Dead Japanese soldiers lie on Edson's Ridge near Hill 123 after the Battle of Edson's Ridge, Guadalcanal, 1942
Dead Japanese soldiers lie on Edson's Ridge near Hill 123 after the Battle of Edson's Ridge, Guadalcanal, 1942. - The Battle of Edson's Ridge was a land battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II between Imperial Japanese Army and Allied ground forces. It took place from 12–14 September 1942, on Guadalcanal and was the second of three separate major Japanese ground offensives during the Guadalcanal campaign. In the battle, U.S. Marines under the overall command of U.S. Major General A. Vandegrift repulsed an attack by the Japanese 35th Infantry Brigade under the command of Japanese Major General Kawaguchi. The Marines were defending the Lunga perimeter that guarded Henderson Field on Guadalcanal. Kawaguchi's unit was sent to Guadalcanal in response to the Allied landings with the mission of recapturing the airfield and driving the Allied forces from the island. Underestimating the strength of Allied forces on Guadalcanal (about 12,000 men) Kawaguchi's 6,000...