US Marine Corps - The Black Vault

328 Amphibians Came To Conquer
A BEAUTIFUL ISLAND
As darkness turned to light on 7 August 1942, the Lower Solomons came
into view of Task Force 62. The sailorman’s first impression on the morning
of 7 August turned out to be so different from that carried in most literature
on Guadalcanal, that this first impression should be noted. A Marine combat
correspondent making the initial landing aptly put this impression in these
words:
. . . Guadalcanal is an island of striking beauty. Blue-green mountains,
towering into a brilliant tropical sky or crowned with cloud masses, dominate
the island. The dark green of jungle growth blends into the softer greens and
browns of coconut groves and grassy plains and ridges.’o
Admiral Turner put it more briefly:
A truly beautiful sight that morning.1’
Although Task Force 62 at 1600 the previous afternoon had been only
125 miles from the south coast of Guadalcanal, and presumably within the
range of a late afternoon seaplane reconnaissance from both distant Rabaul
or close Tulagi, the first enemy knowledge of the approach of the amphibians
could have come from a routine early morning 7 August Japanese aircraft
search. At 0600 the Staff Log noted:
Observed lights of two planes taking off the water in vicinify of Lunga Point.
At 0609, red flare dropped over [HMAS] Australia.’g
Two minutes before schedule:
At 0613 Quincy [CA-39, Captain Samuel N. Moore] opened fire on the
beaches at GuadaIcanal.
At 0615 destroyers opened fire.
At 0616 ships commenced firing on the Tulagi side.lg
****
It appeared that the approach of Task Force 62 and the subsequent attack
took the Japanese by surprise as no shots were fired, no patrol boats [were]
encountered, no signs of life were evident until Group XRAY opened fire on
Guadalcanal Island objectives across the channel, about hventy miles away.
Then a cluster of red rockets went up from the direction of Tulagi Island.zo
IEMe~il]=t, T/W I,)und, p. 20. Reprinted by permission of Harold Ober Associates, Inc. COPY
right 1944 by H. L. Merillat.
‘7Turner.
~ Staff Log. Alcbda (AK-23) ako reported plane with running lights at 0600.
WStaff Log. War College, sum Iflazd, gives one minute later for each of these events.
m USS Nevil!e War Diary, 7 Aug. 1942.