Kawaguchi Detachment

Kawaguchi Detachment
Kiyotake Kawaguchi (seated center), and other leaders of the detachment, at Palau in mid-1942
Active	1941-1945
Country	Japan
Branch	Imperial Japanese Army
Commanders
Commander	Kiyotake Kawaguchi

The Kawaguchi Detachment (Japanese: 川口支隊) was an Imperial Japanese Army brigade that existed during World War II. Under the command of Major General Kiyotake Kawaguchi, they fought in the Battle of Borneo and a part of the Guadalcanal Campaign. After October 1942, they had a different commander.

Starting in December 1941, the Japanese invaded British Borneo, in what would become the Battle of Borneo. They was successful in the ensuing months, capturing the cities of Miri and Kuching. They moved around the Pacific in mid-1942, and were sent to Guadalcanal in August, after the Americans took the island and Kiyoano Ichiki's Ichiki Detachment failed to retake it.

At Guadalcanal, they were made up of 17 different groups, and 9,208 soldiers at different times. They lost their two attempts to take Henderson Field from the Americans during the Battle of Edson's Ridge, the first of which was on September 12 to 13, and the second on the 13th to 14th. Their failure led to the IJA taking the Guadalcanal campaign seriously. In the Actions along the Matanikau in September and October, the Japanese won the September action and lost heavily in October. During the planning for the Battle of Henderson Field, Kawaguchi suddenly changed their positioning and only had one of his three battalions available for the battle's southern attack, so he was relieved of his duties.