Guadalcanal Campain

7 Pages 1826 Words

the northern channel was guarded by the US cruisers VINCENNES, ASTORIA and QUINCY, and two destroyers.
At great personal peril a number of Australians of the RAN’s Coastwatcher Service had remained behind in the Solomons, New Britain and New Guinea after the Japanese occupation and had maintained a lonely vigil gathering information on enemy movements, strengths and activities, which they passed on to the Allies by tele-radio. They saved the lives of scores of shot-down airmen and stranded sailors (including Lieutenant John Kennedy of the US navy, later to be President of the United States). Some went ashore as guides to the first waves of marines when they invaded at Guadalcanal.

The first reaction of the Japanese when news of the American landing at Guadalcanal - Tulagi reached their main base, Rabaul, was to despatch an air striking force of 27 bombers and 17 fighters to attack the invaders.
The air striking force took off from Rabaul at 9.30a.m. on 7th August and was seen by Coast-watcher Lieutenant Paul Mason as the aircraft flew over south Bougainville. At 11:37a.m. the Allied ships at Guadalcanal heard his direct voice transmitting the warning: ‘From STO. Twenty-four bombers headed yours.’
The raiders were still 5 - 10 kilornetres from their objective when Mason’s warning was received and by the time they arrived over Guadalcanal all Allied ships were under way and carrier fig...