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The Principles of War - Lessons from Military History on Strategy, Tactics, Doctrine and Leadership.Author: James Eling
Professional Military Education in 30 minute sessions. Historic Battles study through current doctrine to gain lessons learned. Tactics, Strategy, Combined Arms, Military Leadership in a format for Unit PME programs. We study the great battles to draw the lessons on strategy, tactics and leadership. Get your lessons learned here rather than in AAR format. Language: en Genres: Government, History Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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152 - National Guard vs Imperial Japanese Army on Guardalcanal - Lessons Learnt for employing green troops at 5th Matanikau
Episode 152
Sunday, 19 July, 2026
The US 182nd Infantry Regiment crossed the Matanikau on 18 November 1942 and within 48 hours all three companies of 1st Battalion had broken under Japanese mortar and flanking fire. This episode examines how green National Guard troops faltered in their combat debut, why a four-hour artillery delay negated the prep fires, and what the six-week Point Cruz stalemate reveals about the cost of transitioning from defence to offence. Key learnings: • Why the 182nd's thousand-yard overnight gap invited the Japanese counterattack that shattered 1st Battalion on 20 November • How pulling back 300 yards on 23 November allowed Japanese screening forces to reoccupy vacated positions before the 8th Marines could assault • What the 325 casualties and combat-ineffective rate of the 164th Infantry between 19–25 November cost the American offensive Dave Holland is an ex-Marine and was posted to Guadalcanal 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. Full show notes and transcript: https://theprinciplesofwar.com/ Support the podcast: https://www.patreon.com/principlesofwar More episodes: https://theprinciplesofwar.com/ Follow on X: https://x.com/surprisepodcast Subscribe for more Professional Military Education content.
