Product Details

• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Original recording reissued, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Nat'l Geographic Vid
• VHS Release Date: April 3, 2001
• Run Time: 112 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6304475284
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #192,619 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Undersea explorer Robert Ballard, whose earlier expeditions led him to the submerged wrecks of the Titanic and the German battleship the Bismarck, again provides a compelling link to history in this 1993 reconstruction of the six-month battle for Guadalcanal. That island, in the South Pacific's Solomon chain, was the prize in the pivotal 1942 struggle pitting beleaguered Allied forces against an onslaught of imperial Japanese ships, troops, and air power. Even then, strategists on both sides correctly believed the outcome would determine the balance of military power in the Pacific theater of World War II.

The saga of Guadalcanal, as effectively traced through modern interviews, archival movie footage, and still photographs, is gripping on its own terms: following a series of victories in Southeast Asia and the Pacific, the Japanese were poised to forge an air link to Australia with an airstrip on the jungle island. An invasion force of U.S. Marines took the airstrip, but a swift enemy counterattack shattered supporting naval cruisers, isolating the ground troops. Over the next six months, reversals of fortune--including oversight and arrogance in the Japanese command and incompetence and indecision among U.S. brass--provided added suspense. By the time Guadalcanal was firmly held by an occupying Allied force, the northern water passage, dubbed Iron Bottom Sound, was strewn with the wrecks of some 50 warships from both sides.

The Lost Fleet of Guadalcanal thus begins with submarine footage of those wrecks, then weaves its tale of undersea adventure with the human drama played out a half century earlier. Giving the story added emotional weight are the reminiscences of combat veterans from both Allied and Japanese armed forces, including visibly painful recollections of the horrific battles, which left thousands dead in the swamps and jungles of the island, as well as on the ocean floor. The gravity of the campaign, as well as the intelligence of its presentation, are underscored by an on-camera introduction from President George Bush. --Sam Sutherland

Product Description

In 1942, World War II raged around a previously obscure island in the southwest Pacific called Guadalcanal. Six months of savage fighting transformed the channel north of the island into a final resting place for some fifty Allied and Japanese warships. Fifty years later, Dr. Robert Ballard, the explorer who found the wrecks of the Titanic and Bismarck, leads a joint National Geographic Society/U.S. Navy expedition to explore this watery graveyard. Join in his discovery of ships unseen for half a century! Retrace the brutal events at Guadalcanal that changed the course of the war. Share the vivid, searing memories of those who fought and survived, and witness their touching reunions with their ships and former enemies. And experience the excitement and life-threatening dangers of undersea exploration. With a special introduction by former President Bush, relive some incredible moments in the histories of war and exploration as you discover THE LOST FLEET OF GUADALCANAL.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good Photography, Concise, August 13, 2001

By 

Lowell Silverman (Rockville, MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: National Geographic Video: The Lost Fleet of Guadalcanal [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This documentary splits its time between the past, the Guadalcanal campagne, and the search at present (1992) for the many ships lost there in "Ironbottom Sound." The historical segment gives a relatively good account, giving a concise and understandable explanation of events. It includes interviews with the famous Martin Clemens, a coastwatcher on Guadalcanal. Obviously, because of the short time given to each topic, history enthusasts should not be expecting anything exceptional. The underwater photography and paintings shown of the ships explored are excellent. Surprising and candily compelling is Ballard's near death experience when CO2 levels rose out of control during a dive on the Japanese battleship Kirishima.

Some things that detract from this documentary. It gives a extreamly poor account of the pivital November 13-15 Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. The narrative and film go right into chaos mode without giving much of an explanation of any of the events of the battle, (including the sinking of the Juneau with the 5 Sullivans on board) and the Nov. 15th duel between battleships which ultimately decided the victory at sea and confirmed a victory in the land campagne is not even mentioned; It skips right into the ship and body count, implying everything happened in one night. Also, in the modern section, many of the ships are not dived on or mentioned. I would think an explanation would be in order. Stewart Mordock was interviewed several times for the film, and was shown joking about retriving his sword from the Atlanta. He came all the way to Guadalcanal- Was his ship even found? We're not told. Many ships are left out...Were the ships located or not? Were they dived on but not featured? Were they located but not dived on for lack of time?

I saw this documentary when it was first shown on television half my lifetime ago. It is an excellent part of my collection, which I have enjoyed watching many times. As I learned more about the battle, I became more irritated with the historical part of the film, but I still recommend it for people curious about Guadalcanal, a name that sends shivers down the spine. The photography of the fleet "frozen in time" is a must for any history enthusast.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ironbottom Sound comes to life!, January 21, 2000

By 

Jeffrey T. Munson (Dixon, IL) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: National Geographic Video: The Lost Fleet of Guadalcanal [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Dr. Robert Ballard, the same person who found the Bismarck and Titanic has done it again. This time, Ballard visits perhaps the greatest concentration of sunken ships in the world-the passage of water off Guadalcanal known as Ironbottom Sound. It was here from August 1942 to February 1943 that some of the greatest naval battles of World War II were fought. Ballard has invited both Japanese and American survivors to accompany him on his quest to find the lost ships of Guadalcanal. Ballard succeeds in locating and photographing several American and Japanese vessels, but perhaps the most exciting part of this video is when Ballard discovers the wreck of the Japanese battleship Kirishima. During the first dive, Ballard's research craft suffers a buildup of carbon dioxine, and the crew is forced to use an emergency oxygen source while making an emergency return to the surface. After the problem was fixed, Ballard and his crew dive on the battleship once more. Upon reaching the bottom, they discover that the battleship has come to rest upside down on the ocean flooor, so all that is visible are the huge propellers. The video skillfully intertwines actual footage from the battle along with the expedition itself. It is always haunting to hear and see the survivors' reactions about their experiences, as well as seeing their reactions upon seeing their ships after 50+ years under the sea. I would highly recommend this video to anyone who enjoys World War II history. Also check out Ballard's The Battle for Midway.

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointment at the bottom of the sea, September 12, 2000

By 

Kurt Johnson (Ventura, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: National Geographic Video: The Lost Fleet of Guadalcanal [VHS] (VHS Tape)

About 5 or 10 minutes of undersea photography of sunken ships. I believe 3 ships, one of which is rolled over so you get to see nothing but hull, 10 minutes of "oh no, we have a problem in our submersible", like I care, and the rest is like Guadalcanal Diary which is fine if that's what you were buying which I wasn't since it was supposed to be video of ship wrecks. Quite disappointing overall.