Evening star., 1942-08-30
Marines
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swung out on their davits and low
cred into the water. The ships
bearing marines who were to land
in the first wave had already low
cred away and soon the water
about the transports was swarming
with hundreds of speedy landing
boats. New ramp landing and tank
lighters were getting their first test
in combat. Amphibious tractors,
carrying engineering supplies, began
their churning progress toward the
beach, to be on hand when the
speedier landing boats first hit the
shore line.
0800 was "H-hour" (attack hour)
when the first wave of Marines
landed on Tulagi. We could hear
destroyers pumping high explosives
into the beach. Then the barrage
lifted, the marines landed, and a
tiny South Sea island became the
first battlefield in Americas first
offensive in World War II.
Meanwhile the landing boats were
gathering for the assault on Guadal-
canal. Proudly flying the Stars and
Stripes, the boats took on their
loads Of Marines and equipment and
circled in the rendezvous area be-
tween the transports and the line
OF departure marked by two de-
stroyers. ] went in early 50 I was
on the water when the first wave
hit the beach. As our boat sped
across the line of departure an am
ber flare from the shore announced
that Combat Group A under Col.
l.. P. Hunt had landed.
No Opposition at Beach.
We hit the beach about 1000 and
learned that CG-A had landed
without resistance. The beach pre-
sented a busy scene. Already tank
lighters were pulling up with their
iron monsters. Amphibian trac-
tors, which the Marines call "alli-
gators" chugged ashore, equally at
home on land or water. A steady
stream of marines was pouring out
of boats. BY 1045 Combat Group
B, under Col. C. B. Gates, was
landing and lining up for its ad-
vance to the southwest. Scattered
rife shots marked the advance of
the marines as they famed out
through the tall grass and cocoa
nut grove.
We counted on the Japs' arriving
to bomb us about noon, figuring it
would take that long for them to
organize a flight of bombers in Ra-
baul and fly them down to Guadal-
canal. Our guess was only a few
hours off; in midafternoon burst
ing bombs and sky full of fax
announced their arrival. Rising
sun bombers attacked our ships in
the roads, without hitting any. Sew
eral were shot down. An hour and
half later the Japs attacked again,
with dive bombers this time. They
hit one Of our destroyers. Two
Japs more were shot down.
Advance Slow First Day.
That first day our advance was
slow. There were no contacts with
the enemy, for their whereabouts
was unknown 1--WE later learned they
had scurried to the hills and the
thick tall grass and deep feeders
OF the Ilu River made a cautious
advance imperative. At 1900 head
quarters arrived on the shore and
set up a command post in a palm
grove south of the east branch
of the Ilu. There we bivouacked
ior the night.
= On the second day, August 8, the
marines on Guadalcanal pushed
westward to take possession of the
big new airfield which the Japs
had obligingly built for us and to
occupy and defend the area around
sLunea Point. Combat. Groups A
and B completed the operation dur
tng the day, meeting no resistance
until one group reached Kukum.
There, south of the area occupied
'by the marines, they ran into
snipers and machine guns in dug
outs manned by Japanese. The
area was quickly mopped up, but
Jap patrols slip into our
Zines.
1t became apparent after the first
'day that the Jap forces in the
Lunga area had run to the hills
when the American onslaught be-
gan on August 7. AS we moved into
their camps We found evidence that
they had left in hurry. Meals
,were still on the table, personal gear
was tossed in all directions, valuable
equipment was left intact.
Airport Little Damaged.
Ammunition dumps. pompoms,
artillery, fuel, radio equipment,
.trucks, cars, refrigerating equip
ment, road rollers, electric power
plant-all were found just as the
Japs had set them up and used