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The Gifu The Japanese memorial at the Gifu is accessible from the village of Barana. The village chief will get you a guide to the Gifu. The walk up the hill at the Gifu is pretty steep so take water - feel sorry for the boys who had to fight up it. It cost us $SBD25 for the guide and to look at the war relics. You will more than likely be asked if you want to buy old coke bottles or coconuts.
On the 17 January 1942, after an intense 1700 round artillery barrage on the Gifu, an infantry frontal assault failed to penetrate the massive position, but weakened the Japanese effectiveness. Daily attacks further lessened the enemy's grip. On the 22 January 193 an army driven marine light tank supported by an infantry platoon attacked from the northeast, the enemy's strongest portion of their defense, destroying eight pillboxes in rapid succession, and breaking the back of the entire Gifu strongpoint. Early morning of 23 January the enemy made a futile "banzai" breakout attempt against Company F, losing 85 men killed and giving up four prisoners. The dead including 25 officers, one of whom was the designated Gifu commander. Forming a skirmish line after daybreak, the 2nd Battalion completely cleared the Gifu strongpoint of the remaining opposition, thus rendering the final reduction of the last vestige of the determined and sacrificial Japanese hold on Guadalcanal. In the 22-day battle for Mount Austen the 132nd Infantry had killed between 400 and 500 Japanese but in the process lost 112 killed and 268 wounded. |
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On 10 January 1943, the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, was assigned the mission by General Patch of destroying the Gifu (named after a Japanese prefecture) strongpoint of around 500 soldiers with 40 log-reinforced bunkers arranged in a horseshoe.