Which airfield on Guadalcanal was crucial to defend to protect supply lines to Australia?

• A. Henderson Airfield
• B. Henderson Field
• C. Guadalcanal Field
• D. Airfield Henderson

Answer: (B)

Holding airfields near the main sea lanes was the hinge of Pacific warfare: air superiority over the Solomons allowed fighters to escort and protect convoys, strike Japanese shipping, and deny the enemy the ability to reinforce or resupply. On Guadalcanal, Henderson Field became the central base for Allied air power, supporting operations that kept supply routes to Australia open. From this field, US planes could patrol the approaches to the Coral Sea and beyond, help defend shipping, and neutralize Japanese attempts to interdict or reinforce through the Guadalcanal area. If Japanese forces had seized or neutralized this airfield, their air cover and naval forces could more easily threaten or disrupt the Australian supply lines, accelerating their efforts in the region. The field’s proper designation in history is Henderson Field, the name used for the Guadalcanal airstrip; the other names are not the standard designation.