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Edson's Ridge

Edson's Ridge scenario by SharpEndGaming

Start date: 1942-09-12 20:50
End date: 1942-09-14 16:00
Duration: 1 day, 19 hours, 11 minutes
Units: 109

September 12, 1942, just before sunset: [Historical scenario]

Japanese Major General Kiyotake Kawaguchi has come to Guadalcanal to lead the attack against the Marine foothold on the island at Henderson Airfield.

The I and III battalions of the 124th Infantry regiment are to attack from the south, along with the Kuma Battalion, II battalion of the 4th infantry regiment 19th engineer battalion. Kawaguchi will personally lead these battalions.

A composite of Japanese engineers, special naval landing troops and the Oka Force, II Bn 124 Inf Rgt are to attack from the West.



The Japanese objectives are the Marine bridge over the Lunga, the air traffic control tower on Pagoda Hill, the main runway hangars, and the Fighter One airstrip.

Kawaguchi has grossly underestimated the strength of the Marine force facing him. The Marines have also disrupted his supply base along the coast at Tasimboko, dispersing a small reserve force, his artillery, and supplies.

Special Terrain rules:

The Lunga River is fordable. At its deepest point, beside Edson's ridge, it was shoulder high the night of the battle.

Heavy Rain Forest prohibits motorized movement. Foot movement is dramatically reduced [stick to the trails].

Light Jungle and Coconut Groves are only slight improvements to foot speed, and only coconut groves allow motorized movement but at a crawl.

This Sharp End Pacific Establishment force is only a slightly modified version of Jim Carravallah's excellent Saipan establishment, which Tim Williams also helped design. Full credit for Marine and Japanese forces goes to Jim/Tim. I would not have tackled this set of scenarios without that initial effort.

Historical Notes:

I have included the Japanese force west of the Marine positions, even though these units largely do not figure into the historical battle.

The Japanese III Bn, 4th Infantry Regiment, which landed at Kamimbo Bay, also did not participate in the battle but will end up as a late-arriving reinforcement along the government track west of Kokumbona.

The 'Kawaguchi Attacks' scenario (coming later) places the III Bn 4th IR and the II Bn 124th IR with Kawaguchi south of the airfield and gives him additional firepower for a historical what-if battle.

The 11th Construction unit under Captain Kanae Monzen is a fighting formation in name only and did not participate in offensive operations.