150 - What new tactics did Carlson's Raiders use to hunt Shoji's Regiment during the Long Patrol on Guadalcanal?
From The Principles of War - Lessons from Military History on Strategy, Tactics, Doctrine and Leadership. by James Eling
May 24, 2026 · 1h 0m · Season 1 · Episode 150
About this episode
This episode explores the innovative tactics used by Carlson's Raiders during the Long Patrol on Guadalcanal against Colonel Shoji's regiment.
Colonel Shoji landed 1,500 Japanese troops east of Henderson Field — and the Americans needed three battalions and a week of manoeuvre to trap just 450 of them at Gavaga Creek. This episode unpacks the Koli Point "Rat Race," the pursuit by Carlson's Raiders, and the fire team tactics that would reshape Marine infantry doctrine for decades. 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. Key learnings: • How Carlson's Raiders used Chinese Communist guerrilla techniques to harass Shoji's withdrawing column across 30 days • Why the three-man fire team — each with a BAR, Thompson, and M1 Garand — gave squads independent manoeuvre elements • What institutional opposition to "an elite within the elite" meant for the Raider battalions' disbandment in 1944 Full show notes and transcript: https://theprinciplesofwar.com/category/guadalcanal/ Support the podcast: https://www.patreon.com/principlesofwar More episodes…
People in this episode
Host: James Eling
Guest: Dave Holland
Topics covered
- military tactics
- Guadalcanal
- Marine infantry doctrine
- Carlson's Raiders
- World War II
- battlefield studies
Keywords
- Carlson's Raiders
- Guadalcanal
- military tactics
- fire team
- World War II
- battlefield studies
- Marine Corps
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Guadalcanal's Longest Fight - The Pivotal Battles of the Matanikau Front
Places: Guadalcanal, Henderson Field, Gavaga Creek
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