Description Gifu: The Real History Gifu was the name of area held as a Japanese stronghold near the Matanikau River on the island of Guadalcanal, named by the Japanese after the Gifu Prefecture in Japan. The Japanese had constructed an elaborate, horseshoe-shaped trench system, comprised of over 40 bunkers and reinforced with logs along the slopes of Mount Austen.
The men of the combined US Marine Corps and Army Divisions, organized as the XIV Corps under General Alexander M. Patch, fought and died valiantly for 22 days to take over the Gifu stronghold and the hundreds of Japanese soldiers stationed inside. It finally fell to the Allies in the final days of December, 1942, and it was a significant step towards the Allied goal of secure the Matanikau River area, Henderson Field, and wiping out the Japanese forces stationed on Guadalcanal.
