THE CACTUS AIR FORCE: Air War Over Guadalcanal

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For 40 years from 1961, the late Eric Hammel interviewed more than 150 American participants in the air campaign at Cactus -- the code name for the island Guadalcanal. These interviews are offer first-person accounts, including the junior officers and enlisted men whose stories and memories were not part of the official history.

The battle of Guadalcanal was the first offensive operation undertaken by the US and its allies in the Pacific War. The three months of air battles between August 20, 1942, when the first Marine air unit arrived on the island, and November 15, when the last enemy attempt to retake the island was defeated, proved to be a disaster for Japanese air and naval power, which experienced losses they could never recover.

Contents
* Chapter 1: BEFORE - January 4-July 31, 1942
* Chapter 2: RXI - May 25-August 6, 1942
* Chapter 3: HEAVY BOMBERS - June 10-August 6, 1942
* Chapter 4: HELPLESS - August 7-August 20, 1942
* Chapter 5: THE CAVALRY ARRIVES - August 20, 1942
* Chapter 6: FIRST CONTACTS - August 21-August 25, 1942
* Chapter 7: EARLY DAYS - August 26-September 4
* Chapter 8: EDSON'S RIDGE - September 1-September 13, 1942
* Chapter 9: GROWING INTO THE JOB - August 30-September 15, 1942
* Chapter 10: DECISIONS - September 1942
* Chapter 11: TIT FOR TAT - September 15-30, 1942
* Chapter 12: NIMITZ - September 1942
* Chapter 13: STORMY WEATHER - October 1-11, 1942
* Chapter 14: THE NAVAL BATTLE OF CAPE ESPERANCE - October 12, 1942
* Chapter 15: CRISIS - October 13-15, 1942
* Chapter 16: RELIEF - October 16-18, 1942
* Chapter 17: DOG DAYS - October 19-23, 1942
* Chapter 18: THE MOST DIFFICULT TIME - October 23-30, 1942
* Chapter 19: BACKS TO THE WALL - November 1-14, 1942