I'm proposing a campaign for the battles of Guadalcanal which lasted from 7th August 1942 until 9th February 1943.

From Wikipedia
The Guadalcanal Campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by Allied forces, was a military campaign fought between 7 August 1942 and 9 February 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific theatre of World War II. It was the first major offensive by Allied forces against the Empire of Japan.

On 7 August 1942, Allied forces, predominantly American, landed on the islands of Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and Florida in the southern Solomon Islands with the objective of denying their use by the Japanese to threaten the supply and communication routes between the US, Australia, and New Zealand. The Allies also intended to use Guadalcanal and Tulagi as bases to support a campaign to eventually capture or neutralize the major Japanese base at Rabaul on New Britain. The Allies overwhelmed the outnumbered Japanese defenders, who had occupied the islands since May 1942, and captured Tulagi and Florida, as well as an airfield (later named Henderson Field) that was under construction on Guadalcanal. Powerful US naval forces supported the landings.

Surprised by the Allied offensive, the Japanese made several attempts between August and November 1942 to retake Henderson Field. Three major land battles, seven large naval battles (five nighttime surface actions and two carrier battles), and continual, almost daily aerial battles culminated in the decisive Naval Battle of Guadalcanal in early November 1942, in which the last Japanese attempt to bombard Henderson Field from the sea and land with enough troops to retake it was defeated. In December 1942, the Japanese abandoned further efforts to retake Guadalcanal and evacuated their remaining forces by 7 February 1943 in the face of an offensive by the US Army's XIV Corps, conceding the island to the Allies.

The Guadalcanal campaign was a significant strategic combined arms victory by Allied forces over the Japanese in the Pacific theatre. The Japanese had reached the peak of their conquests in the Pacific, and Guadalcanal marked the transition by the Allies from defensive operations to the strategic offensive in that theatre and the beginning of offensive operations, including the Solomon Islands, New Guinea, and Central Pacific campaigns, that resulted in Japan's eventual surrender and the end of World War II.

I'd like this to start in August and run for a year, any ship from these battles, all scales. Also considering opening this up to the 'Flyboys' and 'mud pluggers'

Let me know what you think.

The Guadalcanal campaign is the last time the IJN was in a position to win the overall battle: they defeated the USN soundly on several occasions (the most notorious being Savo Island), and had they been able to project their army over sea to Guadalcanal, then it's entirely possible the outcome might have been different.

The Cactus Air Force saved the Navy's bacon and kept the re-supply of troops and materiel from really impacting the USMC and later US Army troops on the ground.

I would love to maybe do the MiniArt bulldozer and perhaps a Wildcat fighter. I already did a Corsair from the period.

Bill, nice to have you along. I'll post links to the Flyboys and grunts to see what interest I can dig up with them.

Luciana

I am in with the Heavy Cruiser IJN Chokia. I think having the airdales and mud sluggers is a great idea

Dave

Luciano,

I'd be interested in joining! I have a Tamiya 1/350 Fletcher that I'd like to build as the ill-fated DD-469 USS DeHaven. I think she was the first Fletcher lost when she was dive-bombed on the afternoon of February 1, 1943. Two-thirds of her crew were lost.

Daniel

Dave, Daniel welcome aboard, lets hope we can get this one going.

If all goes to plan I hope to build the USS Portland for this campaign using the Trumpeter Indy 1944 kit as a base or a Jap cruiser if I can get one by then.

Well as one of the flyboys I would interested in building an Airacobra that was present on Guadalcanal at the end'42.

Hi Luciano,

Good to meet you at Southern Expo today, I am in with USS Laffey, I have had a quick google, she was there, sunk there in fact on 13th November 1942.

Si

Howdy Y'all
Count me in with a ship or airplane, won't know until the campaign begins.
Take care,
Don "Lakota"

I join up with a Marine dio for the party. Either an Edisons ridge or Dragons cannal figures on patrol. But a 1/32nd wildcat is sitting in the stash also.

Count me in.
Probably do a Japanese aircraft, its been so long since I built a Jap plane.
Andy

Thanks guys for your support, I count nine interested so far so only need one more then I'll submit this.

It'll be good to see the mix of different subjects for this.

Well, after looking at my stash I realised the IJN Chokai I have is the 1944 version so I'll be changing my entry to the USS North Carolina

Dave

Another flyboy would be up for this. SBD perhaps or F4F

Robert good to have you on board, that also means we now have the magic ten so I'll be submitting the campaign.

Great stuff Luciano,

Looking forward to this one.

Si

Hmmm.. I have the 1942 version, but was she in the area?

Warren

IJN Chokai was involved in the battle for Guadalcanal

Dave

OK, for the thoroughly ignorant among us (ie: zoomies), what other equipment is appropriate? The ships might not be too hard to figure out, but what about land based stuff?

Mark, the battle of Guadalcanal or the Guadalcanal campaign (it's known as both) was fought mainly by the US marines, US Navy and a mixed bag of aircraft nicknamed the Cactus Air Force. There were US army troops also involved along with some allied troops, ships and aircraft and the Seabees who helped sort out the airfield.

Check out this link to Wiki for the background and info on the 'longest' land battle of the war. Just do a Google search and you'll have no problem finding web sites with info of the battles.

Here's the order of battle for the land forces. It would appear that armour if that's what you're after is limited to M2A1 light tanks and LVT-1 amphibs

Here's the Air power order of battle

Thanks, I remember "Guadalcanal Diary". There's probably no way I can get a ship done in a campaign time frame. I guessed all but the P-39 and Hudson for the planes. The armor intrigues me as I could use a reason to buy an LVT-1 or an M2A1.

Hi all

Here is a great url for the Guadalcanal Campain

http://pwencycl.kgbudge.com/G/u/Guadalcanal.htm

Dave

Mark I do hope to have this campaign run for a year, us shipbuilders are a bit slower most of the time than the rest of you so you should be able to get it done, after all I'm planning on taking a 1944 Indy and not only backdating it to 1942 but converting it into the Portland. What did you have in mind?

Dave, thanks thats a nice link.

Thanks Dave. Excellent site.

Oh BTW I am in!

Now to see what everyone else is building.

Warren, It'll be good to have you with us.

Campaign has been submitted