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<document>
<title>Carlson's patrol</title>
<authors>Wikipedia</authors>
<publisher>wikipedia.org</publisher>
<publishedplace>network</publishedplace>
<publishedyear>2010</publishedyear>
<edition></edition>
<category>History of the Solomon Islands</category>
<section id="43298" fatherid="0" title="" lv="" priority="-1" level="1">
Carlson's patrol, also known as The Long Patrol or Carlson's long patrol, was an operation by the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion under the command of Evans Carlson during the Guadalcanal Campaign against the Imperial Japanese Army from November 6 to December 4, 1942.  In the operation, the 2nd Raiders attacked forces under the command of Toshinari Shōji, which were escaping from an attempted encirclement in the Koli Point area on Guadalcanal and attempting to rejoin other Japanese army units on the opposite side of the U.S. Lunga perimeter.
In a series of small unit engagements over 29 days, the 2nd Raiders killed almost 500 Japanese soldiers while suffering only 16 killed.  The raiders also captured a Japanese artillery cannon that was delivering harassing gunfire on Henderson Field, the Allied airfield at Lunga Point on Guadalcanal.

</section>
<section id="43299" fatherid="0" title="Background" lv="" priority="-2" level="1">
<section id="43300" fatherid="43299" title="Guadalcanal campaign" lv="" priority="1" level="2">
On August 7, 1942, Allied forces (primarily US Marines) landed on Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and Florida Islands in the Solomon Islands.  Their mission was to deny the Japanese use of the islands as bases for threatening the supply routes between the U.S. and Australia, and to secure the islands as starting points for a campaign to isolate the major Japanese base at Rabaul while also supporting the Allied New Guinea campaign.  The landings initiated the six-month-long Guadalcanal Campaign.Hogue, Pearl Harbor to Guadalcanal, p. 235–236.
The Japanese were taken by surprise, and by nightfall on August 8 the 11,000 Allied troops, under the command of Lieutenant General Alexander Vandegrift, secured Tulagi and nearby small islands as well as an airfield under construction at Lunga Point on Guadalcanal.  The Allies later renamed the airfield Henderson Field.  To protect the airfield, the US Marines established a perimeter defense around Lunga Point.  Additional reinforcements over the next two months later increased the number of US troops at Lunga Point on Guadalcanal to more than 20,000.Morison, Struggle for Guadalcanal, p. 14–15, Miller, Guadalcanal:  The First Offensive, p. 143, Frank, Guadalcanal, p. 338. and Shaw, First Offensive, p. 18.
In response to the Allied landings on Guadalcanal, the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters assigned the Imperial Japanese Army's 17th Army, a corps-sized command based at Rabaul and under the command of Lieutenant-General Harukichi Hyakutake, with the task of retaking Guadalcanal.  Units of the 17th Army began to arrive on Guadalcanal on August 19 to drive Allied forces from the island.Griffith, Battle for Guadalcanal, p. 96–99, Dull, Imperial Japanese Navy, p. 225, Miller, Guadalcanal:  The First Offensive, pp. 137–138.

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<section id="43301" fatherid="43299" title="Battle for Henderson Field" lv="" priority="2" level="2">
Between October 1 and October 17, the Japanese delivered 15,000 troops to Guadalcanal, giving Hyakutake 20,000 total troops to employ for his planned offensive.  After his staff officers observed the American defences around Lunga Point, Hyakutake decided that the main thrust of his planned attack would be from south of Henderson Field.  His 2nd Division (augmented by troops from the 38th Division), under Lieutenant General Masao Maruyama was ordered to march through the jungle and attack the American defences from the south near the east bank of the Lunga River.  The 7000-member  2nd Division was split into three units; the Left Wing Unit under Major General Yumio Nasu containing the 29th Infantry Regiment, the Right Wing Unit under Kawaguchi consisting of troops from the 230th Infantry Regiment (from the 38th Infantry Division), and the division reserve led by Maruyama comprising the 16th Infantry Regiment.Jersey, Hell's Islands, p. 272 and 297, Shaw, First Offensive, p. 34, and Rottman, Japanese Army, p. 61–63, Frank, Guadalcanal, p. 328–340, Hough, Pearl Harbor to Guadalcanal, p. 329–330, Griffith, Battle for Guadalcanal, p. 186–187.  Frank states that Kawaguchi's forces included what remained of the 3rd Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment, which was originally part of the 35th Infantry Brigade commanded by Kawaguchi during the Battle of Edson's Ridge.  Jersey states that it was actually the 2nd Battalion of the 124th along with 1st and 3rd battalions of the 230th Infantry Regiment, parts of the 3rd Independent Trench Mortar Battalion, the 6th Independent Rapid-Fire Gun Battalion, the 9th Independent Rapid-Fire Gun Battalion, and the 20th Independent Mountain Artillery.
On October 23, Maruyama's forces struggled through the jungle to reach the American lines.  Kawaguchi, on his own initiative, began to shift his  wing unit to the east, believing that the American defenses were weaker in that area.  Maruyama, through one of his staff officers, ordered Kawaguchi to keep to the original attack plan.  When he refused, Kawaguchi was relieved of command and replaced by Colonel Toshinari Shōji, commander of the 230th Infantry Regiment.  That evening, after learning that the  and  wing forces were still struggling to reach the American lines, Hyakutake postponed the attack to 19:00 on October 24.  The Americans remained completely unaware of the approach of Maruyama's forces.Griffith, Battle for Guadalcanal, p. 193, Frank, Guadalcanal, p. 346–348, Rottman, Japanese Army, p. 62.
Finally, late on October 24, Maruyama's forces reached the U.S. Lunga perimeter. Over two consecutive nights Maruyama's forces conducted numerous unsuccessful frontal assaults on positions defended by troops of the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines (1/7) under Lieutenant Colonel Chesty Puller and the U.S. Army's 3rd Battalion, 164th Infantry Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Robert Hall. U.S. Marine and Army rifle, machine gun, mortar, artillery and direct canister fire from 37 mm anti-tank guns "wrought terrible carnage" on the Japanese.Frank, Guadalcanal, p. 361–362.  More than 1,500 of Maruyama's troops were killed in the attacks while the Americans lost about 60 killed.  Shōji's  wing units did not participate in the attacks, choosing to remain in place to cover Nasu's  flank against a possible attack in that area by U.S. forces that never materialized.Hough, Pearl Harbor to Guadalcanal, p. 336, Frank, Guadalcanal, p. 353–362, Griffith, Battle for Guadalcanal, p. 197–204, Miller, Guadalcanal: The First Offensive, p. 160–162, Miller, Cactus Air Force, p. 147–151, Lundstrom, Guadalcanal Campaign, p. 343–352.
At 08:00 on October 26, Hyakutake called off further attacks and ordered his forces to retreat. Maruyama's  wing and division reserve survivors were ordered to retreat back to the Matanikau River area while the  wing unit under Shōji was told to head for Koli Point,  east of the Lunga River.  Shōji and his troops began arriving at Koli Point on November 3.Frank, Guadalcanal, 363–406, 418–419, 424, and 553, Zimmerman, Guadalcanal Campaign, p. 122–123 and 136–138, Griffith, Battle for Guadalcanal, p. 204 and 217–219, Hough, Pearl Harbor to Guadalcanal, p. 337 and 347–348, Rottman, Japanese Army, p. 63, Miller, Guadalcanal, p. 195.

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<section id="43302" fatherid="43299" title="Aola Bay and the Koli Point action" lv="" priority="3" level="2">
The 2nd Marine Raider Battalion was a unique unit in the Marine Corps. The battalion's original organisation and tactics were based around Communist Chinese precepts Carlson had witnessed while serving as an observer with the Communists during the Second Sino-Japanese War between 1937-38. These precepts included promoting equality between officers and enlisted men and making decisions through collective consensus. Unlike the 1st Marine Raider Battalion, which focused on commando tactics, the 2nd Battalion trained to operate as a guerrilla force. The training included an emphasis on infiltration tactics and often involved tactical exercises conducted at night. The battalion was organised into six self-contained rifle companies and a headquarters company. Before landing at Guadalcanal elements of the battalion had seen action as part of the garrison of Midway Atoll during the Battle of Midway in May 1942 and the near disastrous Makin Island raid in August.Rottman, US Special Warfare Units, p. 46-62.
In early November, Vandegrift, fearing that the Japanese were planning an assault on the Lunga perimeter from the east using Shōji's forces plus additional reinforcements, launched an operation against the Japanese units at Koli Point.  Beginning on November 4, two battalions of US Marines and two battalions of US Army troops attacked and attempted to encircle Shōji's men at Gavaga Creek near the village of Tetere in the Koli Point area.Griffith, Battle for Guadalcanal, p. 217-223, Miller, Guadalcanal, p. 197-200, Hammel, Guadalcanal, p. 141-144, Frank, Guadalcanal, p. 417-423, Hough, Pearl Harbor to Guadalcanal, p. 348-350, Zimmerman, Guadalcanal Campaign, p. 136-141.
As the American troops were attempting to destroy Shōji's force, Vandegrift ordered Carlson's raiders to march overland from Aola Bay toward Koli Point to cut off
any of Shōji's forces that escaped the encirclement attempt.  On November 5, two transport ships headed for Espiritu Santo to pick up three companies from Carlson's battalion while Carlson prepared his two companies already on Guadalcanal to march overland towards Koli Point.  Carlson arranged for rear echelon personnel at Aola to resupply his patrol with rations every four days at a prearranged point on the coast.  A patrol with native carriers would meet the boat and manpack the supplies inland to Carlson's patrol base.Peatross, Bless 'em All, p. 133-134, Smith, Carlson's Raid, p. 194, Hoffman, Long Patrol.  The transport ships were McKean and Manley.

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</section>
<section id="43303" fatherid="0" title="Patrol" lv="" priority="3" level="1">
<section id="43304" fatherid="43303" title="Initial actions" lv="" priority="1" level="2">
On November 8, the column continued through the jungle to the northwest, striking the coast at the Kena River, and overnighted at the village of Tasimboko,  from Aola Bay.  The next day they crossed the Berande and Balasuna rivers and reached the village of Binu,  southwest of Tasimboko, in the afternoon.  At Binu, about  southeast of Koli Point, Carlson established his base camp and prepared to block the movement of any Japanese forces from Koli to the east and south.Peatross, Bless 'em All, p. 134, Smith, Carlson's Raid, p. 194–195, Hoffman, Long Patrol.
The other three raider companies arrived at Aola on November 8.  On November 9, they moved by landing craft to Tasimboko and, on November 10 marched overland, guided by native scouts, towards Binu.  On the way, the raiders encountered a small group of Japanese soldiers and killed three of them before arriving at Binu in the afternoon of the same day.Smith, Carlson's Raid, p. 195, Peatross, Bless 'em All, p. 134-137, Hoffman, Long Patrol.
In the meantime, Hyakutake ordered Shōji to abandon his positions at Koli and rejoin Japanese forces at Kokumbona in the Matanikau area.  Although American forces had almost completely encircled Shōji's troops along Gavaga Creek at Koli, a gap existed by way of a swampy creek in the southern side of the American lines.  Taking advantage of this route, Shōji's men began to escape.  The Americans closed the gap in their lines on November 11, but by then Shōji and between 2,000 and 3,000 of his men had escaped into the jungle to the south.
On November 11, Carlson sent four of his battalion's companies, "C", "D", "E", and "F", to fan out and patrol the area to the north and west of Binu.  The remaining company, "B", stayed behind to provide security for the Binu base camp.  At 10:00, Company C, which had marched directly west towards the village of Asamana, encountered a large body of Shōji's troops camped near the Metapona River and were quickly pinned-down by rifle, machinegun, and mortar fire.  Carlson responded by directing Companies D and E to come to C's aid, attacking the Japanese forces from two different directions.Peatross, Bless 'em All, p. 137–141, Smith, Carlson's Raid, p. 195–196, Hoffman, Long Patrol.
Along with Company F, which had returned to the base camp, Carlson proceeded to the area where Company C was engaged, arriving at 16:30.  Carlson ordered Company F to attack the Japanese positions facing Company C at 17:15.  In the meantime, the Japanese troops departed the area,  which Company F soon confirmed.  Leaving Company F at the scene, Carlson returned to Binu with Company C, arriving at 22:00.  Company E arrived at Binu about the same time and reported that  they had caught a Japanese company crossing a river in the open and killed many of them before withdrawing.  Carlson then took Company B and returned to the area that Company F was guarding, arriving at daybreak on November 12.  The Marines had suffered 10 killed in the day's actions and estimated that they had killed 120 Japanese soldiers.Peatross, Bless 'em All, p. 140–142, 150, Hoffman, Long Patrol.  Peatross backs up the estimate of 120 Japanese dead by reporting that the Marines discovered extensive graveyards filled with recent, deceased Japanese upon occupying Asamana the next day.
Carlson and the two companies, with Company B leading, marched west towards the village of Asamana on the Metapona River.  While crossing the river, the Marines captured two Japanese soldiers and killed a third who happened by in a native boat, then attacked and occupied Asamana, surprising and killing several Japanese soldiers in the village.  Signs in Japanese in the village indicated that it was being used as a rallying location for Shōji's forces.  Occupying defensive positions around the village and river crossing, the raiders killed 25 Japanese soldiers that approached the village during the remainder of the day.Peatross, Bless 'em All, p. 142–150, Smith, Carlson's Raid, p. 197–198, Hoffman, Long Patrol.
On November 15, Carlson's battalion changed their base camp from Binu to Asamana.  By this time, however, Shōji's units were no longer in the area, having continued their march deep into the interior of Guadalcanal enroute to the Matanikau.  Raider patrols around Asamana over the next two days found and killed a few scattered Japanese stragglers.Peatross, Bless 'em All, p. 156, Smith, Carlson's Raid, p. 199–200, Hoffman, Long Patrol.

</section>
<section id="43305" fatherid="43303" title="New mission" lv="" priority="-2" level="2">
Carlson's battalion was ordered to move to the upper Tenaru River and patrol around the Lunga River, south of the Lunga perimeter, to locate the trail the Japanese had used to position their men and materiel for their assaults during the Battle for Henderson Field.  Carlson's raiders were also to seek out and destroy several Japanese artillery pieces that had been delivering harassing fire against Henderson Field for several weeks.  The raiders set up the new base camp about  southeast of the Lunga perimeter on November 20 and rested and replenished until November 24.Peatross, Bless 'em All, p. 156–158, Hoffman, Long Patrol.
On November 25, Carlson's Company A arrived from Espiritu Santo and joined the raiders.  On November 27, the battalion relocated  further up the Tenaru River and established two auxiliary patrol bases  upstream and downstream, respectively.Smith, Carlson's Raid, p. 200, Peatross, Bless 'em All, p. 158–159, Hoffman, Long Patrol.
The raiders rested on December 1 and received some provisions by airdrop.  On December 2, Carlson fanned out his patrols around the Lunga River.  Company B discovered 10 Japanese camped by the river and killed all of them.  None of the other companies encountered any Japanese, but one discovered another 75 mm mountain gun.  Late in the day, Carlson received orders to terminate the patrol and take his troops into the Lunga perimeter the next day.Peatross, Bless 'em All, p. 161–164.  One Marine was killed by a sniper on December 1.
On December 3, Carlson sent Companies C, D, and E east towards the Tenaru river while Companies A, B, and F headed west towards Mount Austen.  Companies C, D, and E reached the lower Tenaru and entered friendly lines at Lunga Point without incident.  Companies A, B, and F, however, encountered a Japanese patrol near the summit of Mount Austen.  In a close-quarters fight in the jungle, 25 Japanese were killed and 4 Marines were seriously wounded, 1 of whom died later.Smith, Carlson's Raid, p. 201, Peatross, Bless 'em All, p. 164–165, Hoffman, Long Patrol.
The next day, Companies A, B, and F set out with the intention of entering the Lunga perimeter near the Matanikau River.  Along the way, the Marine column was ambushed by a Japanese machinegun team that killed four raiders.  Seven Japanese were killed in this skirmish.  The patrol encountered no further opposition and entered friendly lines at Lunga Point by mid-afternoon.Peatross, Bless 'em All, p. 165–166, Smith, Carlson's Raid, p. 202, Hoffman, Long Patrol.

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</section>
<section id="43306" fatherid="0" title="Aftermath" lv="" priority="-4" level="1">
During the 29 days of the patrol, Carlson's raiders hiked approximately  to cover a straight line distance of about  from Aola Bay to the Matanikau River.  Carlson claimed that his troops killed 488 Japanese soldiers and captured or destroyed large amounts of equipment, including 2 howitzers and various small arms and ammunition.
The 2nd Raiders suffered 16 killed and 17 wounded (plus 2 wounded native guides).  Non-battle casualties totaled 225, of which 125 suffered from malaria, 29 from dysentery, and 71 from ringworm or jungle rot.  Most of the remaining raiders were also suffering some type of physical ailment.  On December 17, the raiders departed Guadalcanal by ship and arrived back at their home camp on Espiritu Santo on December 20.  At Espiritu Santo, the unit continued to be affected by the lingering tropical diseases many had contracted during the Guadalcanal patrol.  In the second week of March 1943, the 2nd Raiders were declared unfit for combat duty, although this finding was never announced in an official document.  The 2nd Marine Raiders did not participate as a unit in a combat operation until the Bougainville campaign beginning on November 1, 1943.  In spite of the high fallout from disease, Carlson's troops generally felt that they had performed well as a unit during the patrol and had accomplished their mission.  Cleland E. Early, a lieutenant in Carlson's Company E, described the long Guadalcanal patrol and the effect on his unit:  "Enduring the living conditions was worse than the combat.  My platoon went in with 30 men, one corpsman and one officer.  When we came out we had one officer, one corpsman, and 18 enlisted, all of whom had malaria, worms, diarrhea, jungle rot and high morale.

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<section id="43307" fatherid="0" title="Notes" lv="" priority="-5" level="1">
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<section id="43308" fatherid="0" title="References" lv="" priority="-6" level="1">
<section id="43309" fatherid="43308" title="Books" lv="" priority="-1" level="2">
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<section id="43310" fatherid="43308" title="Web" lv="" priority="-2" level="2">
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<section id="43311" fatherid="0" title="Further reading" lv="" priority="-7" level="1">
Category:Conflicts in 1942
Carlson's Patrol
Category:Military history of Japan during World War II
Carlson's Patrol
Carlson's Patrol
Category:History of the Solomon Islands
Category:United States Marine Corps in World War II

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