprises (Fanatic Pack 2 ID: FE 18)   [next]   [previous]

Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands 1942-09-13 (21 others)

Overview:

Major General Kawaguchi, the Japanese leader of the ground forces on Guadalcanal, was convinced that his men could seize the airfields of Guadalcanal on the moonless night of September 13. Kawaguchi split his forces into three groups to take separate avenues of approach. One group was the Kuma “Bear” battalion under Major Eishi Mizuno. They were to push north along the eastern perimeter of the Marine’s defense. At 2200 advance elements of the Kuma Battalion were still marching in column unaware of the location of the Marine’s line. About 2330, one rifle company and the Kuma Battalion Headquarters entered a field in front of Company K, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment. The Japanese immediately charged what they took to be the enemy’s main line of resistance but this turned out to be an outpost of 5 Marines. The Japanese then assaulted the true main line.

Defender: American (USMC) (Co. K, III/1st Marine Regiment)  

Errata (source)