A handful of Japanese soldiers reached the American rear on Guadalcanal—and discovered the battlefield was nothing like their commanders had imagined. In this narrated military history documentary, follow the intelligence failures, lost scouts and mistaken reports that shaped the Japanese offensives against Henderson Field in 1942. As American Marines and North Dakota Guardsmen hold the perimeter, a small group breaks through the wire and sees the depth of the force behind it, but cannot get that knowledge back to Japanese headquarters.
This Guadalcanal story explores reconnaissance, battlefield intelligence, logistics and the human cost of fighting blind, from the failed march through the jungle to the retreat of the Japanese 17th Army. A detailed WW2 history story for listeners interested in Pacific War battles, the Battle of Guadalcanal, military strategy and firsthand accounts. Listen for historical learning, focused background listening or a deeper look at how intelligence failures helped decide a campaign.
