Key Battles of American History Parthenon

In this episode, Dave and James discuss the 1943 World War II war film Guadalcanal Diary, directed by Lewis Seiler. The film is based on the book of the same name by Richard Tregaskis. The film recounts the fight of the United States Marines in the Guadalcanal Campaign, which occurred only a year before the movie's release. While the film has notable battle scenes, its primary focus is on the characters and back stories of the Marines.

In this episode, Dave and James discuss the Battle of Tassafaronga, the final major naval battle of the Guadalcanal Campaign. They also narrate the Americans’ November Matanikau offensive (yes, another one!) and the beginning of the final American ground offensive. Finally, your intrepid hosts discuss the Japanese December 1942 decision to…well, listen, and you will find out what!

Undeterred by the failure of their October attempt to capture Henderson Field, the Japanese high command ordered that yet another, still bigger, attempt be made in November. This resulted in two massive ship-to-ship battles between November 13 and 15, in which dozens of warships and planes, plus over 3500 soldiers, sailors, and airmen were lost. Join Dave and James as they tell the exciting story of this epic naval clash, which has come to be known simply as the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal.

On October 26, American and Japanese naval forces clashed northeast of Guadalacanal in the fourth carrier battle of the war. Soon after this, General Vandegrift ordered offensives designed to extend the Marine perimeter both eastward and westward. And on November 4, the Second Marine Raider Battalion landed on the northeastern part of Guadalcanal and soon began chasing a Japanese force of 3000 that was trying to march to the west side of the island. The Raiders’ march, known now as the “Long Patrol,” would make Carlson’s Raiders legendary in the annals of war. In this episode, Dave and James narrate the thrilling stories of the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, the fourth Matanikau offensive, the Battle of Koli Point, and the Long Patrol.

In this episode, Dave and James discuss the second episode of HBO’s The Pacific. This episode deals primarily with the Battle of Henderson Field, especially Sgt. John Basilone’s role in the battle. Basilone and the Seventh Marines land on Guadalcanal to bolster the defenses around Henderson Field. During the Japanese attack on the Marine perimeter, Basilone, attempting to relocate his machine gun to a better position, bare-handedly cradles the hot barrel and severely burns his arms. Despite this, he continues fighting and kills scores of Japanese troops. Later, Basilone is awarded the Medal of Honor for his conduct during the battle.

Have you ever wondered if there was a group to reach North America before Christopher Columbus? Find out more in today's bonus episode from another Parthenon podcast "History of North America." Join host Mark Vinet as he discusses the search for the first non-indigenous explorers to reach the North American continent prior to Christopher Columbus’ 1492 voyage.  

If you like what you hear, subscribe to "History of North America" on Apple or Spotify and look for it on Parthenonpodcast.com