Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos

Battle of Guadalcanal: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts

Date August 1942 - February 1943
Location Guadalcanal Island • Solomon Islands
Participants Japan • United States
Context Pacific War • World War II

Did You Know?

  • Communication between the US and Australia was maintained through a base on Guadalcanal.
  • The Japanese did not possess a realistic path to victory after Guadalcanal.
  • A particular spot on the island was the site of so much ship sinking that it is called Iron Bottom Sound.

Photos

U.S. Marines in combat gear wade ashore from a landing craft onto a sandy beach during the Guadalcanal landing in August 1942.
Black and white historical map showing Guadalcanal, Florida, and Tulagi in the Solomon Islands, with military developments in 1942 during World War II. The map marks key battle locations, troop movements, and areas occupied by Japanese and Allied forces, with explanatory notes summarizing major events and landings from August to November. Surrounding islands and sea routes are also depicted.
Alexander A. Vandegrift
Guadalcanal campaign: Tanambogo Island
Antique map of the Solomon Islands and Bougainville in the South Pacific, showing island names, major settlements, and surrounding seas. The map highlights Bougainville in red and includes German possessions, navigational routes, and a scale bar. Drawn from the 1902 Encyclopaedia Britannica atlas.
William F. Halsey, Jr.
Battle of Guadalcanal: USS President Jackson
Battle of Guadalcanal
Battle of Guadalcanal: Henderson Field
American soldiers and Marines stand around large field guns and anti-aircraft artillery in a rough clearing, with scattered debris, on Guadalcanal during World War II.
See All Images →

Related Topics and References

Topics
Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

Timeline

Pearl Harbor attack
Pearl Harbor attack
December 7, 1941
Wake Island
Battle of Wake Island
December 8, 1941 - December 23, 1941
Bataan Death March
Bataan Death March
April 9, 1942
Battle of the Coral Sea
Battle of the Coral Sea
May 4, 1942 - May 8, 1942
Battle of Midway
Battle of Midway
June 3, 1942 - June 6, 1942
U.S. Marines in combat gear wade ashore from a landing craft onto a sandy beach during the Guadalcanal landing in August 1942.
Battle of Guadalcanal
August 1942 - February 1943
Battle of the Philippine Sea
Battle of the Philippine Sea
June 19, 1944 - June 20, 1944
Battle of Leyte Gulf
Battle of Leyte Gulf
October 23, 1944 - October 26, 1944
U.S. Marines on Okinawa
Battle of Okinawa
April 1, 1945 - June 21, 1945

Key People

Chesty Puller
Chesty Puller
United States Marine Corps officer
William F. Halsey, Jr.
William F. Halsey, Jr.
United States naval commander
Carlson, Evans
Evans Carlson
United States military officer
Alexander A. Vandegrift
Alexander A. Vandegrift
United States officer

Related Quizzes

D-Day. American soldiers fire rifles, throw grenades and wade ashore on Omaha Beach next to a German bunker during D Day landing. 1 of 5 Allied beachheads est. in Normandy, France. The Normandy Invasion of World War II launched June 6, 1944.
A History of War
Louis IX of France (St. Louis), stained glass window of Louis IX during the Crusades. (Unknown location.)
World Wars
Louis IX of France (St. Louis), stained glass window of Louis IX during the Crusades. (Unknown location.)
World Wars
Civil War era cannon overlooks Kennesaw Mountain National Battle. (military, artillery, American history)
Pick Your Battles Quiz
U.S. marines raising the American flag over Mount Suribachi, Iwo Jima, in February 1945
World War II Quiz
Germany invades Poland, September 1, 1939, using 45 German divisions and aerial attack. By September 20, only Warsaw held out, but final surrender came on September 29.
Pop Quiz: 17 Things to Know About World War II