In order to eliminate the japanese army's use of tanks as soon as possible, the US army in the Gifu Highlands of Guadalcanal was basically killed in order to eliminate the Japanese army as soon as possible
In order to speed up the operation, the 2nd Marine Division sent 3 M3 Stuart light tanks to Gifu Heights, 2 of which were trapped in the mud of the Wright Trail, and only 1 tank arrived at the front.
At 10:40 on 22 January, with the support of this tank, G Company resumed its offensive. In the fierce battle, the tanks played a huge role, destroying 3 bunkers with a company of 37 mm main guns, and then using vehicle-mounted machine guns to wipe out all the Japanese troops hidden in the bunkers. With the favorable support of tanks, G Company conquered the eastern part of the Gifu Highlands in only 2 hours. The tanks then turned and supported the infantry to sweep north, destroying 5 bunkers in a row. Subsequently, the tanks turned to the E Company defense area to assist the E Company in sweeping away the Japanese positions in the defense area. In the fierce battle of the day, the Japanese 5 squadron was completely destroyed.
Seeing that the defeat was decided, the 2nd Brigade Commander of the 228th Infantry Wing of the Japanese Garrison of Gifu Highlands, Inagaki Takeyoshi Shōsa, decided to carry out a breakthrough for the whole army. At noon on January 22, the remnants of each squadron were all concentrated at the headquarters of the 2nd Brigade for breakthrough deployment. According to the survivors' recollections, Inagaki Takeyoshi Decided to break through with 22 men from 6 Squadrons, 14 men from 7 Squadrons, and 8 men from the headquarters of the Brigade, while more than 10 people of 8 Squadrons and wounded and sick people were left behind.
From the night of January 22 to the early morning of January 23, Inagaki Takeyoshi Shosa led 44 men to break through from the combined positions of the US F Company and the Anti-Tank Company. As a result, it was discovered by the US military, and the two sides engaged in a fierce and fierce battle all night. With the exception of Commander Kawaibeshi of the 6th Squadron and Yoshio Kato and Hiroshi Takagi of the 7th Squadron, all the remaining breakout personnel, including Inagaki Takeyoshi Shosa, were killed.
On January 25, the remnants of the Japanese 8th Squadron and the wounded totaled 15 people, led by Lieutenant Masaaki Kotaki and Lieutenant Tetsuo Murase, the 8th Squadron Leader, divided into four groups and broke through in the direction of Miharusu. Although they escaped from the Gifu Heights with the unpreparedness of the US 2nd Battalion, they were surrounded by the US army near Mikitai, except for Kaishiro Kaishiro Kaishiro who died of illness in the Prisoner of War camp in Bougainville, Niwa Yuzo San Health Commander, Ichio Ouchi, and Yukio Miura, who escaped from the siege and evacuated outside Guadalcanal, including Lieutenant Otaki and Lieutenant Murase. At this point, the 2nd Brigade of the 228th Infantry Regiment of the Japanese Gifu Highland Defenders was completely destroyed, and the American army finally captured the Gifu Heights.
The 2nd Battalion of the 35th Infantry Regiment suffered a huge price for this hard-won victory, killing 64 and wounding 42 in the 13-day battle, killing 518 Japanese, capturing 40 machine guns, 12 grenadiers, 200 rifles, and 38 samurai swords.
Now, the Japanese strongholds on the upper reaches of the Matanicau River on Guadalcanal have been completely cleared. At the same time as the great victory of the US 25th Infantry Division, the 2nd Marine Division, which attacked in the direction of the coast, also received good news.
