Edson's Raiders: The 1st Marine Raider Battalion in World War II

by Joseph H. Alexander

This is the story of the remarkable men of 1st Marine Raider Battalion, known by the name of its founding commander, the legendary jungle fighter Merritt A. "Red Mike" Edson. Edson's Raiders provided the vanguard of a U.S. Marine Corps experiment with special lightly-armed, mobile "commando" units in the Pacific. From 1942 to 1943, these highly trained volunteers fought seven critical battles in the Solomon Islands--with names like Tulagi, Tasimboko, the Matanikau River and the Dragon's Peninsula. They were desperate, bloody affairs fought against some of the most experienced jungle fighters in the Japanese empire. Twenty-four Raiders fought with such valor that they had ships named in their honor, all but one posthumously. Joseph Alexander provides an abundance of first-person accounts from Edson to such hard-nosed NCOs as Angus Goss, Walter Burak, and Anthony Palonis. His portrayal of the Raiders' defense of Guadalcanal's Henderson Field along an elevation known ever since as Edson's Ridge, shows why that three-day conflict became an indisputable touchstone of Marine Corps history.

Genres: World War II

352 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2000

About the author

Col. Joseph H. Alexander, USMC served in the Corps for 29 years as an assault amphibian officer. He has written six books, including Utmost Savagery and Edson’s Raiders. He was the Naval Institute Author of the Year in 1996 and Naval History Author of the Year in 2010. He was the principal historian and writer on the exhibit design team throughout the construction of the National Museum of the Marine Corps. He lived in Asheville, North Carolina.

Biography taken from http://www.usni.org/author/colonel-jo...

Reviews

[Iain · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well done, though not particularly engaging, coverage of the formation and exploits of the 1st Marine Raiders battalion. Despite the author's efforts, Edson's tactical choices in particular have not aged well. I'd recommend this for those very interested in the unit, but not for those more casually interested in Guadacanal or the theater in general.

[Dan Bukowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book. Never enough maps but this book comes close. It was interesting to read this shortly after reading Davis' "Marine: The Life of Chesty Puller" in that many of the same engagements were covered from different vantage points. Indeed, it was great to hear the Raiders' side of one particular engagement wherein Puller had an extremely negative view of the Raiders' performance. Alexander does a nice job covering the history of Edson's Raiders in detail, yet also addresses the strategic situation in the Corps' deliberations to even continue having Raiders at all. The only complaint may be that, on occasion, Alexander may go into too much detail. However, its never to the point where this is not an easy, enjoyable read that is difficult to put down.

[William Troy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another Leatherneck Classic from the Naval Institute. Edson's Raiders is about the 1st Marine Raider Battalion in World War II under the command of Merritt A. "Red Mike" Edson. Red Mike took command of the 1st Battalion 5th Marines in 1941. He was an experienced jungle fighter from time spent in Nicaragua. Major General Holland "Howling Mad" Smith, Edson's commander, was an innovative officer and he foresaw the need for amphibious units to conduct raids and quick strikes. Red Mike was in agreement and trained the 1/5 Marines to efficient raiders. The Raider organization was light infantry with no heavy weapons support. Their largest weapon was the 60mm mortar. Anything larger was too cumbersome or would not fit aboard the converted WWI Destroyers designed to transport the Raiders to their objectives. After Pearl Harbor and the setbacks in the Pacific, the Navy was looking for ways to strike Japanese occupied terrain. The Raiders were first used to seize Tulagi supporting the invasion of Guadalcanal. The Raiders were successful but learned that the Japanese occupiers would fight to the death rather than surrender. The Raiders were used to conduct a raid against the Japanese supply point of Tasimboko on Guadalcanal. It was a successful operation relieving some of the strain on the forces fighting to hold on to the airfield on the island. Because the landing on Guadalcanal was in jeopardy, the Raiders were moved to the island and given the mission to defend a strategic ridge, known as Bloody Ridge then eventually Edson's Ridge. In two nights of fighting the Raiders successfully repulsed the Japanese attacks but suffered terrible casualties. Thirty four Raiders were killed and 129 wounded. The Japanese casualties were reported as 1,092 soldiers and 41 officers killed or wounded about 20 percent of the attacking force. The Raiders achieved lasting glory for their defense of the ridge. There were other missions and rough fighting described in the book but what strikes me is the conflicting theories about how to use the Raiders and were Raider, elite units really necessary. Because the fighting was so tough the raiders were used as an infantry battalion a few times and suffered heavy casualties as a result. They lacked the strength and heavy weapons of the regular infantry battalions. Eventually the Raiders were deactivated and integrated into regular Marine battalions. The Raider legacy endured because of the many excellent leaders in both the officer and non-commissioned officer corps who formed and fought in the Raider Battalion. Twenty-three Navy ships were named for Raiders killed in action and one for Red Mike who survived the war. This is a great book filled with detailed descriptions of the fighting done by the Raiders. It is a great read for those interested in the Marine Corps in WWII and in the fighting in the Pacific.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 4 out of 5]

President Roosevelt was impressed by the British Commandos. The United States Marine Corps formed two Raider battalions. This work is the history of the 1st Marine Raider Battalion in World War II and was commanded by Merritt "Red Mike" Edson. This is a good unit history of a short lived outfit.

[John Nellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good account of the history of the 1st Marine Raider Battalion. Very good history of the unit and many of the men and key figures that were part of it.

[Dave Beeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written. Excellent history of one of the most storied units in the Marine Corps.