Location
Located to the east of Honiara, the Lunga area is defined by the Lunga River and Red Beach to the west and north, Henderson Field to to the south and Tenaru to the east. Prewar, this area was a Leaver Brothers coconut palm plantation.

Wartime History
Occupied by the Japanese during early July - August 6, 1942 this area was developed into a camp area to support construction activities at the Lunga Point Airfield (Henderson Field).

On August 7, 1942 US Marines landed at Red Beach and occupied this area with little resistance. The Japanese in the area, mostly construction personnel fled the area, leaving the camp area unoccupied.

During and after the Battle of Guadalcanal, this area was further developed into a staging area and base, with proximity to cargo being unloaded at Lunga anchorage and the airfields.

After the war, during November 1945 this base area was demolished, with quonset huts bulldozed into pits.

American Cemetery on Guadalcanal
After the war, all bodies where exhumed for burial elsewhere

Henderson Field (Lunga Point, Honiara)
Japanese built, expanded by Americans, Guadalcanal objective

Fighter 1 (Lunga Field, The Cow Pasture)
Fighter strip built near Henderson, today abandoned

Lunga Point (Lunga River)
River mouth and point is where the Lunga River empties into Iron Bottom Sound.  The Lunga River made up the eastern perimeter of Henderson Field. The shallow, gravel river mouth was used for washing by American soldiers during the war, and is still used for that purpose today by locals.

Lunga Point Anchorage
The offshore waters was developed by American forces used as a major anchorage for ships and staging area.

Peter Flahavin adds:
"if you drive up the road near Henderson [Honiara Airport] car park to the beach at Lunga, you come upon the remains of metal barges and wood piers of the Lunga point naval base. Just a bit to the west is lunga lagoon."

USS John Penn APA-23
Sunk by Japanese B5N Kate torpedo bombers on August 13, 1943

USS Atlanta (CL-51)
Sunk during the "Naval Battle of Guadalcanal" November 12-13, 1942

USS Serpens AK-97
Sunk by accidental explosion January 29, 1945

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Last Updated
October 6, 2009

Map 1944

Map 1945