BATTLE OF EDSON’S RIDGE

Battle of Edson’s Ridge

On Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands, United States Marines were fighting to hold Henderson Field, an airstrip whose control would decide who could dominate the skies over the surrounding seas. Japanese commanders attempted to seize the airfield by sending infantry to attack along a jungle-covered ridge south of the runway, believing that night assaults could break the Marine perimeter. Colonel Merritt “Red Mike” Edson and his Marine Raiders, later reinforced by other units, dug in along the high ground, stringing out thin lines and preparing for hand-to-hand combat in the dark. Over successive nights, Japanese forces launched repeated attacks, sometimes penetrating the American defenses and forcing desperate counterattacks at close range. By September 14th, the final major assault had failed, with heavy Japanese casualties and the ridge still in American hands. The defense of Edson’s Ridge preserved Henderson Field as a functioning base, helping to secure eventual Allied control over the campaign’s seas and skies.