139 - Guadalcanal - Edson and the defence of Bloody Ridge

139 - Guadalcanal - Edson and the defence of Bloody Ridge

Author: James Eling November 1, 2025 Duration: 46:11
The Principles of War - Lessons from Military History on Strategy, Tactics, Doctrine and Leadership.
HistoryGovernment

This is the fifth episode of our Guadalcanal series with historian and author Dave Holland.

This episodes discusses:

Why was Henderson Field the single piece of decisive terrain on Guadalcanal?
How did Edson know the main Japanese attack would come over the ridge, not the beach?
What went wrong in Kawaguchi's three-pronged night attack on the Marine perimeter?
How did fragile Guadalcanal logistics shape the tempo in September 1942?
What made Edson's Ridge a natural avenue of approach to the airfield?
How did the Tanambogo/Gavutu raider actions tip the Marines to Japanese intentions?
What do Edson vs. Kawaguchi show about combat leadership in jungle/littoral fights?
How did malaria, dysentery, and hunger blunt Marine combat power before the battle?
Why did Vandegrift accept a thin, incomplete perimeter around Henderson Field?
How did daily Japanese air raids limit Marine prep of the ridge before 12–14 Sept 1942?

Dave is an ex-Marine and was posted to Guadalcananal with the Australian Federal Police.  He regularly leads battlefield study tours through the area. He is a world-leading expert on the battles of Guadalcanal and author of Guadalcanal's Longest Fight - The Pivotal Battles of the Matanikau Front.

Check out the show notes for this episode.

 

Hosted by James Eling, The Principles of War-Lessons from Military History on Strategy, Tactics, Doctrine and Leadership is a deep dive into the timeless patterns of conflict. This isn't just a recitation of dates and troop movements. Instead, each episode takes a pivotal historic battle and examines it through the lens of enduring military principles, extracting practical insights on strategy, combined arms, and command. The discussions are structured to serve as a resource for professional military education, condensing complex analyses into focused, thirty-minute sessions. You'll hear how decisions made centuries ago still resonate within modern doctrine, offering lessons on leadership and tactical execution that are applicable far beyond the battlefield. The aim is to provide these lessons in a compelling narrative format, moving beyond dry after-action reports. For anyone fascinated by how history informs present-day thinking in governance, organizational leadership, and strategic planning, this podcast functions as a regular, thought-provoking seminar. Tune in to explore the fundamental concepts that have shaped outcomes throughout military history and continue to define success in high-stakes environments.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Official website RSS
youtubespotifyapple_musicpatreon
The Principles of War - Lessons from Military History on Strategy, Tactics, Doctrine and Leadership.
Podcast Episodes
119 - Learning to learn: Jungle Warfare [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:10
This episode continues our Kokoda Campaign Podcast series. This episode looks at Jungle Warfare Doctrine Development, with Dr Adrian Threlfall, an expert in how the Australian Army learned to learn about combat in the ju…
118 - Jungle Warfare Doctrine Development in the Australian Army [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:43
We return to the fetid jungles of New Guinea and our Kokoda Campaign Podcast series, looking at the 53rd Battalion and it's combat performance at Isurava. This episode is the start of a series looking at Jungle Warfare D…
117 - Lessons learnt from Drone combat in Ukraine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:59
This special episode is an interview with Sam Bendett from the Center for a New American Security and is an expert on UAS Combat between Ukraine and Russia. This interview covers the lessons learnt so far in the rapidly…
116 - Air Power during the Kokoda and Milne Bay Campaigns. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:31
How did air power influence the Kokoda Campaign? We review the employment of air power and compare it with the Milne Bay operation, where Air Power's effect was described as 'decisive' by both MAJGEN Clowes and LTGEN Row…
115 - No. 75 Squadron Leadership at Port Moresby [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:41
What was RAAF Leadership like in No. 75 Squadron at Port Moresby. We look at the career and Leadership of Squadron Leader John Jackson, a great RAAF pilot who lead from the front. We look at the tactics that he developed…
114 - P40Es vs Zeroes - 75 Squadron and their 44 days at Port Moresby [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:37
How did the P-40E compare against the Japanese Zero? We look at how Australia was prepared for the war in the air over Port Moresby. How well were the pilots prepared and how well was the squadron bought up to operationa…
113 - 75 Squadron and the Kokoda Campaign [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:26
It was 900 days from the declaration of war against Germany in 1939 to the bombing of Darwin. When Darwin was bombed, there were no RAAF fighters to defend, and it was three weeks before Darwin was had fighter coverage (…
112 - Combined Arms on the Kokoda Track [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:59
This is Part 14 of our series looking at the Kokoda Campaign, focusing on the combat performance of battalions on the Kokoda Track and how the militia were prepared for combat at the tactical, operational and strategic l…
111 - Friendly Fire on the Kokoda Track [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:18
This is Part 13 of our series looking at the Kokoda Campaign, focusing on the combat performance of the 53rd Battalion and how the militia were prepared for combat at the tactical, operational and strategic level. This e…
110 - The JIPOE / IPB for the Kokoda Track [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:05
This is Part 12 of our series looking at the Kokoda Campaign, focusing on the combat performance of the 53rd Battalion and how the militia were prepared for combat at the tactical, operational and strategic level. The Ko…

«12345678...10»