Book Review - The Struggle for Guadalcanal by Samuel Eliot Morison...

This is something I've been meaning to do for a long time. Whenever I come across a good read, I want to try and put up a few words along with the cover and author just in case some of you out there are also looking for some of the same subjects. I just finished the above title and it is one of the best accounts of naval operations that I've ever read. This book was published in the late 1940s so the information was still new at the time. It is part of a larger 15 (?) volume set about the total naval operations of the entire Second World War. I chose this volume since I have a particular interest in the Guadalcanal Campaign and I wanted a good introduction to that battle. Everything from the men and machines to the tactics and results are discussed with emphasis on the air and sea battles in supreme detail. Most of the land battles are mentioned as well but the focus here are the men on the ships and planes fighting each other in and around Ironbottom Sound. Several key facets are explored - The Tokyo Express, Battles of Savo Island, Cape Esperance, Tassafaronga, the gallantry of fire crews on the burning american destroyers, the submarine influence, Henderson Field and the differences and advantages/disadvantages of American and Japanese torpedo attack doctrine.

Look how close those Bettys are to the water...wow...



Yes, that's the front of that ship that is missing. It made it back to port for repairs!



Also mentioned are the exploits of the US Navy Seabees who would go in and root out enemy remnants and pave/repair new airfields and bases where burned out enemy encampments once stood. And in the early months of 1943, several paragraphs talk about the PT boat crews and their constant harassment of Japanese convoys attempting to resupply their ragged troops on the island. Wonderful stuff!

I highly recommend this to anyone looking for an introduction to a better understanding of the Guadalcanal Campaign. Everything is here, and it is written not unlike a great war novel - easy to access and a joy to digest.

Also on the docket this week is the current issue of Sports Illustrated with a monster on the cover...