BATTLE FOR TULAGI

h [Music] this is dagi former seat of the British Solomon Islands government presently occupied by the Japanese knes tulagi 4,000 yd long 1,000 yd wide with a Hogback rids 350 ft High commanding its entire length we will land on the western coast deploy across the WID then move Southeast the enemy is here some say 1700 others 8,000 today is August 7th 1942 by tomorrow we'll know the real [Music] answer here is your host General Holland M Smith former Commanding General Fleet Marine Force Pacific area United States Marine Corps the tul kabutu tbog operations were simultaneous with the first Landings on gu Canal we needed to logy for its excellent Harbor to achieve this the operation was planned in three phases a landing near helita on Florida Island to protect the Left Flank of the main thrust the seizure of the main objective toi and the capture of the twin islands of gavutu Tano chagi offered a serious tactical challenge to begin with it is completely surrounded on three sides by Carl reef and the Japanese fortified the island with this in mind they placed their defenses on the East and Southeast the only places where a normally intelligent enemy would attack but Admiral gley and general Vandergriff evaluated the potential loss of a frontal attack and decided it would be too costly we had no men or material to lose if another Beach could be found we could achieve two valuable assets tactical surprise and absence of enemy resistance although the supply of amphibious craft was inadequate and 12 of those available were not for Duty they chose to cross the reef on the western coast of the island about 2,000 yards below the Northwestern extremity near the site of a small Cemetery the Japanese had explored such a possibility but had dismissed it on the grounds that only a crazy man would try such a land for a while it appeared they might be right it is 7:20 a.m. Marine Flyers strap and bomb clearing the [Music] way the San Juan and Buchanan add covering fire while the Manon pours 60 rounds onto the Promontory point of Florida Island where our buddies of the second marinees commanded by Captain Edward J crane are landing [Music] it is 7:32 for us this is baptism of fire our thoughts are sealed beneath the tenseness of the hour [Music] the reath they warned us about is just ahead we are stuck of the eight boats in the assault wave none reaches the shore so we wait but the attack planned by the officers has achieved complete surprise we do not lose a man in the surf or to enemy action we probe cautiously but quickly Company B first Raider Battalion climbs the hog [Music] back Goes Down The Far Side and occupies the village of [Music] sappi we move forward for the rest of the morning until 11:20 that [Music] is company D and Company B are joined by companies A and E they are most [Music] welcome our free Advance is over from here in we fight Colonel Edson asore maintained contact with Brigadier General William a rupis assistant division Commander near Hill 280 SE company ran into heavy fire from automatic [Music] weapons it took an hour but SE company cleared them out but Hill 281 was another matter [Music] at 12:40 Colonel Edson called for Ariel and naal support the San Juan complied [Music] in 7 minutes she poured a 280 round concentration of 5 in fire into the designated Target 4 hours later the enemy broke contact and with grw our first day of battle is drawing to a close shortly before dusk we come upon a deep ravine running East and West we anchor our company lines upon its perimeter and dig in for the [Music] night Intelligence Officers scan material captured or recovered from the enemy dead and an interesting thing is revealed we are camped upon the edge of the hard core of enemy [Music] resistance it comes what we've been expecting banai they strike in force between a and C companies our forward position is thrown back into company lines C company is isolated by the attack a company has to refuse a dangling flank we are somewhat confused but we are not dismayed they change direction of thrust and strike at a company's exposed flank they throw the book at us we get the message and send it back [Music] [Applause] we are green but we are stubborn they Retreat leaving 30 dead at the very muzzle of our guns two more attempts are made to crack us then individuals infiltrate to the very walls of the command post the light of dawn shows how they fared the final assault to wipe out the enemy was fastpaced company Z and F second Battalion fifth Marines took up positions on the northeast slope of Hill 281 the other companies on the perimeter of the Ravine the Raiders poured heavily concentrated 60 mm mortifier into the [Music] area the second Battalion fifth Marines opened up with a head heavier 81 mm Mor the concentration continued until mid-afternoon then by dusk it is finished tulagi Is Ours from gavutu tanam Boo comes the faint echo of that battle we wonder how our buddies of the parachute Battalion are fairing [Music] parachute Battalion on gavutu Tano had encountered stiff resistance from the start from Hill 148 on gavu and Hill 121 on tan Boo the enemy commanded every approach to either Island since fewer than a thousand yards separated them Crossfire could be used at all times the northeastern coast of gavutu was chosen we could not avoid the frontal and flanking fire as there was no possible way to achieve surprise gavutu and tanmoku dominated taba and we had to capture them to neutralize enemy Firepower and reduce it to its minimum Effectiveness the San Juan in four minutes hurls 280 rounds of 8in gunfire against gavutu then planes from the aircraft carrier wasp take over [Music] [Applause] [Music] but when You' blasted and rounded and blown everything Skyhigh you still have to call in the ground troops our parachute Battalion is under strength we have only 351 men and officers to face whatever enemy we will find on gatu we are armed with a few Rising submachine guns a three rifles some Browning automatics and three Johnson auto rifles we are going in with three thin assault waves a company all 102 of it hits the beach gets ashore without casualties moves Inland without serious opposition B company follows 4 minutes have elap they are the only peaceful minutes we are to [Music] know they hit us at Sea on the beach everywhere [Music] B company drives toward the southern end of the island soon they are partially protected from the enemy fire on Hill 148 and the crossfire coming from tanam BOGO 7 minutes later C and miscellaneous attachments really we get [Music] it nothing is for free on [Music] tulagi they are on our right from tanoko across the Thousand yd C way they fire into us they're on our left and they know the range they are on the crest above us and they lob the hot stuff down we wondered if 351 men and officers were enough now we know the answer they are [Music] not we call on the Navy From The Far Side of pagi out of sight of that Target the EXP Gunners of the deanan and Monson laid down a precise pattern of 5 in shells the devastating enemy fire from tan BOGO was depleting our already two small companies this is our first battle but instinctively we know know that there aren't enough of us to bring it off without more help the fire from that other island [Music] is Major Miller who had succeeded the wounded major Williams realized tanoka had to be taken he asked for reinforcements there are none other battle areas are checked for available troops wadle Canal none available and too far away tagi all engaged or to be committed Florida Island Baker company second regiment having met no resistance has secured its objective and is in process of being evacuated General reris assigns them the mission the entire company is crowded into six Landing trap and is guided to tanum boo they are told that only snipers defend the island but disaster at the hands of a friend is on the way Naval gunfire ignites an enemy fuel dump and in its light B company is cut to Pieces D company fourth platoon manages to set up two machine guns on the pier enemy fire forces them to withdraw aore Captain Crane and 30 men are also forced to withdraw 12 are evacuated Under Fire we are now without reserves all units committed message from general repus to general vandagriff action is prompt [Music] the USS President Hayes and president Adams will proceed with the second and third battalions second Marines from Red Beach guad Canal to Blue Beach and report to General repus for Duty [Music] by mid morning of 8 August they are in battle two tanks land on to boogo at [Music] 1615 one is set a fire by enemy oil soaked Rags at a loss of 42 Japanese I company comes ashore at 1630 and seases the lower approaches to Hill 121 the first platoon K company charges across the causeway and by 1700 2/3 of tanum BOGO is in our hands the evening of D + 2 equals Victory achievement [Music] fatigue D + three equals reassignment and the end of the RS brought ashore D + 4 equals the beginning of hunger for those who will stay behind to consolidate against possible enemy Counterattack for the Marines of e25 Company E second Battalion fifth Marines D4 through D14 equals subsistence on captured rice plus 1 gallon of tomatoes for the parachute Battalion it equals one meal per day Sands extra clothing mess gear necessary Comforts of life and field bedding lost when the landing craft carrying their roles are recalled to ship during an air raid alarm and the gear is thrown into the sea to lighten the boats sufficiently for the cranes to lift them aboard but the memory of these hardships will fade into dimness losing their sharp outlines in the blood Storehouse of obscurity while the memory of the task they accomplished will continue to live and glow in the knowledge that they fought the good fight they kept the faith with themselves their country and their core they were Marin [Music] a l [Music]