The Guadalcanal Campaign was the first American offensive of the Pacific War. Its initial goals were to capture the seaplane base on Tulagi and an uncompleted airfield on the island of Guadalcanal. It became the focal point of brutal naval, air and land battles that lasted from 7 August 1942 to 8 February 1943. For the IJA, it was there first serious defeat at the hands of the Americans. For the IJN, it was a battle of attrition that bleed the naval aviation units of some of their best pilots and cost them numerous major warships.
The 1st Marine Division on Guadalcanal was organized under the D-Series TO&E of 1 July 1942. This would give it a total strength of 19,514 men.
Division HQ
Special Troops
HQ Battalion
HQ Company: 334 men
Signal Company: 267 men
MP Company: 96 men
Special Weapons Battalion
HQ & Service Battery: 99 men
3 Antitank Batteries, each: 100 men; 6 37mm SP ATg & 2 75mm SP ATg
Antiaircraft Battery: 307 men; 16 40mm M1 AAG
Antiaircraft Battery: 126 men; 6 90mm M1 AAG
Parachute Battalion
HQ Company: 106 men
3 Parachute Companies, each: 159 men; 3 60mm mortars
Light Tank Battalion
HQ & Service Company: 80 men
4 Tank Companies, each: 160 men; 18 M-2A4 light tanks
Scout Company: 175 men; 14 M-3A1 scout cars
Service Troops
Service Battalion
HQ Company: 55 men
Service & Supply Company: 352 men
Ordnance Company: 109 men
Division Transport Company: 116 men
3 Regimental Transport Companies, each: 109 men
Medical Battalion
HQ & Service Company: 16 men
5 Medical Companies, each: 98 men
Amphibian Tractor Battalion: 481 men; 100 amtrac, 59 support amtrac
Engineer Regiment
HQ & Service Company: 273 men
Engineer Battalion: 614 men
Pioneer Battalion: 743 men
Naval Construction Battalion: 822 men
Artillery Regiment
HQ & Service Battery: 159 men
105mm Howitzer Battalion
HQ & Service Battery: 154 men
3 Firing Batteries, each: 151 men; 4 M1A1 105mm howitzers
3 Pack Howitzer Battalions, each:
HQ & Service Battery: 152 men
3 Firing Batteries, each: 151 men; 4 M-1 75mm pack howitzers
3 Marine Infantry Regiments, each:
HQ & Service Company: 173 men
Regimental Weapons Company
Company HQ: 48 men
Gun Platoon: 34 men; 2 towed 75mm M1897A2 field guns
3 Antiaircraft & Antitank Gun Platoons, each: 38 men; 2 M1921A1 .50-cal
water-cooled AAMGs, 6 37mm M3A1 antitank guns
3 Infantry Battalions, each:
HQ Company: 111 men
Weapons Company
Company HQ: 29 men
Antiaircraft & Antitank Platoon: 2 M1921A1 .50-cal water-cooled AAMGs,
4 37mm M3A1 antitank guns
Mortar Platoon: 76 men; 4 81mm mortars
3 Machine Gun Platoons, each: 48 men; 12 M-1917A1 .30-cal water-
cooled HMGs
3 Rifle Companies, each: 183 men; 2 M-1919A1 .30-cal LMGs, 2 60mm
mortars
The Divisions was equipped with:
M-1911A1 .45-cal pistols: 798
M50/M55 .45-cal submachine guns: 4,208
M-1903-series .30-cal rifles: 10,953
M-1918A2 .30-cal Browning Automatic Rifles: 7,406
M-1917A1 .30-cal water-cooled HMGs: 544
M-1919A4 .30-cal LMGs: 656
M-1941 .30-cal LMGs (para bn only): 87
M-2HB .50-cal HMGs: 360
M-1921A1 .50-cal water-cooled HMGs: 32
M-3A1 37mm antitank guns: 54
M-6 37mm SP antitank guns: 20
M-1 40mm antiaircraft guns: 16
M-1 90mm antiaircraft guns: 6
M-3 75mm SP antitank guns: 6
M-1897A2 75mm field guns: 6
M-1A1 75mm pack howitzers: 36
M-2A1 105mm howitzers: 12
M-2 60mm mortars: 63
M-1 81mm mortars: 36
M-1 2.36-in rocket launchers (bazookas): 132
M-1 rifle grenade launchers: 456
M-2A4 light tanks: 72
M-3A1 scout cars: 14
LVT-1 troop amphibian tractors: 100
LVT-1 support amphibian tractors: 59
M-1 portable flamethrowers: 24
__________________
The reason that the American Army does so well in wartime, is that war is chaos, and the American Army practices chaos on a daily basis.
|