» 纪念瓜达尔卡纳尔岛战役70周年
The Guadalcanal Campaign, also known as «Operation Watchtower», was the first brilliant and undeniable victory of the Allies in the Pacific theatre of WWII. A Sudden, massive attack of the Allies' joint forces paralyzed the further advance of the Japanese Imperial forces in the region and laid the foundation for the defeat of Japan.
The Guadalcanal Campaign was started in August 1942, to protect a Pacific convoy route between the United States and Australia and New Zealand. The initial landing of Allied forces on the islands of Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and Florida were a great surprise for the Japanese army, caught in the process of Japanese bridgehead expansion in the region. The Imperial army found itself locked and occupied in front of the aggressive offensive actions of Allied troops.
The brilliant success of the sudden attack shocked the Japanese General Staff. From the late summer 'till the fall of 1942, Japan made several attempts to regain the control over this strategic region and take back the captured Guadalcanal airfield (later Henderson Field) — the key to domination in the area. These attempts led to several fierce battles on the sea, on the ground, and in the air. Joint forces of American, Australian and New Zealand troops bravely resisted the Japanese attacks and made the Imperial force abandon all hope for control of the Guadalcanal islands.
The last Japanese forces withdrawn back home in the February 1943. Resilience and courage of the Allies made this victory the breaking point of the whole Pacific campaign. Japan has completely lost strategic initiatives and didn’t managed to recover from this defeat to the very end of the WWII.
Today we honour veterans of the Pacific war and give you special event to celebrate the glorious victory of Guadalcanal Campaign.
