| United States Navy Rear Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner (May 27, 1885 – February 12, 1961), left, and United States Marine Corps Major General Alexander A. Vandegrift (March 13, 1887 – May 8, 1973) working on the flag bridge of USS McCawley (AP-10). McCawley was assigned to Task Force Tare, (the Amphibious Force), Transport Division Baker, under Captain Charlie Paul McFeaters (September 6, 1891 – February 16, 1947). In contrast to the fighting in Tulagi-Gavutu, the occupation of Guadalcanal proceeded with almost amazing smoothness. There were 2 reasons for this. 1st, the Americans had expected that they should encounter the greater resistance on Guadalcanal and had concentrated the major part of their landing forces there. 2nd, the Japanese retired to the hills of Guadalcanal and allowed the United States Marines to establish themselves along the northern shore; whereas in Tulagi and the other small islands off Florida the Japanese were trapped and, refusing to surrender, fought almost literally to the last man. 0 hour had been set by Admiral Turner at 0910 Hours, and some minutes before that time landing boats had gathered at the line of departure, marked since 0840 by 2 destroyers. United States Navy cruiser spotter airplanes had dropped smoke bombs indicating the limits of the beach. Fire support for the landing was to begin 10 minutes before 0 hour and was to last 5 minutes, while our boats were moving in from 2,700 (2,500 meters) to 1,300 yards (1,200 meters) from the beach. Soon after 0900 Hours it began. USS Quincy (CA-39) covered the area west of Red Beach to a depth of 200 yards (180 meters) and assisted USS Astoria (CA-34) in covering the western 3rd of the beach. USS Dewey (DD-349) and USS Hull (DD-350) bombarded the eastern 3rd of the beach and USS Ellet (DD-398) and USS Wilson (DD-408) the center. Immediately after our troops landed, the 2 destroyer sections were to take positions, respectively east and west of the 1,000-yard-wide boat lane, to provide 5 minutes of close fire support, while the Astoria was to follow the westward progress of United States Marines along the beach and provide whatever support should be necessary. This latter part of the program proved unnecessary, but while our boats were landing, each cruiser expended 45 rounds of 8-inch (203-millimeter) and 205-inch and each destroyer fired 200 rounds. The fire support ships had received instructions not to fire on wharves, pontoons, jetties, bridges, or lighters which were offering no threat to our operations. They were ordered to use illuminating projectiles for incendiary purposes against inflammable targets such as fuel dumps. In order not to endanger our boats, only the percussion feature of all projectiles was to be used. This order was given despite the acknowledgment that 5-inch (125 millimeter) 25-caliber projectiles without base fuses do not detonate satisfactorily on impact. The barrage ceased at 0909 Hours, and at 0913, 3 minutes after 0 hour, the 1st troops landed without opposition on Red Beach between Lunga and Koli Points. Within an hour, a beachmaster was established and was in communication with Admiral Turner’s command in McCawley. Shortly thereafter a despatch was received reporting that submarines were en route to attack our ships and that 18 Imperial Japanese Navy G4M “Betty” bombers were also on their way. The latter part of this warning proved correct. General Vandegrift, who had his division headquarters while afloat on McCawley, took command on Guadalcanal soon after the landing. The Assistant Division Commander, General William H. Rupertus (November 14, 1889 – March 25, 1945, coordinated operations in the Tulagi-Gavutu-Florida area, 1st from USS Neville (APA-9) and later from Blue Beach in Tulagi. At 0700 Hours 9 Grumman TBF-1 Avengers, loaded with 900-pound (226 kilogram) bombs each, left USS Wasp (CV-7) to bomb Japanese resistance centers on Makambo Island and in the former British prison on Tulagi Island. These centers were silenced. Thereafter, planes were launched as scheduled throughout the day, while a continuous attack group of 4 fighters and 9 scout bombers was maintained over the transports in the Tulagi sector. These planes received orders as to targets from the Air Group Commander, Lieutenant Commander Wallace M. Beakley (January 20, 1903 – January 16, 1975), above the island, or through him, from the Air Support Director Group aboard McCawley. USS Enterprise (CV-6) furnished the personnel for the Air Support Director. On August 2, 1942, Lieutenant Commander William E. Townsend (January 7, 1910 – January 8, 1944), Lieutenant Junior Grade Gordon E. Douglas (September 30, 1918 – May 29, 2006), Ensign Philip L. Ross Junior (January 12, 1916 – September 16, 1960) and 3 radio men had been transferred with equipment to the staff of Admiral Turner in theMcCawley. These officers set up the communications necessary for direct control of the Air Support Force assigned to Task Group X-Ray landing off Guadalcanal, and were given the radio call “Orange Base One.” Being in touch with the Senior Carrier Group Commander in the air over Guadalcanal, “Orange Base One” soon came to control and handle radio traffic between all the ground forces and all supporting aircraft overhead. The Air Support Director Group of “Orange Base Two” in USS Neville, which was stationed off Tulagi, acted only as a stand-by unit. The Fighter Director for the entire force was stationed in USS Chicago (CA-29) and was called “Black Base.” McCawley or Neville Commander Amphibious Force of Commander Landing Force also directed by voice radio by the Combat Air Patrol (CAP) protecting the beachhead. | |
| Image Filename | wwii1967.jpg |
| Image Size | 1.67 MB |
| Image Dimensions | 5636 x 4555 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | United States Navy |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | August 1, 1942 |
| Location | |
| City | |
| State or Province | Guadalcanal |
| Country | Solomons |
| Archive | Naval History and Heritage Command |
| Record Number | 80-CF-112-4-63 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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