Operation KE: The Cactus Air Force and the Japanese Withdrawal from Guadalcanal

Operation KE explores the air combat that attended the Japanese evacuation of Guadalcanal in early 1943 -a topic which has hitherto received very little attention. Operation KE was successful largely because Japanese strategic planning and tactical execution was basically sound. The traditional view holds that the Japanese got away with the initiative largely because the Americans let them; the US Pacific high command felt it was not worth the effort to try and stop them. Letourneau contend...