Chapter 23: The Battle of the Ridge
The month after the invasion hadn’t gone well for the Americans. On the second day after they landed, the Japanese sent a fleet of cruisers and destroyers to attack the landing fleet off Guadalcanal. In the naval battle that followed, five American cruisers were sunk or disabled. The outcome of the sea battle wasn’t good news to the Marines. Rumors began to circulate that the troops were now cut off, that the whole invasion was going to turn into another Bataan. All the men were gloomy about the reports. And to top it all off, it began to rain. Soon the Marine scouts were slogging through mud and swamps, searching for the enemy. The Japanese had many trenches and foxholes where they hid until a patrol passed, and then the concealed enemy would open up o
