novelden Chapter 142 The Last Battle
Chapter 142 The Last Battle
Cai Yong and Holcomb are rushing to Wilctor, which is the main road connecting the eastern part of Guadalcanal and Henderson. The 2nd Regiment of the 2nd Division of the US Army was urgently stationed here. The 113th and 4th Regiments of the 6th Division, the 2rd Regiment of the 3nd Division of the US Army, and the 1st Regiment of the 1st Division of the US Army are pressing northward from bases near the airport. The number of Japanese troops is still unclear. According to Cai Yong's estimate, the number of Japanese troops should be around 2. The waters around Guadalcanal have been blockaded by the US fleet for several months. Such a large-scale Japanese force hiding in the east of the island must have received continuous external support.
Needless to say, Fletcher was furious at the moment. How had the Japanese broken through his naval blockade to provide support, and why had the US patrols day and night failed to detect the Japanese support transport fleet? All of this seemed to have slapped him in the face.
Fletcher summoned the commanders of the various squadrons and ordered the largest clearing operation the US Navy had undertaken since the Battle of Guadalcanal. He launched a fierce bombardment and landing operations against the islands surrounding the Solomon Islands, effectively wiping out all of Guadalcanal's territory. Simultaneously, a fast fleet of cruisers and destroyers arrived from Australia to support Fletcher's blockade. This time, they were determined to break the Japanese "Tokyo Express."
The US 9th and New 5th Regiments, on the front lines of the battle, were overwhelmed by the Japanese forces, which surged like a tidal wave. The battlefield was filled with smoke, flames, and the deafening roar of gunfire. Several positions and areas were captured by the Japanese, and even the battlefield became a chaotic mess, with soldiers from both sides mingling and engaging in fierce fighting.
After months of fierce fighting, the US 2nd Division was no longer a rookie force. Each unit fought with far greater composure. Despite being surrounded by Japanese forces, the troops had not shown the panic and collapse they had experienced when they first arrived on Guadalcanal. The new 5th Regiment's defense was impenetrable. With a clear advantage in terrain and firepower, the Japanese offensive made no progress.
After Cai Yong and Holcomb contacted the 9th and 5th Regiments of the US Army respectively, they quickly calmed down and systematically formulated a counterattack plan. They prepared to use the 9th and 5th Regiments of the US Army as bait to implement the Center Blossom Operation and wipe out the last forces of the Japanese Army on Guadalcanal in one fell swoop!
The Sino-US coalition forces acted very quickly. With the support of the air force on the island, the Sino-US coalition forces took advantage of the roads opened up in the early stage and a large number of mechanized troops took action. They quickly recaptured several key points. The search team that had adapted to the environment and terrain of Guadalcanal was re-established and strengthened. They went deep into the jungle to search for the Japanese army, especially the possible secret passages and hiding places of the Japanese army. The use of a large number of flamethrowers made it impossible for the Japanese army to hide. Several extremely secret hiding places and secret passages of the Japanese army were discovered and conquered. The Sino-US coalition forces had advantages in weapons and personnel, and had the support of the air force. The offensive carefully planned by Sano Tadayoshi was consumed and resolved bit by bit. The situation took a sharp turn for the worse. Soon, the war reversed and became increasingly unfavorable to the Japanese army.
Sano was displeased with Kawaguchi's inability to capture the positions of the US 9th and New 5th Regiments. He ordered Kawaguchi to organize a commando unit and launch an all-out attack, determined to defeat both enemy groups before the Chinese and American forces could, and to use the area to block the Chinese and American forces. He also ordered another unit from the 38th Division to arrive on the "Tokyo Express." Sano prepared for a decisive battle with the Chinese and American forces on Guadalcanal!
The "Tokyo Express" is about to reappear like a ghost in the night. In order to cover his actions, Mikawa once again organized an artillery fleet to prepare for a surprise attack on the US military supply base.
However, this time, both the Mikawa and the "Tokyo Express" transport team were detected and closely monitored by the US military, just waiting for them to enter the area. Fletcher wanted to completely resolve the hidden dangers of the Guadalcanal Campaign.
In waters north of Guadalcanal, an ambush force consisting of multiple cruisers and destroyers from the US Fleet TE61 had already captured a massive Japanese transport convoy escorted by several light cruisers and destroyers. Outlying the enemy lines were several Skipjack-class submarines, renowned for their high speed and formidable firepower. A Whitefish-class submarine in pursuit relayed the size and numbers of the Japanese transport convoy to Rear Admiral Leonard, who was in charge of the ambush. Leonard was surprised by the sheer scale of the Japanese armed transports.
Leonard was puzzled by the Tokyo Express's delay outside the ambush zone. Soon, Fletcher reported the discovery of the Japanese 8th Fleet, led by Mikawa. The Americans finally understood that Mikawa's bombardment of Guadalcanal was actually a cover for the Tokyo Express.
Fletcher decided to allow Mikawa to enter Guadalcanal waters and give him the opportunity to bombard the supply base. However, the supply base was ordered to evacuate, and the Japanese bombardment failed to achieve its intended effect. Simultaneously with Mikawa's bombardment, the Japanese transport fleet entered Leonard's ambush zone. Subsequently, the US ambush fleet attacked the Tokyo Express, severely damaging the escorting Japanese cruisers and destroyers. Submarines on the seabed ambushed the Japanese transports, and with the transport fleet's demise, the entire 38th Regiment of the 230th Division, sent to reinforce Guadalcanal, sank along with the transports.
The US forces severely damaged Mikawa's 8th Bombardment Fleet, sinking a heavy cruiser, a light cruiser, and several destroyers, severely damaging several Japanese ships and essentially annihilating Mikawa's fleet. The Japanese naval support they relied on on Guadalcanal was essentially gone. Sano Tadayoshi's current concern was not to continue the offensive against the Sino-American forces on Guadalcanal, but rather to evacuate the island.
以川口部队为主的日军第4、第124联队不顾一切发起冲锋，阻挡美2师9团与113师新5团的反击，佐野忠义则带着38师团228、229联队与其他日军残部悄悄集结在瓜岛东部秘密港口。日军运输舰队再次利用夜色掩护冒险而来，出其不意地将日军残部接走。
The next day, the US 2nd Division, the US 1st Division, and the 113th Division moved up along the line and surrounded the Kawaguchi Unit that was attacking the US 9th Regiment and the New 5th Regiment. Kawaguchi Kiyokane committed suicide, and the Japanese Kawaguchi Unit was completely wiped out.
The Battle of Guadalcanal was significantly shorter than previous campaigns, lasting 1943 days from July 7 to November 6, 1943. China and the United States committed approximately 11 troops, suffering 15 casualties. The Japanese, with approximately 132 troops, fought on the island, suffering 6 casualties. The battle for Guadalcanal saw over 1.1 naval engagements, including six large-scale ones. The Japanese lost over 3.6 combat vessels, while the US lost 2.8. The US subsequently liberated other islands in the Solomon Islands, establishing several forward bases and a major air base. Long-range bombers launched from these bases could reach as far as the Indonesian island of Tsuruga. From this point on, the Japanese military shifted from a strategic offensive to a strategic defensive in the Pacific, while the Allies shifted from a strategic defensive to a strategic counteroffensive and offensive.