Episode 30: Rainy Marching in the Painful Field

Following the indecisive battle of Santa Cruz both the Japanese and the Americans resorted to committing more men and materiel to Guadalcanal and the eastern Solomons. Not for the first time since the battle began the Japanese had superior strength on land and at sea. Admiral Kondo commanded two carriers, four battleships, eleven cruisers, and 49 destroyers whose chief purpose was to protect the 11 transports and 14,000 men of the Nagoya Division steaming toward Guadalcanal to reinforce the Japanese position there. These men General Hyakutake would add to his command of 30,000 as compared to Vandegrift’s, now 2300 strong force, some of whom were on Tulagi, not Guadalcanal. Hyakutake could also expect additional reinforcements from China and throughout the far east.