Could you please highlight the ongoing supply problems of the IJN and IJA in their defeat in the land and naval Battle of Guadalcanal?
I am impressed by how the tactical victories of the IJN contributed to their attrition. A summarial statement could be that the Americans can replace their losses and the Japanese cannot replace their losses. I would love it if you could flesh this out. Why couldn’t the IJN replace their losses? Thanks.
William Cabrol
Welcome to this forum. I am very interested in Guadalcanal and will write further topics about the campgain in the comming weeks. A short summary is that the naval battle was a kind if a draw as in the “iron bottom Sound” rests 42 warships, 21 from each side. Japan simply did not have access to the tonnes of steel it took to build freighters and warships at the scale they were lost. Nor had they fuel to proper train new crews. The troops on land would almost starve to death because Japan could not supply the needed tons of supplies. As an emergency they started to ferry men, ammunition and fuel in on fast going destroyers at night, and this is extremely unecconomical in the long run. But I will get back to this.
Tres cool, Finn!
Ya, those oil drums of supplies jettisoned from the destroyers epitomized hand to mouth subsistence.
Thank you for your quick response!
Bill