Edson’s Ridge was one of the most important engagements of the Guadalcanal campaign during the Second World War. Fought between 12 and 14 September 1942, the battle took place on a narrow coral ridge south of Henderson Field, the vital airfield captured by American forces on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. Control of the airfield was essential, as it allowed the Allies to project air power across the region and threaten Japanese supply routes.

The ridge was defended by approximately 800 United States Marines under the command of Colonel Merritt A. Edson, whose Raider Battalion and supporting parachute troops had already gained a reputation for aggressive fighting. Opposing them was a much larger force from Major General Kiyotake Kawaguchi’s Japanese brigade, which was tasked with recapturing Henderson Field and driving the Americans from the island.

On the night of 12 September, Japanese troops launched a series of determined assaults against the Marine positions. Fighting was intense and often conducted at close quarters in darkness. Waves of attackers pressed forward despite heavy casualties, forcing the Marines to withdraw gradually to stronger defensive positions along the ridge's crest. Edson moved constantly among his men, encouraging them to hold their ground as Japanese soldiers repeatedly breached sections of the line.