Guadalcanal was the first major land offensive by the U.S. against the Japanese in World War II. In July of 1942, the Japanese had begun constructing an airfield on the island of Guadalcanal, as it provided a strategic location in the South Pacific. A month later, 6,000 U.S. Marines would land on Guadalcanal, surprising the 2,000 Japanese on the island. From this time through February 1943, both sides brought in more and more reinforcements to Guadalcanal, which saw fierce jungle warfare and a series of naval battles. Eventually, Allied forces would prove too much for the Japanese, who would be forced to retreat from Guadalcanal. In the end, the Japanese lost 24,000 men killed in action compared to 1,600 for the U.S (Keep in mind there were more casualties from various tropical dangers and diseases as well). The Battle for Guadalcanal was significant in that it proved the mettle of U.S. forces (particularly U.S. Marines); gave the Allies a strategic location in the South Pacific; and along with the Battle of Midway, turned the tide of the war in the Pacific to the Allies.
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