INTRODUCTION
Guadalcanal is a comprehensive strategy war game which covers the
battle for the island between American and Japanese forces in the latter
months of 1942. Allowing total control overall the fighting forces of either
side, the game has been designed with case of play in mind and is
completely icon-driven. Although the game is easy enough to learn by
picking up the joystick and referring to the icon indexes as you go along,
victory will be hard to achieve unless you have a full understanding of the
rules and objectives. We suggest that you learn how to use your forces
before attempting the full campaign scenarios.
As in the actual battle, the main object of the game is to win control of
Guadalcanal Island (see enclosed map) – this may be achieved in many
ways. As Commander-in-Chief, you have land, air, sea and intelligence
forces at your disposal, and must build them upon the island. Transport
ships may be used to ferry in troops and supplies while the navy and air
force are deployed to protect your interests and attack the enemy. You also
have aircraft carriers at your command, along with their strike
capabilities.
On the island itself are your supply bases and harbours, giving support
to all your land forces. Henderson Field is the biggest prize of all and
must be protected at all costs. The Intelligence Corps may be used for
espionage purposes and has a vital role in decision-making: all enemy
movements and positions are hidden and may only be found by skilful use
of your scouts and seaplane.
There are many factors which govern the outcome of the conflict and
no game will be the same. You will find a full history of the battle near the
back of the manual.
LOADING INSTRUCTIONS
Commodore 64/128 Disk
1. Turn on your disk drive and computer.
2. If you are using a Commodore 128 type the following:
GO64 then press RETURN
Y then press RETURN
3. Insert the disk in your disk drive, label side up.
4. Plug a joystick into port 2.
5. Type LOAD “”,8,1, and press RETURN. After a short while, the
title screen will appear.
Commodore 64/128 Cassette
1. Turn on your computer. If you are using a Commodore 128 type the
following:
GO64 then press RETURN
Y then press RETURN
2. Insert the cassette into your datacassette, side A facing upwards, and
ensure it is fully rewound.
3. Plug a joystick into port 2.
4. Hold down the SHIFT key, then press the key marked RUN/STOP.
Spectrum 48K/12SK/+ Cassette
If you are using a 128K/+ machine then select 48K mode.
Type: LOAD “” and then press ENTER.
Amstrad CPC Disc
1. Cassette based computer with additional disc drive (i.e. CPC 464)
Type: DISC and press RETURN then type RUN”DISC and press
RETURN
2. Disc based computer (i.e. CPC 6128)
Type: RUN”DISC and press RETURN
Amstrad CPC Cassette
1. Cassette based computer (i.e. CPC 464)
Press CTRL and the small ENTER keys simultaneously.
2. Disk based computer with additional cassette player (i.e. CPC 6128)
Type: TAPE and press RETURN then press CTRL and the small ENTER
key simultaneously.
All programs will run automatically after loading is complete.
GAME SCENARIOS
On the disc (or cassette) are a number of scenarios. These are selected
from the menu which appears on-screen when the game has loaded.
Simply move the joystick to highlight the required game and press the fire
button. The selected scenario will now load.
SCENARIO 1: A short three-day battle in which the player takes the
American side. This is intended for gaining battle experience only.
SCENARIO 2: The full Guadalcanal campaign, with the player
commanding the American side.
SCENARIO 3: Once again the complete campaign, but with the player
in the control of the Japanese forces.
SAVED GAME: A facility to allow the player to load and play a
previously saved game position. You are prompted to enter a filename
(up to eight letters) followed by ENTER, after which the required data
will load. Pressing ESC during filename entry will abort the operation.
GETTING STARTED
Your disc or cassette already contains a saved game (SIDE A: GAME,
SIDE B: SCENARIOS) for a special scenario which gives you a few US
units but no enemy. This is designed for learning the game and its
controls. If you have the cassette version then this is the first block on the
Scenarios side. From the loading screen select ‘SAVED GAME’ and
type in TRAINER. Special note – Amstrad CPC cassette and disc
users: unplug the joystick before typing the filename. There are no
victories in this scenario, so to finish it you must use the SCRAP
GAME master icon. Most of the references to game play will now
assume you have this scenario loaded and you are reading the manual.
THE SCREEN
The game display is divided into two halves. In the top half are the
master icons and information on all the general features of game (anything
not concerned with units): the control icons and information for the units
themselves are in the lower half.
To the top right you will see a clock face and a box showing the date
and digital time. This runs at a speed of 1 minute for every 10 seconds of
real time. The clock NEVER stops, although it may be speeded up.
Beside the digital clock is the ‘phase’ indicator which has four different
positions: dawn, daylight, dusk and night. This is used mostly for aircraft
timing, as they may not be launched at night and any air capability will be
cancelled at dusk.
The flag in the top right corner simply shows you which side you are
commanding (a useful reminder for saved games.)
Above the clocks are ten icons – the MASTER ICONS. Each has a
specific purpose which is explained in detail later in the manual. A master
icon is selected by moving the joystick until the chosen icon is highlighted
and has the small arrow pointing to it. Pressing the fire button will then
activate that function. The first icon shows a miniature map. Pressing fire
on this will put you in control of the lower half of the screen.
The long, narrow map below the master icons is the STRATEGIC
MAP, and represents the overall battle zone. The large land mass along the
bottom of this map is Guadalcanal Island. To the east arc Americancontrolled
waters, while the Japanese waters are on the west. You will
notice several flashing markers on the strategic map. These indicate the
position of any active units. However, the markers do not distinguish
between friend and foe, or the units type.
The main feature of the strategic map is the large white rectangle.
Directly beneath the overall map, in the lower game area, is an expanded
view of the area enclosed by this rectangle. This ‘window’ is the BATTLE
MAP: it shows the features and units of the smaller area in detail, and may
be moved to any position in order to examine or control your units.
In the lower right of the display is the REPORT BOX, which shows all
the information on your forces.
Finally, at the very top of the screen is the RADIO, where all incoming
messages are displayed.
MASTER ICONS
On the main display, just above the clocks, are ten squares. These are
the MASTER ICONS and control aspects of the game not concerned
with units themselves but with the game generally.
To select any icon, simply move the joystick until the required square is
highlighted and has a small arrow pointing to it. Pressing the fire button
will now execute that function.
MAP TOGGLE
Toggles between the battle map and the
master icons. If this icon is highlighted and
fire is pressed, then control will be passed to
the battle map cursor. If the battle map
cursor is NOT over any unit and fire is
pressed, control will return to the master
icons.
CLOCK WINDER
While the fire button is held down, the
clock will advance at great speed. Simply
release the button to return to the normal
game speed.
Be careful with this function. You are
advised not to advance the clock while there
are incoming messages until you are certain
of their importance.
SCOUT SELECTION
A list of your six scouts is
displayed, along with their current
condition. To activate any scout,
move the joystick until the desired
rank is highlighted and press the fire
button. The scout will now show
ACTIVE. Press the fire button once
more to return to the master icons.
Only one scout may be active at any
time and will appear next to your
base on Guadalcanal.
INTELLIGENCE
Two boxes are displayed – one
marked ESPIONAGE, the other
COUNTER ESPIONAGE. Each
box has a figure in its centre, which
represents the percentage of
personnel assigned to each. Move
the joystick left and right to adjust
these figures, or press fire to return
to the master icons. For a full
description of its effect see the
INTELLIGENCE section.
STATUS
This displays three columns
showing the active fleets, land units
and air units (if any) along with a
colour-coded condition, as follows:
Green – OK.
Yellow – Weak or in need of
attention.
Red – Critical.
Flashing – Currently in combat or
under attack.
Press fire again to return to master
icons.
WEATHER
The simplest of all, this icon
displays the current weather
conditions: GOOD, POOR or
STORMY (see WEATHER
EFFECTS).
NAVAL LOSSES
Any ships larger than a destroyer
which have been sunk during the
battle will be displayed here in
chronological order. Only your
losses are shown.
HOLD
The clocks are stopped and any
movements or battles are frozen,
although any backlog of messages
are still decoded to the radio display.
Simply press fire again to restart the
clocks.
SAVE GAME
May be selected at any time during
the game. Type in the filename you
wish to call your position (up to eight
characters) and press ENTER.
Special note – Amstrad CPC
cassette and disc users: unplug the
joystick before typing the
filename. The complete state of the
game is saved, but you will lose any
message currently being decoded
to the display. Once saved, the
display will reset and place the
master icon to MAP TOGGLE.
(Pressing the ESC key will abort
this function if selected in error).
The complete state of the game is
saved, but you will lose any message
currently being decoded to the
display. Once saved, the display will
reset and place the master icon to
MAP TOGGLE. (Pressing the ESC
key will abort this function
if selected in error).
SCRAP GAME
Should you wish to load another
scenario or a previously saved game,
this will return you to the main
menu. The current game will be lost
unless you have saved it. There is a
delay of two or three seconds built
into this icon in case it is selected by
accident. You need to hold the fire
button down until the main menu
appears.
UNITS
There are six types of unit for each of the opposing forces: Fleets, Land
Units, Aircraft, Seaplanes, Bases and Scouts. Units are represented on the
strategic map by small flashing dots, and on the battle map by square
symbols. In the symbol descriptions that follow, references to “colour”
mean white for the Americans, red for the Japanese.
FLEETS
Naval Task groups are split into three categories - Escort groups,
Carrier groups and Transport groups. Each has its own characteristics and
requires the correct tactics for its most effective use. The map symbol is a
black anchor on a coloured background.
ESCORT GROUPS consist mainly of heavy gunships and are best used
as naval cover for other groups, land bombardment, scouting and so on.
A CARRIER GROUP will contain at least one aircraft carrier, which
makes a strong, protective escort with its own Combat Air Parol (CAP).
Its strike aircraft capability makes it one of the most effective weapons
against enemy shipping and can win a battle if used wisely. The carriers
are your most precious asset and should be treated as such. Sending them
into an all-out sea battle is NOT a recommended strategy. Note that,
unlike the other air units, the CAP is not under your direct control but
simply patrols the skies above its carrier – so it has no map symbol.
TRANSPORT GROUPS are your army's lifeline. At great risk, they
bring supplies to the island, without which the troops would starve, be
unable to defend their positions, or even collapse from malaria. The whole
strategy of Guadalcanal depends upon the strength of your forces on the
island, and thus your skill with the transports.
Each type of naval unit has its own defensive capability but none are
indestructable.
LAND UNITS
Most of the American units on the island are from the Marine Corps,
although Australian forces were also present during the battle for
Guadalcanal. The strength of each unit depends upon its level of supply.
Arms and ammunition speak for themselves, although if one becomes
zero then the other is irrelevant (that is, the weapons become useless
without ammunition, and vice versa).
Each unit suffers from malaria according to the length of time it has
spent on the island: this can have a devastating effect on the fighting
ability of the unit, no matter how well equipped it is. Malaria levels may
be decreased only by the issue of medical supplies. Finally, morale plays a
large part of the unit’s combat fitness. The longer a unit is in battle, the
more its morale drops, taking the strength with it. However, while not in
battle, morale will slowly rise. General supplies will have a more
immediate effect on morale.
Marine units have an extra ability not available to the Japanese infantry.
DIGGING-IN almost doubles the unit’s fighting strength but may only be
used as a defensive measure. Once ‘dug-in’ the unit becomes unable to
move until ordered to ‘move-out’, an operation taking some time to
execute.
Only a few units are present on the island at the start of each scenario.
As commander, you must decide when, if ever, to bring in more troops on
the transport ships or strengthen those already on the island. A coloured
square with a black centre is a U. S. troop unit, a coloured square with a
white centre is a Japanese troop unit.
AIRCRAFT
Air units may be based cither on a carrier or at Henderson Field - they
are represented by a coloured airplane on a black background. The units
based at Henderson will arrive at appropriate times during the battle. The
use of these aircraft is limited by the number of points you have stored of
aviation fuel at the base - no fuel, no takeoffs. There are no such
restrictions to the carrier units, but any damage incurred by the carriers
will affect the launching ability of the aircraft. If the deck itself becomes
damaged then no launching or landing of aircraft will be possible until it
is repaired. Damage to Henderson Field will also prevent aircraft activity
but the engineers on the island will inform you of how long the repairs
will take. The airfield is only a clearing, and repairs are a simple case of
filling in the holes...
All air units based on a carrier are followed by an identifying letter. For
example, all those based on the Enterprise are called Unit 1E, 2E and so
on. The American code name for Guadalcanal Island during the battle was
Cactus. Aircraft based at Henderson Held thus became known as the
‘Cactus Air Force’. Any air unit which is based al Henderson is labelled
CAF1, CAF2 etc. It is important to remember where their home base is
when returning aircraft to refuel. The carrier they came from may not be
there when they return!
You should also note that carrier air units may land on any other carrier
or even at Henderson Field. CAF UNITS MAY ONLY LAND ON
HENDERSON. They will not be given permission to land on carriers - the
capacity of aircraft carriers was limited and they had only sufficient crews
to deal with their own aircraft.
Once launched, an air unit has only a few hours of flying time and only
10 minutes of ammunition. When attacking a target, the fuel will decrease
at a faster rate than when flying to or from the target. If the unit should
run out of fuel before it has landed, it will ditch and be lost.
For an air unit to attack its target it must he within one map square and
have at least one minute of ammunition. N.B. Aircraft Fuel and
Ammunition is displayed in the report box after selection of the status
icon. Due to the altitude at which these units flew, they will not show up
any hidden enemy units but must be directed by cither your seaplane (see
below) or any other unit which can see the target. When all its
ammunition has been used, the air unit must return to re-arm before it can
make any further strikes.
Launching aircraft will take a few minutes before the whole unit is
airborne. Landing aircraft may be executed at any time, but if there are
any aircraft on the runway they will be moved off and any launch order
cancelled.
Finally, the effect of an air strike will depend on how many aircraft are
in the unit. If the target has its own CAP then the effect will be even less.
Some aircraft losses are inevitable whatever the target due to anti-aircraft
fire.
SEAPLANE
All enemy forces will remain unseen unless they move within range of
your fleets, bases or land units. The seaplane, however, may fly over any
sea region in search of enemy shipping. Its range of vision is limited:
during poor weather its vision is at its lowest range while in stormy
weather the seaplane will not fly at all. Unlike air units, the seaplane
needs no refuelling but has no fighting ability. Any enemy unit found will
be reported by radio and shown on both maps. Placing the cursor over the
enemy unit will then inform you what it is and, depending on its type, any
other relevant information that the seaplane has found.
Note that air units may only attack a target if it is visible and that the
seaplane lands at 1800 hours each day. Once landed, any visible targets
disappear!
Your seaplane is represented by a coloured airplane on a blue
background.
BASES
There are three bases on Guadalcanal. Two of these are Japanese and
are simply supply dumps – they are shown in red. The third is Henderson
Field, which has an air capability of its own and is also the supply dump
for the US troops. It is indicated on the map in white.
Just above each base is a coloured anchor on a blue background, which
represents the safe harbour for that base, where transport ships may drop
anchor. Supplies unloaded from the transporters will be moved into the
base for storage. These may then be transferred at any time to the land
units. The Japanese bases have no airfields and serve only as a transfer
point for incoming supplies.
Bases are vulnerable to attack from any source: aircraft, land units and
naval bombardment. Any defense is automatic and unseen, although the
CAP at Henderson will reduce the effect of an air raid if airborne.
Damage to the base may vary but will cause loss of supplies, aviation fuel
or, worst of all, the airfield may be damaged enough to close it for a few
hours-very unfortunate if a CAP unit is airborne.
SCOUTS
Scouts serve the same purpose on the island as the seaplane over the sea
regions. Any enemy land units will be made visible if your scout finds
them and he will radio the sighting to you. At the start of each scenario
there are six scouts of varying rank, the more efficient the scout. They
have only their wits to protect them and once lost, a scout cannot be
recovered but may be replaced with another. The MASTER ICON section
explains how to activate a scout which appear on the map as a camera
above the flag of his nation. If you are uncertain about any unit simply
move the command cursor over its position and the report box will
identify it.
THE MAPS – AN INTRODUCTORY TOUR
The upper STRATEGIC MAP is an overall view showing where your
forces are and the area you are currently controlling. All control of units is
carried out in the lower BATTLE MAP.
To switch control to the battle map, move the joystick until the top left
master icon (with the miniature map) is highlighted, and press the fire
button. The icon now returns to normal and the arrow disappears. You
will notice that a pulsation ‘cursor’ has now appeared on the battle map.
For the time being DO NOT move it. This command cursor controls all
your units, and the positioning of the window on the upper map.
If you now press fire again, the cursor will disappear and the first icon
will again be highlighted. Control has now returned to the master icons.
When the fire button is pressed while the cursor in the battle map is NOT
over a unit, control will always return to the master icons.
Now press fire once more, returning to the battle map. Hold the joystick
to the right and the cursor will move across the battle map until it reaches
the edge. Keep holding to the right and the window will start to scroll.
Notice that thewhite rectangle on the strategic map followsthe battle map…
Still pushing right, hold down the fire button – the window will fastscroll
until the far right-hand edge of the map is reached. Make sure you
release the fire button before the joystick or you will return to icon
control. (If this does happen, just press fire again).
To move the cursor, simply move the joystick in the direction you wish
to travel. To scroll at speed, first move the joystick and then hold down
the fire button. Remember, if you press the button first you will return to
the master icons.
On the far right of the battle map you will see a column of white
anchors. Move the cursor over any of them and you will see “SUPPLY 
PORT” appear on the top of the report box. Whenever the cursor is placed
over a unit or map feature this line will shows its name.
The line of anchors are the US supply harbours and are NOT units.
They may not be moved or altered but are a feature of the map. These will
be explained later.
Now fast-scroll to the far left of the map, where you should see a line of
red anchors. These are the Japanese supply harbours. Generally, the
Japanese control waters in the left half of the map while the US fleets
control the right.
In the lower centre of the strategic map is Guadalcanal Island. Move the
cursor until the white rectangle is somewhere over the Island. You should,
now be able to see some units. Generally, American units are white,
Japanese are red.
Without fast scrolling, move across the map until you can see another
white anchor with a blue background on the coast of the island, and place
the cursor over it. The report box should now read “Lunga Point”.
This solitary anchor represents the safe harbour, the place where US
troops and supplies may be off-loaded onto the island from the transport
ships. These troops and supplies are loaded onto the transport ships from
ANY white anchor (supply port) on the far edge of the map. You must
ferry supplies from the supply port to the island.
Just below Lunga Point, on land, is the American base named
Henderson. All American supplies brought to the island will be stored
here. Move the cursor over this and press the fire button. The report box
will now show a list of CONTROL ICONS, each of which allows you to
perform different actions with this unit. Every unit has its own types of
control icons, which are accessed by positioning the cursor over the unit
and pressing fire.
On the second line of the report box you will see the word EXIT– this
is the name of the currently highlighted control icon. If you move the
joystick to the right, each of the icons will be highlighted and its
respective name shown above. The function of each icon is dealt with in
detail in the CONTROL ICONS section. Move the joystick to the left
until EXIT is highlighted and press the button. All the icons will now
disappear and you have control of the cursor once more.
The Japanese have two safe harbours, Tassafaronga and Taivu Point,
marked by red anchors on a blue background. These serve the nearby
supply dumps of Guadalcanal West and East respectively.
Guadalcanal Island is large and forms the main feature of the map.
Although fighting was taking place on other islands in the area, for the
purposes of this game all land combat occurs on Guadalcanal itself. Apart
from the blue areas, which are obviously sea, green indicates normal land
areas, dark green areas are dense jungle and brown areas are mountain
ranges. Army units may not move onto mountainous or sea regions but
their mobility alters with the terrain on which they are positioned. If any
unit is moved to map location on which it may not go, then the unit will
stop.
Several US units are shown on the map. Try moving the cursor over
each of them, and fast-scroll over the whole map until you are confident
about controlling the battle map. When you become accustomed to the
controls and you can use all your units, try Scenario 1. This will ease you
into the game, building up to the full campaign scenarios. To get the most
from each scenario you may have to refer to the rest of the manual.
WARSHIP CODES
CV Aircraft Carrier
BB Battleship
CA Heavy Cruiser
CL Light Cruiser
DD Destroyer
AP Transporter
ORDER OF BATTLE
USA - SOUTH PACIFIC FORCE
Vice Admiral Ghormley (until the 18th October 1942)
Vice Admiral William F. Halsey (from 18 October 1942)
Task Force T. F. 16 CV Enterprise
Task Force T. F. 17 CV Hornet
Task Force T. F. 64 BB Washington
Task Force T. F. 67 Transport and Escort
 NAVY:
CV ENTERPRISE CA PORTLAND
CV HORNET CA NORTHAMPTON
BB WASHINGTON CL HELENA
BB SOUTH DAKOTA CL JUNEAU
CA SAN FRANSISCO CL ATLANTA
CA PENSACOLA CL SAN DIEGO
25 Destroyers 7 Transporters
 TROOPS AVAILABLE FOR TRANSPORT:
1st Marines
2nd Marines
4th Marines
7th Marines
164th Infantry Americal Division
 TROOPS BASED ON THE ISLAND:
11th and 5th Marines (less detachments)
1st Tank Battalion (less detachments)
1st Engineer Battalion
1st Pioneer Battalion
1st Amphibian Tractor Battalion
1st Medical Battalion
1st Military Police Company
2nd Platoon, 1st Scout Company
 AIRCRAFT:
Henderson Field
All aircraft of Task Force 63, Rear Admiral Aubrey W. Fitch
Combat Air Patrol
C.A.F. 1, 2 and 3 (by carrier ferry)
CV Enterprise
Combat Air Patrol
Unit 1E, 2E and 3E
CV Hornet
Combat Air Patrol
Unit 1H and 2H
 BASES:
Henderson Field, Guadalcanal.
Noumea, Espiritu Santo (off-map).
JAPAN - COMBINED FLEET
Admiral Yamamoto
Raiding Group
Carrier Group
Support Group
Transport Group
 NAVY:
CV JUNYO CA CHOKA1
CV HIYO CA KINUGASA
CV SHOKAKU CA SUZUYA
CV ZUIKAKU CA MAYA
BB HIEI CA TAKAO
BB KIRISHIMA CL NAGARA
BB HARUNA CL SENDAI
BB KONGO CL TENRYU
CA ATAGO CL ISUZU
CA TONE
37 Destroyers 11 Transporters
 TROOPS AVAILABLE FOR TRANSPORT:
1st Division
2nd Division
38th Division
Sendai Division
 AIRCRAFT:
CV Junyo
Combat Air Patrol
Units 1J ,2J and 3J
CV Shokaku
Combat Air Patrol
Units 1S and 2S
 BASES:
Guadalcanal West at Tassafaronga.
Guadalcanal East at Taivu Point.
High Command at Rabaul (off-map).
RANKINGS
NAVY
US Navy Japanese Navy
ADMIRAL KAIGUN TAISHO
VICE-ADMIRAL KAIGUN CHUJO
REAR ADMIRAL KAIGUN SHOSHO
COMMODORE KAIGUN TAISA
CAPTAIN KAIGUN CHUSA
COMMANDER KAIGUN SHOSA
SEAMAN NITO HEI
SCOUTS
US Scouts Japanese Scouts
CAPTAIN TAI-I
LIEUTENANT CHU-I
SERGEANT GUN-SO
CORPORAL GO-CHO
PRIVATE ITTO HEI
CONTROLLING UNITS
All units are under your complete control. If you do not issue any
orders, the unit will do nothing. Orders will be carried out to the letter
until the unit is no longer able to continue, or you change the orders.
There are no automatic responses from your units, even if under attack!
They will radio any situation which needs a response, and it is up to you
to act upon it.
Every unit which is currently active may be examined for its condition,
or orders issued to control its activities. Control of units is by means of
CONTROL ICONS: most of the icons are self-explanatory, but a
complete description is provided in the following section, CONTROL
ICONS.
By placing the command cursor over a particular unit and pressing the
fire button, the list of the control icons for that unit is displayed in the
report box. Each type of unit has a different selection of the control icons.
To activate any control icon, simply move the joystick until the icon is
highlighted, and press the fire button. The report box will now display the
appropriate information. Pressing the button once more, in most cases,
will return you to icon selection. Some icons are a multi-stage function
and will give a second list of icons to select. In these cases the EXIT icon
will always return control to ‘icon selection’.
It should be pointed out here that all icons which affect the activity of a
unit are at least a two-stage affair. When first selected, they will show the
current status of the action. A second confirming selection must be made
to alter its condition. This allows the player to examine the state before
adjusting it. The MOVE icon, described in the section after next, is
perhaps the best example of this and may seem a little strange at first.
Controlling units becomes very easy when the icons are familiar. There
are no complicated keyboard combinations to cope with and the icons
give you all the information you need. As mentioned ealier. it is possible
to play the game without reading the whole manual. Some of the icons,
however, have slight peculiarities which will not be understood unless the
player reads its description. Auto-HOME, for example, is not quite as
straightforward as it sounds and has seen the demise of many an air unit
during game testing.
Never be frightened to use or experiment with any icon. If you make a
mistake then correction is a simple process of re-executing the command.
If you are not sure about anything, the fire button or the EXIT icon will
usually cancel what you are doing.
From time to rime some icons will disappear from a unit's list and
reappear at a later stage. This is quite normal. For example, the AIR
option will disappear at 1800 hours each day and reappear at 0400 hours
the next morning. The MOVE option will he removed from a land unit if
it is dug in, and so on. The conditions under which any control icon will
be removed are described later in the manual.
THE CONTROL ICONS
Each unit has its own list of control icons which appear in the report
box and may be used to control it. Here is a list of all the possible control
icons along with a description of their purpose.
EXIT
The most common icon. This returns you from the currently
selected action, or back to cursor control of the battle map. All
units have this icon, even enemy units.
MOVE
A two-stage icon which first allows you to examine the
current route which a unit is taking, and then redirect it with
the cursor. Then EXIT is selected from the sub-menu, control
will return directly to the map and not to the unit. This speeds
up commands and avoids confusion.
FORMATION
Only to be found in naval units, this very useful icon displays
all ships currently assigned to the unit. The list is divided into
two sections. The main list is of up to five major warships with
their type and name. You should note here that the ship at the
top of the list is the unit’s flagship and may not be removed
from the unit. Each major ship is colour-coded as follows:
Green – means no damage and fully operational.
Yellow – some damage has occurred.
Red – the ship is either on fire or sinking.
To find out the condition of any ship, move the joystick
back until its name is highlighted, then press fire. The damage
currently sustained by the ship and the condition of the fires
will be displayed. Pressing the button again will return you to
the FORMATION display. Finally, to exit from FORMATION,
push the joystick forward until the word FORMATION is
highlighted and press fire. You may use this icon on enemy
fleets, but it will only show the formation, not the damage
inflicted.
After the main list is the size of the naval unit’s destroyer
screen and the number of transport ships, if any.
STATUS
An icon which appears on three types of unit- air units, land
units and Henderson Field. It serves only to give information
and has no effect on the unit. On Henderson this will display
how much aviation fuel is stored and the condition of the
runway. If the runway is closed then the estimated time of
repairs will be shown.
COMBAT
A multi-stage option which appears in all fighting units. It
allows targeting of the unit’s fire power onto any enemy unit,
and instant withdrawal from any battle. On selecting this icon,
three more control icons will appear, as well as the strength of
the unit and its current target. At this point, selecting EXIT
will return to the main icon selection and WITHDRAW will
instantly cancel any target. ATTACK will put the cursor into
‘target select’ mode.
ATTACK
When selected, the cursor will change from white to red to
indicate that target select mode is in operation. Move the
cursor over any enemy unit and press the fire button. If it is
valid, the target will be locked in and the battle will begin. If
it’s not valid, then the target line will read NOTHING. Once
the fire button is pressed the cursor will return to white and the
joystick will once again control the icon selection. Notice that
the cursor may only move as far away from the unit as its firing
range allows. Any move orders currently logged for the unit
will be cancelled and must be reissued if movement is to
continue. The unit will continue to attack its target until you
change its orders or the target moves out of range.
WITHDRAW
Instantly cancels any target which the unit is attacking. Very
useful if you wish to redirect an air attack or conserve
ammunition against a retreating enemy.
AIR
This controls all aircraft launching. On selection, you will
see a list of all units and their readiness for takeoff. Only units
which are ON DECK may be launched: all other units are
rearming and will move on to the deck in turn when space is
available. Only one air unit may be ‘on deck’ at any one time.
To launch an air unit, select the LAUNCH icon and press
fire. The unit currently on the deck (or runway) will now begin
to take off. During this time LAUNCHING will flash on the
display and will remain until the unit is fully airborne. At this
point the unit (except for CAPs) will appear as a marker in its
own right on the two maps. Pressing the fire button will exit
from the air option (launching continues in real game time). If
the air capability is lost then no access will be allowed to any
launching facilities.
ANCHOR
This is a special icon which is only to be found in naval
groups with transport ships. When first selected, the current
state of the unit’s anchor will be shown as either up, weighing
or anchored. To change the condition you must select the
ANCHOR icon once more and press fire. Note that this may
only be performed while the unit is in a friendly harbour and
will have no effect at sea. Dropping anchor is instantaneous:
weighing the anchor, however, will take some time. The unit
may only move when the anchor is up.
For a full description of how to use the anchor see the
section SUPPLY RUNS.
HOME
All air units have their own original home base, either an
aircraft carrier or Henderson Field. This Auto-HOME facility
will send the unit directly back to its original base. However,
the unit will fly to the position at which the base is when fire is
pressed. Ifthe based is a carrier and it has moved by the time the
air unit reaches that position, then the unit must be redirected.
This icon may also be used on the transport group. Its
purpose here is to send the fleet back to its map edge harbours.
The fleet must be moved manually to the island.
TACTIC
Only used by US Marine units. When selected, you may
toggle their condition between DIG-IN and MOVE-OUT.
While the unit is dug-in, its strength will almost double but any
mobility will be lost. Mobility may only regained by changing
its condition back to MOVE-OUT. Digging-in is a tactic
which will increase the resistance of US units to Banzai attacks
and is purely a defensive measure.
SUPPLY
Unfortunately, there is no brief description which can be
applied to this option. It appears in different units with
different functions, in different situations – each of which are
explained in the sections SUPPLY RUNS and ISSUING
SUPPLIES.
TRANSFER
For the experienced player only, this is a very sophisticated
tactical function and follows very strict rules.
To produce this option you must first move two naval units
together. Only one of the two units will now have the transfer
icon in its list. On selecting TRANSFER, you will see a display
of the two fleets’ formation with the colour-coding as usual.
Ships may now be transferred from one unit to the other by
moving the joystick until the required warship is highlighted,
then pressing the fire button. The ship will transfer itself to the
opposite fleet, if there is a vacancy!
There are rules to this operation and it should be used with
great care. Too few ships in a unit will leave it wide open to
attack and easy pickings for submarine strikes. Rules:
Transport ships may not be transferred and do not appear in
the list, although they are still there. Aircraft carriers also may
not be transferred and pressing the fire button will have no
effect on them. Finally, the unit’s flagship (see FORMATION)
may not be removed. To exit from this option, simply move
the joystick forward until Exit is highlighted and press fire.
Note that a TRANSFER operation will cancel the movement
orders for both units.
HOW TO MOVE A UNIT
First select the MOVE icon of the unit and press fire. This will produce
a new list in the report box containing two more icons, EXIT and MOVE,
with EXIT highlighted. At this stage the current route of the unit will be
plotted on the strategic (upper) map. If you press fire with EXIT selected,
the route will remain unchanged. To actually change the unit’s route,
select MOVE a second time and you will see the control cursor change
from white to red and the words AWAITING ORDERS appear in the
report box. Any previous orders have now been cancelled. You will also
notice that the white rectangle has vanished from the strategic map. Move
the joystick in the direction you wish the unit to travel and watch the
strategic map. The route which you are taking will be plotted as you move
the cursor.
Any joystick direction may be used but you may change direction only
seven times during the route (a total of eight directions). The distance
along any direction is restricted only by the size of the map. When the
route is complete, press fire again and the control icons will reappear in
the report box, the route still showing on the strategic map.
To issue that route to the unit you must select EXIT and press fire. If
you are not happy with the route, press fire on the MOVE icon again and
redraw the route.
Once issued, the unit will follow the exact route taken by the cursor and
will continue along this route until you change it or the unit attempts to
move into an illegal square (such as ships onto land).
The move orders may be examined at any time without alteration by
selecting the MOVE option from the unit's main list and then selecting
EXIT, not the second MOVE action.
To stop a unit moving, simply leave the cursor over the unit when
AWAITING ORDERS appears and press fire.
Note that units have different speeds and it may take a white for a unit
to complete its route. Naval units may only move on open sea or into
friendly harbours. Land units may not move onto the shoreline or
mountain regions. Seaplanes have the same restrictions as naval units but
air units may pass over ANY terrain. Bases, of course, may not be moved
at all.
If you make a mistake and take the unit over an illegal location you
may either restart the orders or, if it is a long route, leave them as they are.
No damage will occur to a misdirected unit. It will simply stop it reaching
an illegal position.
LAUNCHING AND LANDING AIR UNITS
Air units may only be launched during daylight hours but may land at
any time. Henderson Field and the aircraft carriers each have a CAP –
Combat Air Patrol – based on them: these must be airborne before any
units may land or take off from the runways.
Launching the CAP and air units is very simple. First select the AIR
icon and the report box will display all relevant information for that
runway. If no unit is currently launching then two secondary icons will be
available (EXIT and LAUNCH). If the CAP is airborne this will be
indicated in the top right corner. Finally, a list of available units is shown.
These will either be arming or ‘on deck’. Each air facility may service a
maximum of three units and a CAP at any one time.
Only those units which are ‘on deck’ may be launched. Simply select
the LAUNCH icon and press fire. Both secondary icons will be replaced
with a flashing “LAUNCHING” to indicate that this is in progress, as it is
not instant. Each unit will take time to become fully airborne and once
launched a further delay will occur while the ground crews move the next
unit onto the deck. When the complete air unit is airborne it may be
controlled in the same way as all other units.
To land an air unit, simply plot its course so that it passes over a carrier
or air base. Landing will then be automatic (see HOME in the CONTROL
ICONS section). Note that units from aircraft carriers may land at any
other base. Units based at Henderson may only land there and NOT on
aircraft carriers.
When plotting the air unit’s route, be careful that it does not land
accidentally and ensure it has enough fuel to return home. If any aircraft
are landed while the deck is launching another unit, then the launch will
be cancelled and the unit moved back into the arming decks.
It is possible to have all available air units airborne at the same timebut
this is not recommended unless you are an experienced Commander.
Limit your launches to one or two until you are confident with your
control of air units. If you do have several airborne, then make use of the
STATUS master icon which will instantly show you the condition of all
air units.
Remember that some enemy units also have their own CAP and will
need more attacks to have the same effect.
DAMAGE AND REPAIRS
Damage will occur to all your units during any conflict they are involved
in. Land units will lose arms strength during an attack, affecting their
overall fighting ability. Arms lost in battle may only be replenished by the
transporters.
Bases on the island may suffer badly from air and naval bombardment,
causing the loss of stored supplies. The runway at Henderson may be
closed if the damage is severe, but it will be repaired by the resident
engineers – the time taken depends on the amount of damage. It is also
possible that some aircraft at the base may be damaged or destroyed
during an attack. If damage to the airstrip is such that the field is closed,
then no aircraft may take off from it until it is reopened.
Air units have a limited formation of aircraft and it is inevitable that
some will be lost during a raid, whatever the target, These losses are not
replaced and will reduce the effect of subsequent air strikes.
Naval groups can sustain varying degrees of damage depending on the
strength of its opposing force and the length of time in battle. Air raids
will usually pick out the largest ships in the formation and concentrate on
them. Each main warship has its own damage crews and will work hard to
extinguish any fires caused by direct hits. If they succeed and the damage
is not major then the ship will remain afloat (usually). When major
damage occurs and the crew is unable to effect repairs at sea, then the ship
will sink.
All damage to warships will reduce the overall firepowcr of the unit.
Once the fires are out, the damage report will inform you of the extent to
which the ship is active. If repairs are needed, the ship is still operational
but with a limited ability. Crippled ships will be taken in tow and must be
returned for repairs as soon as possible. Should a ship become irreparable,
then it will be abandoned and sunk by the escorting destroyers.
Aircraft carriers are an unmistakable target for air raids. Each carrier
has its own air defence and a Combat Air Patrol which defends the air
space around it, making it harder for enemy raids to do serious damage.
This CAP should be airborne as often as possible – no air units will be
allowed to launch while the CAP is on deck. Damage to the carrier is still
inevitable: should the deck itself become damaged then all aircraft
activities will be stopped until repairs are carried out.
Repairs to ships may only be effected by taking the force out of the
combat zone and into an off-map supply port. Each damaged ship will be
repaired automatically while in harbour but this will take a considerable
time. There is no need to anchor the unit.
SUPPLY RUNS
Your main objective is to win control of Guadalcanal. This may be
achieved by bringing enough men and supplies to the island to fend off
any Japanese attack, if playing as the American Commander, or by
forcing the American retreat, if playing the Japanese side.
For this purpose you have a fixed number of transport ships which
cannot he replaced once lost. All of these are assigned to one Task Force:
T.F. 67 for the US, and the Transport Group for the Japanese. These
transport ships may each carry two points or cargo of any type of supplies.
A supply run will load supplies onto the transporters, take them to the
island, unload them to the base and return for more. The transport unit
therefore has three states; loading, transit and unloading. Each state
depends on the location of the group and the condition of the anchor.
IN TRANSIT
To load or unload supplies the anchor must be dropped in a friendly
harbour. While the anchor is weighed the unit is considered to be ‘in
transit’. During this stage, selecting the SUPPLY control icon will display
a list of all supplies currently embarked to the transport ships. The
maximum capacity of the group is shown, in cargo points, above the list.
This corresponds to twice the number of transport ships in the unit. If a
ship is lost it will take its cargo with it, reducing the amount of supplies in
transit and the capacity of the group. Exactly which cargo you will lose is
unpredictable.
LOADING SUPPLIES
First move your transport group into a friendly harbour on the far edge
of the map and drop the anchor. You will now notice that two control
icons have been removed from its list – these are the MOVE and HOME
options, which may not be executed while the anchor is dropped or during
weighing. The unit is now in its ‘loading’ state.
Now select the SUPPLY icon and press fire. The display will be the
same as ‘in transit’ but with one major difference – you may move the
joystick up and down to highlight each type of supply. Pressing the fire
button will allocate one cargo point of that supply type to the transporters.
Choose your supplies carefully: they may not be removed once loaded,
and you will not be allowed to exceed the group’s capacity.
Troops will automatically take six points. You may only take full units
to the island, not just a few men. If you decide to take a land unit you will
be instantly informed, by radio, who has embarked. Six points must be
available or no troops will be allowed to board the transporters. There
are a limited number of units available for transport to the island: a
maximum of five Marine units and four Japanese infantry units. Once all
these have been taken, trying to select on the troop line will have no
effect.
When you have loaded your supplies, move the joystick forward until
SUPPLY is highlighted and press the fire button. Finally, complete
loading by weighing the anchor.
UNLOADING SUPPLIES
To deliver the supplies, take the transport group to a friendly harbour on
the island and drop the anchor. Unloading is automatic and continues until
you either weigh the anchor or all supplies are dispatched. All cargo will
he moved from the transporters to the base next to the harbour. Any troops
on board will land first – only when all troop points have been unloaded
will the unit appear on the map ready for orders.
Move the unit off the base as soon as possible: you may not access the
base while any troops are there. Aviation fuel is also a special case and is
required by Henderson Field to keep its aircraft active. One point of fuel
is lost for each launching of a CAF unit.
During unloading the SUPPLY icon will show how many supplies are
still to be dispatched. When unloading is complete, simply weigh the
anchor and activate the HAVE icon. The transporters will now travel
directly back to the loading harbours.
ISSUING SUPPLIES
Once the transport group has delivered its supplies to the base you may
now issue them to your land units. Aviation fuel is treated separately, by
being stored and used automatically by the aircraft taking off from
Henderson.
To issue supplies to troops, select the SUPPLY icon from the base’s
option list. The report box will display the four types of supply with two
columns of figures and a target name underneath them. The column of
white figures are the supplies stored at the base and ready for dispatching.
You will notice that the cursor has changed from white to red - using
the joystick, move the cursor over any of your land units and the name of
the unit will appear on the target line. The right-hand column of figures
now indicates the supplies IN TRANSIT to that unit. Note that this
reflects nothing of the unit’s strength or needs.
Pressing fire will now take one point from each type of supply and send
them to the unit. If there are no points available on either of the supplies
then one point will be taken from the rest, until no supplies are left. To
finish supplying, simply move the cursor off any land units and press fire.
Supplies en route to the units will take some time to reach them, and
there is a limit to the range at which any unit may be supplied. The cursor
will move as far from the supplying base as this range allows. There is also
a maximum capacity of up to 10 points for each category with which the
unit may be supplied and so some supplies will remain on the trucks until
the unit requires them. Once issued they may not be retrieved by the
base.
Selecting the SUPPLY icon for any land unit will display the number of
supply points currently en route. THIS IS NOT ITS SUPPLY LEVEL.
Each type of supply has a different effect on the status of a land unit.
ARMS AND AMMUNITION have a direct effect upon its combat ability
and one is related to the other. If either of these become zero, then the
other is cancelled and the unit will have no effect in combat (no
ammunition and the armoury becomes useless; no weapons means the
ammunition becomes useless). Arms consist of many weapons, some of
which are light tanks and artillary. Ammunition is made up of shells, fuel
and other supplies essential for the maintenence of the armoury.
GENERAL SUPPLIES have a direct effect upon morale and the
fighting effect of the unit. Although morale will slowly increase as a unit
is kept out of battle, general supplies will increase morale instantly. These
consist mainly of food and clothing along with the occasional mail
delivery and news of the war.
During the fight for Guadalcanal, troops based on the island became
unfit for combat and many died from malaria. At some stages there were
more casualties from this disease than from actual combat. Each of your
land units has a malaria level which will increase the longer it is based on
the island. Only MEDICAL SUPPLIES will suppress its effects. If the
unit is not given these supplies, the strength will decrease at an
overwhelming rate despite any high levels of arms and ammunition.
A wise commander will study the requirements of his troops before
loading the transport ships.
THE RADIO
At the top of the display is a large black box. Any of your units will be
constantly sending messages to inform you of their condition and any
enemy sightings they have made. Each message is time-stamped and is
decoded in chronical order. Messages are stored and decoded one at a
time so it is possible that some will be long out of date. Sightings radioed
to you may no longer be visible by the time you read the message, or an
air raid may have started and finished before you know it – so use the
CLOCK ADVANCE carefully.
Enemy messages, if Intelligence has cracked their code, are preceded
by the word “INTERCEPTION” and have a different tone to their morse.
The morse code is genuine.
WEATHER EFFECTS
There are three different types of weather: good, poor and stormy.
Each has a different effect on the behavior of your units.
Good weather gives the best conditions for your seaplane to spot enemy
shipping and allows other units to perform at their highest efficiency
(although the mosquitoes will too!).
Poor weather will reduce the visibility range of the seaplane and slow
down the speed at which naval units move. Air capability will still be
available but the effects may be less than in good weather.
Stormy weather will also slow down your naval units, and ground ALL
aircraft including the seaplane. You may not launch any air units, but any
units already airborne can be landed in the usual way. During stormy
weather, no reinforcement air units will be sent to Henderson, unless they
are already on their way when the weather changes.
Any change in the weather will be reported to you by radio so watch for
the messages... it could foil your strategy. To find out the current weather
conditions, see the section on the MASTER ICONS.
INTELLIGENCE
This can have a major effect on your chances of victory. No matter how
good your strategy, if the enemy knows what you are doing they will take
counter-measures. The activities of your Intelligence Corps are at your
command, and you may either concentrate on espionage, or counterespionage
depending upon the current situation.
Espionage will attempt to break the enemy transmission code, and you
will be informed when the code is broken. When this is achieved, any
enemy transmissions will be intercepted, sent to you by radio and decoded
to the display. The enemy will frequently change his code or even give
false information. You will never know which is accurate and which is
false. You must decide whether to act upon such information.
Counter-espionage will give the opposite effect, sending false
information to the enemy and developing new transmission codes. The
effectiveness of each will depend upon the percentage of personnel
assigned to that activity.
See the MASTER ICONS section on how to control intelligence.
DESIGN NOTES
Guadalcanal is based on historical fact, but details have been adjusted
in order to balance fact and playability. Any war game which followed
history precisely would become an ‘animated book’, producing the same
incidents and results which actually occurred- leaving the player with
nothing to do but watch. Every attempt has been made to include as much
fact as possible, and purists must forgive deficiencies. During the
research, some accounts of the battle contradicted others and in these
cases we have taken the most official records as fact.
The struggle for control of the island lasted from August, 1942 to
January the following year. During this time many hard-fought battles
occurred both on and off Guadalcanal Island: some now famous. The
campaign saw many different stages, from brief all-out land and naval
battles to a drawn-out battle of attrition. Some task forces were assigned
to the area for only short periods, while others returned to Noumea or
Rabaul for repairs. To cover the entire six months would require the
effects of the whole Pacific war and so only the most active phases are
used for the game.
Heavy fighting was in progress over a wider area than that used by the
game but the scenario is based upon the struggle for Guadalcanal. To
include the whole Pacific would take a much larger computer and
probably more than one human to control it.
Many war games just give control of one aspect of a battle. In
Guadalcanal we have made all aspects available to the player, even noncombatants.
The result of any fighting is fairly simple to produce but the
player has total control on the statistics involved. The outcome of the
game itself rests solely upon the player.
We have tried to impose the same problems as those facing the actual
Commanders during the campaign. The decisions they made from the
available information were sometimes risky, but never hasty.
Transmission codes were very complex inventions and took months to
break (although in the game this is not quite true). The espionage element
has been included to give the player the task of deciding which action to
take and when lo take it, depending on current information. Intelligence
services often decided a forthcoming battle before any shots were fired.
The element of surprise was an invaluable asset.
Giving the player complete control, especially with Task Force
formations, has produced many complications for the design. The player
must realize that warships were priceless and not to be thrown into battle
at the earliest opportunity. For this reason we have restricted the ability of
the transfer option and the enemy forces will see to it that a weakened force
will suffer. Oversized fleets arc virtually useless in battle. Hard to control,
the ensuing confusion would probably result in friend against friend – a
situation which has been known! For this reason, the strength has been
limited to a maximum value no matter how many ships in the formation.
The concept of scouts is based on fact. Dense jungle on the island made
air reconnaissance unreliable and scouts could gather information in
more detail. Some survived, but many were captured by the Japanese
forces. One scout, Jacob Vouza, a native of the island, was tied up and
tortured by his captives. He managed to chew through his ropes and
escape despite horrific bayonet wounds.
Use of scouts and seaplanes reflects the difficulties of ‘not knowing’
where the enemy is or exactly what his intentions are.
At this stage in the Pacific war, Japanese naval gunnery far exceeded
that of the American fleet – surface battles were usually won by the
Japanese. The United States was only now beginning to rebuild its navy
and the advantage of radar was increasing all the time. The new cruiser,
Helena, had the latest radar equipment with a range of up to 18 miles: the
only ship with such a range. We have reflected the Japanese advantage in
any sea-to-sea battles which occur during the game.
Although this is a complex game, we have made control simple to
execute and easy to understand. This manual is designed for the player
who wishes to know more about the details of the game and the history of
the battle. It is possible to pick up the joystick and ‘figure it out’,
something which is impossible on most, less complex war games.
Finally, every effort has been made to produce a bug-free game.
However, due to its complexity and the numerous strategies which can be
used it may be possible that one bug remains unfound. Should your
strategy crash the computer, please contact us.
FROM PEARL HARBOUR TO
GUADALCANAL
On Sunday morning, 7th December, 1941, four Japanese carriers
launched the massive attack on the US naval base at Pearl Harbour. Over
400 aircraft attacked the Pacific Fleet with devastating results but, as
chance would have it, all the American carriers were at sea. America was
now at war with Japan.
The first year started badly for America. Manilla, the capital of the
Philippines, fell on New Year’s Day, pushing US forces back to the
Bataan peninsula. Holding on bravely for five months, they inevitably
capitulated to the overwhelming Japanese forces. Japan’s conquests in the
Pacific were now at their greatest.
Steps were already underway to strike back at the empire. The aircraft
carrier, Hornet, laden with sixteen B25 bombers, each with a payload of
one ton, achieved a strike attack in Tokyo - the heart of the Japanese
empire.
In June, 1942, the Japanese carrier fleets congregated near Midway
Island, 1300 miles north-west of Hawaii, dangerously close to the West
Coast of America. Thus began one of the greatest sea battles in history.
Unknown to the Japanese, US intelligence was breaking their code,
allowing the American Navy to prepare and counter-attack. The very
same carriers which launched the attack on Pearl Harbour were now hit
by aircraft from the carriers which were at sea that Sunday morning. The
result was American naval control of the Pacific, and a halt to any further
conquests by Japan.
It was now America’s turn to attack. Guadalcanal Island, the
southernmost reach of Japanese conquests, became the first US invasion
of the Pacific war. On August 7, 1942, the US Marine Corps at Lunga
Point, with only one division taking the semi-complete airfield which the
Japanese were building. Garrisoned only by engineers, the Japanese fled
into the jungle leaving their rice breakfasts, still hot, on the tables. The
victorious Marines had now captured the airfield, all the Japanese supplies
(which were to become invaluable), and one solitary bulldozer which
helped the engineers bring the airfield into operation.
The Marine Corps now had to hold the island. The Japanese High
Command had different ideas, and a determined effort began to regain
their loss.
Japan’s first bid to retake the base came when the flagship Chokai led
a large task force towards Ironbottom Sound. Despite extensive
searching, the large force remained unseen by the US aircraft and was to
lead to a major disaster. On the evening of August 8, coastwatchers
reported the sighting of unknown ships steaming past Savo Island. Two
US cruisers lay dead ahead of the Japanese force and as green flares lit the
sky, the air was filled with shattering shell fire. The American supply
force and escort lay only a few miles from the attacking warships - point
blank range. Allied ships were taken so much by surprise that they were
under fire before any gun crews were alerted. The odds were
overwhelming and Admiral Crutchley’s task force, some 30 miles away
when the battle began, could not reach Savo Island in time for the half an
hour of action and could only rescue survivors.
Admiral Mikawa, commanding the strike force, had intended to attack
the Marines’ base and sink the anchored transporters, but he now
abandoned this aim and returned to Rabaul. The base was saved but the
US Navy had suffered gravely. In the morning four cruisers and several
destroyers had taken over 1000 seamen to the floor of the Ironbottom
Sound.
Both the American and Japanese Navies struggled to keep up supplies
and reinforcements to the island. Each night, at 2300 hours, the Japanese
transports and their destroyer escort would race at full steam down The
Slot and into Ironbottom Sound to deliver their precious cargo. Like
clockwork, US observers would report the arrival with ‘STRANGE
SHIPS ENTERING HARBOUR’ - a run which became known as the
Tokyo Express. Heavily escorted, the Japanese ships would steam out
before dawn to avoid the American air strikes, leaving control of the
sound to US vessels during daylight hours.
In Rabaul, the Japanese High Command ordered more and more men
to be taken to the island, underestimating the strength of the US forces
which were expanding constantly. By the 20th October, the Japanese had
around 20,000 men and over 100 artillary pieces. The Marines, of fewer
numbers, were well dug into their positions and well supplied. On the
evening of the 24th, the Japanese began their first major assault to regain
Henderson Field, so called after Major Lofton Henderson who died
leading the Marines’ torpedo planes at Midway. The battle lasted all
night, with wave upon wave of Japanese soldiers screaming Banzais, only
to fall at the strong American defences. By morning the Marines’
machine guns were glowing red and thousands of Japanese soldiers lay
dead. The Marines had more gun belts than the Japanese had men – just.
At sea, US naval aircraft were being ferried in by carriers at a discrete
distance and the ‘Cactus Air Force’ grew in strength. At Noumea, the
American naval base, hopes were high for Guadalcanal, and troops and
supplies were sent as often as possible. Sea battles between the opposing
forces were infrequent, but fierce. Nightly bombardment of Henderson
Field was answered with bombardment of enemy positions, and air
strikes to the offending warships the following day. The war of attrition
began to lean in favour of the Marines.
The build-up of forces continued until a second massive assault by the
Japanese on Bloody Ridge resulted in another victory for the Marines.
Still undeterred, the Japanese shipped in its famed Sendai Division for one
last, all-out offensive.
Intended to be executed with full naval and air support, the Japanese
assault was littered with problems from the beginning. Disagreements
were flaring between the Admirals at Rabaul and confidence was low. By
now the US Marines were well equipped and their position stronger than
ever. The return of the USS Enterprise from repairs had given the Navy a
fighting chance. The Japanese, although they had radar, considered
sitting at a screen a dishonour, not a service to the Emperor. With the
added advantage of radar, the Navy began to win the waters around
Guadalcanal.
The war of attrition and naval battles continued for many months, with
further victories for the Marines on the island itself. Some of the original
Marine battalions were even leaving the island and being replaced with
fresh units. By the middle of January. 1943, scouts reported that there
were no Japanese troops remaining on the island. Unknown to the
Marines, the Tokyo Express had shifted into reverse and ferried what
remained of its army off Guadalcanal. America’s first Pacific offensive
had been a victory.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Most of the information used in Guadalcanal was gained from the
following sources.
Volumes of the History of
U.S. Marine Corps Operations In WWII:
GUADALCANAL CAMPAIGN
PEARL HARBOUR
TO GUADALCANAL Hough, Ludwig, Shaw
CENTRAL PACIFIC DRIVE Shaw, Nasty, Turnbladh
U.S. NAVAL OPERATIONS IN WWII Samuel Eliot Morrison
THE PACIFIC WAR John Costello
GREAT BATTLES OF WWII Henry Maule
AIRCRAFT CARRIERS Richard Humble
BATTLESHIPS AND
B ATTLECRUISERS Richard Humble
SEA WARFARE Salamander Books Ltd.
AIR WARFARE Salamander Books Ltd.
LAND WARFARE Salamander Books Ltd.
THE ARMED FORCES
(Uniforms, Insignia and Organization) Andrew Mollo
And various documents, maps and photographs too numerous to list.
Many thanks to the staff of the Imperial War Museum for their help
during research.
Thanks also to Matt Bates for his painstaking game testing during
production.
Concept, Design and Programming Ian R. Bird.
Copyright 1987 Ian R. Bird.
A Software Studios Production in association with Marjacq Micro.
Game instructions written by Peter Green.
Copyright 1987 Activision Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Manual PDF by M A Harrison 2008