Pacific Oceans 11

By John Knight

As a 96-year-old WWII veteran this story I'm telling is about my experiences during the war and some very interesting stories about my life including working for the mafia, being involved with the demise of the zoot suiters and various stories about Marilyn Monroe, and my friendships at Calvet in West Los Angeles near the homes of Marilyn and OJ Simpson. And my interview from Washington honoring me on the same program honoring General Douglas Mc Arthur and Admiral Chester Nimitz. Plus, other memories from me you will enjoy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 11, 2022
• ISBN: 9781662477850

John Knight

John Knight was a successful businessman, who also happened to be one of London's most successful robbers. He is credited as co-author of Gotcha!: The Untold Story of Britain's Biggest Cash Robbery.

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Pacific Oceans 11

John Knight

Copyright © 2022 John Knight

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING

Conneaut Lake, PA

First originally published by Page Publishing 2022

ISBN 978-1-6624-7784-3 (pbk)

ISBN 978-1-6624-7785-0 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

An Introduction to Guadalcanal Island

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 15

CHAPTER 16

CHAPTER 17

CHAPTER 18

CHAPTER 19

CHAPTER 20

CHAPTER 21

CHAPTER 22

CHAPTER 23

CHAPTER 24

CHAPTER 25

Common Merchant Marine Language

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

This book is dedicated to my family and the many personnel that served with me in the armed guard.

An Introduction to Guadalcanal Island

This is my story about Guadalcanal. It's the most important story of Pacific Oceans 11.

My story about Guadalcanal remains with me more than any other experience I had during World War II. The attack was on our ship M.V. Poelau Laut, with 6,000 Army troops aboard, who were to replace the 1st Marine Division. They had battled the Japanese to victory, but the costs were extremely high, resulting in high numbers of death and wounded on land and at sea. I lost personal friends there and made many new friends from that 1st Marine Division when they came aboard our ship. I spent many hours and days with these guys that always joined us for lunch or dinner. We had a hospital aboard and had many wounded.

I mention the story about losing some of the wounded and on the detail to bury all these young men at sea that paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country and how that still strongly affects me emotionally to this day. I might add, at this time no one asked or cared if you were a Democrat or a Republican. We were Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines together. All in one accord, fighting to sustain our freedom.

The 1st Division Marines launched their attack on Guadalcanal in mid-1942 and captured the airfield that had been constructed by the Japanese. The US Navy had to defend the takeover of Guadalcanal. We lost a large number of ships and personnel. It was a high cost to keep and secure this island, which turned out to be a big turning point in defeating the Japanese and ultimately paving our way to Japan.

CHAPTER 1

ISLAND HOPPING—New Caledonia

New Caledonia was the first Island of the Solomons Chain of 11 islands leading to Japan. It was my first stop across the Pacific. This Island had been under French rule for many years and much to my surprise, the major religion was Methodist Christianity. The Americans occupied this island during WW2. They stored war supplies and equipment in preparation for their Island Hopping campaign to advance their plan towards Japan. Island natives helped the U.S. Military unload their ships of cargo and supplies. Runways were built using a large portion of land on the very small and narrow Island.

Nickel was their most valuable natural resource that helped to attract many other countries, including the U.S.

ISLAND HOPPING—New Hebrides Island

New Hebrides Island—like New Caledonia—was used by the U.S. for securing the Solomon Chain with troops and supplies. The purpose was to solidify the whole Solomon Group as one group of Islands, thus giving the Allies a defensive and aggressive position on their march to Japan and Victory in the Pacific War.

ISLAND HOPPING—Guadalcanal

The battle for Guadalcanal was probably the most important engagements the American military would encounter during the plan of operation of ISLAND HOPPING the entire war with Japan. The fierce Naval and land encounters with land and sea forces began in 1942 and continued into 1943. The first Marine division invaded the southern part of Guadalcanal and the airfield that the Japanese built, later named Henderson Field. Many aerial and sea encounters took place and many casualties occurred on both sides. The Japanese took heavy losses from the sea battles and were unable to continue to bombard Henderson Field and finally in early 1943 evacuated their forces that still remained on the island. This victory by the combined allied forces enabled the Americans and their allies to take the offensive against the Japanese in the Pacific and gave them momentum to continue their island hopping with the goal of Securing the entire Solomon chain, fulfilling their plan of taking these 11 islands, would lead to the invasion of Japan with the strength of land sea and air support readably behind them as they would be taking on the most difficult and dangerous part of this plan Japan itself. There were numerous smaller islands surrounding Guadalcanal that the allied naval forces continued to do battle with the Japanese fleet and ship casualties were heavy on both sides. These battles ended with the allies routing the Japanese which enabled them to concentrate more on using Henderson field by sending in more fighter and bomber aircraft which enabled them to conduct almost daily air raids against the Japanese.

The Japanese tried a nighttime counterattack on Guadalcanal. A Scout had warned the Americans. the Commander of the attack was killed, and the Japanese were defeated with heavy losses, including the Colonel Commander.

Another attack was soon forming at sea as the Japanese planned to destroy any American Navy forces in the area and try another attempt to take back Henderson Field or destroy it. Both Naval and air attacks took place from Carriers from both sides and again the American out fought the Japanese and forced their Fleet, what was left of it, and they withdrew to save their remaining ships that were left undamaged and realizing they had lost most of their attacking personnel.

This victory by the American forces amounted to them having control of Henderson Field and made it very difficult for the Japanese forces, who had previously had control with their heavy Naval fleet and occupying Henderson Field.

The Americans could now build up their air forces with large numbers of aircraft that were flown in to be stationed at Henderson Field. With these large numbers of aircraft and the weakening of the Japanese fleet. the Americans were winning this tug of war for Guadalcanal because of their determination to