US Marine Corps - The Black Vault

The CTF 62 Op Plan stated:
Logistics: August 1942-February 1943 411
The [TF 62] HEADQUARTERS radio station will be established using the
FIRST MARINE DIVISION TBW radio equipment.
The McCazuley’s communication facilities were meager enough, but they
were several times larger than the two TBW’S which would be available
on Guadalcanal for use by CTF 62 if he went ashore and the McCawley
departed. So at the same time the decision was made to withdraw all surface
amphibious forces from Guadalca~al, Rear Admiral Turner made the hard
decision to withdraw himself and TF 62 Staff.’8
Support that this ‘second guess’ decision was correct and that the radio
facilities being taken into Guadalcanal were inadequate, even without CTF
62’s communication load, is found in the extracts below from a four-page
mailgram picture of the Guadalcanal communication situation on 28 August
1942.
From RDO Guadalcanal
To COMAMPHIBFORSOPAC
220400
Naval communication facilities available in the Solomons on 20 August
1942.
*****
Radio facilities are daily becoming more inadequate.
*****
Captured Jap receiver utilized to copy FOX.
*****
We hope to improve our situation somewhat by the repair of a Japanese
2 kilowatt transmitter.
Rear Admiral Turner was grateful thereafter that he had withdrawn
because he was able to do a far more comprehensive job of logistic support
from Noumea than he could have done from Guadalcanal, although he
knew that some Marines thought and said he had run away.”
Guadalcanal logistics over the long haul centered on troops, planes, food,
ammunition, and aviation gas, but during the first two weeks, getting the
airfield into condition to operate aircraft received highest priority. This
latter chore the Japanese had not quite accomplished.
From the aerial photographs, an estimate had been made that the airfield
being built by the Japanese would be ready to operate aircraft on 15 August
1942. This was an excellent estimate and does ~ome unknown photographic
M(a) Turner; (b) Staff Interviews.
WTurner.