The war in the Solomons can be considered to be America's first offense in the South Pacific. Yes, there were units fighting in New Guinea as well, but that is considered the Southwest Pacific and was done along with the Australians. Guadalcanal was pretty much a US only event, though there were a couple of Australian patrol units on other islands watching the back door In addition there were Australian and New Zealand patrol squadrons based in the area. .

This volume continues where the previous one left off and concentrates on events during November and December 1942. This was the pinnacle of the Guadalcanal campaign where the Japanese tried their best to remove US forces from the island. It included major surface actions which were tactically a draw, but strategically a setback for the Japanese. It is also the time when the Tokyo Express became the most active and eventually tapered off in size and capabilities. It was a time when, near the end, the Japanese realized that they had to retreat from what had turned into 'starvation island' for their army forces.

If you have ever read any Avonmore book by this author, you know that the research into the subject is meticulous. A lot of primary reasearch was done on both the US and Japanese sides to provide the best picture of events of the time. Every mission is covered in some respect, whether it was a mass bombing raid by the Japanese from Rabaul or a PBY search mission. Air combats are covered with an accurate assessment of each one. This includes ever increasing B-17 action as well as raids against Japanese shipping and the results of each of the Tokyo Express missions. During this time was the mid-November Battle of Guadalcanal, an attempt by the Japanese to use their big guns to destroy US airfields.

In addition to each day's missions and events, you get several nice appendices that cover US and Japanese aircraft losses. As with all Avonmore books, there's a nice selection of full color profiles and art work in addition to period photos. In all, it makes for a book that I'm always eager to read and I know you will as well.

February 2025

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