About this episode
The 2nd Battle of the Matanikau - This is the seventh episode of our Guadalcanal series with historian and author Dave Holland. This episodes discusses: How did the arrival of the 7th Marines transform Vandegrift's Guadalcanal strategy from survival to aggressive "active defence"? What was Japan's Operation Ka, and how was it meant to crush the Marines and recapture Henderson Field in one decisive blow? How did the sinking of USS Wasp and the escorting convoy turn Guadalcanal logistics into a day-to-day survival crisis for the 1st Marine Division? In what ways did Vandegrift and Admiral Kelly Turner pioneer the modern CLF–CATF relationship during the Guadalcanal campaign? Why did the Marines abandon textbook 'defence in depth' and trial a all round defensive cordon with little depth around Henderson Field—and why did it work?
