Alligator Creek: America Learns to Fight the Japanese
This video details the Battle of Alligator Creek (also known as the Battle of the Tenaru) in 1942, a crucial early engagement in the Pacific theater of World War II. It highlights how this battle, featuring US Marines defending Henderson Field against Colonel Kiyonoa Ichiki's veteran Japanese soldiers, served as a formative learning experience for the American military. The description mentions the use of .30 caliber and .50 caliber machine guns, small arms, and 37mm canister rounds by the Marines, as well as Stuart light tanks. The battle established the American understanding of Japanese fighting tactics, specifically their reluctance to surrender, and shaped expectations for the remainder of the Pacific campaign.














