Invasion Beach "Red Beach"

This aerial photograph captures well the landscape of the opening chapters of the American campaign on Guadalcanal.

Under the wing of the aircraft, you can see the crescent shape of what was Red Beach, where American Marines landed on August 7, 1942.

In the center of the photograph, you can see a river flowing into the sea. That river is the Ilu, although Marine Corps mapmakers errantly labeled it as the Tenaru (which is further to the east).

The Battle of the Tenaru was fought on August 20-21, 1942 at Alligator Creek where the river flows into the sea. Marines of the 2nd battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, were dug in along the river bank on the right (the west side).

The Ichiki Detachment, so named after its Japanese commander, came along the beach front from the east (the left side of the photograph), crossing along what had been Red Beach, and attacked the Marine perimeter dug in on the banks of the Ilu.

In the battle’s last act, the 1st battalion, 1st Marines enveloped the Japanese by crossing the Ilu upstream—about a mile inland—and attacking through the palm groves down to the beaches, where it cut off the retreat of the Japanese forces, who fought to the last man.

The battle is featured in the HBO mini-series, The Pacific.

To the right of the river Ilu in this picture is Lunga Point, where the Marines had their first perimeter, in August 1942.

(Photo 4). Shown here is where C Company, 1st Marine Regiment, commanded by Capt. Nikolai Stevenson, landed.

For further reading:

—William Bartsch’s Victory Fever on Guadalcanal
—Richard Tregaskis’s Guadalcanal Diary
—Nikolai Stevenson’s Four Months on the Front Lines (American Heritage)

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Source

• Text: Matthew Stevenson
• Photos: Matthew Stevenson (1, 3, 4), U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command photo NH 97760 (2)
• Pacific Wrecks