" THIS IS GUADALCANAL " 1944 U.S. MARINE CORPS DOCUMENTARY FILM 23824

This black & white educational film is about the landing of U.S. Marines on Guadalcanal in 1942. This is from 1944.
Opening titles: This is Guadalcanal (:06-:49). Guadalcanal is shown on a map, the Marines took it. A Military officer talks about it (:50-1:51). Marines board a ship. They float by the San Francisco skyline and see the Golden Gate Bridge. The ship at sea. A few ships sail, men wait on the ships. Rough seas as the ships rock. Ships rendezvousing at night. Crews man their stations. August 7, 1942, the Navy Cruiser guns start firing at the shore. Japanese caught off guard as the ships fire a barrage of artillery. Gunnery officers observe (1:52-4:08). An officer looks through binoculars. Men swing over the sides of the ship onto cargo nets and then into rafts. Wave after wave of landing craft as fighter planes were a protective umbrella. The beach is ahead of them, no return fire, no opposition. Soldiers land on the island of Guadalcanal. Soldiers carry food in crates. On the beach, soldiers are ready. Soldiers lay barbed wire and create machine gun nests. Fox holes are made for Marines by Marines. Deserted Japanese camps. A Japanese uniform that is camouflaged is shown (4:09-6:32). Spikes placed on their boots show how they can be used to climb a tree. A Japanese flame thrower is tested. Japanese cannon turned around. Marines test the Japanese weapons and find them inferior to the USA product. A machine gun is tested. August 8, 1942, Marines walk. They take over a Japanese Airfield without resistance. The Marines raise a USA flag. Marines dig. They use Japanese steamrollers. They also use USA tractors and bulldozers. U.S. planes take off, U.S. SBD and Wildcat planes. Pilot exits a plane. The airfield has planes on it (6:33-9:11). A Navy plane lands and brings fuel. Navy Flying Fortresses. U.S. headquarters tent plan out the next operation. Marines walk and take jeeps. Aerial shot of the airfield. Hilltop became known as Bloody Ridge. Marines clear the brush and construct observation posts and foxholes. A Marine drinks, a picture of his girlfriend nearby. A field gun is fired. The guns are fired repeatedly. Binoculars pick up a Japanese plane and they fire at it, they hit it and it crashes into the trees. A flurry of Japanese planes fly by and a machine gun crew fires at them, they get another plane to crash. Japanese planes tore huge craters in the airfield and destroyed buildings. Airfield is smokey and parts lay in ruins (9:12-12:45). U.S. planes on the ground that have crashed or been destroyed. Aerial shot of the airfield. Wounded men placed onto planes to get them to safety. Hospital Station sign. Guadalcanal's one and only refrigerator. Marines bath in the river. Marines make biscuits. Marines eat good. News from home is posted on the board. Japanese POWs. The POWs are behind barbed wire. POWs are given humane treatment. Dead Japanese soldiers strewn about. U.S. Soldiers walk amongst the Japanese dead (12:46-15:46). A captured Japanese flag is displayed.
Admiral Nimitz decorates a few American heroes with medals. Three Marine pilots with Nimitz. Marines salute their fallen and play taps. The U.S. Army shows up to relieve the tired Marines. Army on the sand and on the road. Marines head for the ships to leave. Marines board ships and wave. U.S. flag flies over Guadalcanal
(15:47-17:51). A Military officer talks about taking and holding Guadalcanal (17:52-19:02). End credits (19:03-19:16).
The World War II Battle of Guadalcanal was the first major offensive and a decisive victory for the Allies in the Pacific theater. With Japanese troops stationed in this section of the Solomon Islands, U.S. marines launched a surprise attack in August 1942 and took control of an air base under construction. Reinforcements were funneled to the island as a series of land and sea clashes unfolded, and both sides endured heavy losses to their warship contingents. However, the Japanese suffered a far greater toll of casualties, forcing their withdrawal from Guadalcanal by February 1943.
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