Driver Sgt. Kanichi Tamura (KIA)
Gunner Fukuhata (KIA)
Destroyed  October 24, 1942

Tank History
Part of the 1st Independent Tank Company and was originally the 4th Company, 2d Tank Regiment with 108 men. The unit landed on Guadalcanal during the night of October 14, 1942 from the Sasago Maru (1st Platoon) and with the balance on the Sakido Maru with 104 men. One was KIA and two WIA in the landing and one tank destroyed (disabled?) by gunfire from an unknown US warship.
 

Wartime History
There were only nine tanks (Tank #1, 1st Platoon, the commanders tank had engine trouble on the coast route and remained there) involved in the attack; tanks No. 2 & 3 (3d Platoon) were not involved in the direct attack. 

In the assault on Point Cruz and was knocked out by United States Marines, while attempting to cross the Matanikau River on October 24, 1942. The driver of the tank was Sgt. Kanichi Tamura and his gunner were killed trying to get out of the disabled tank.

On the Japanese side, 30 were KIA and 10 WIA. One sergeant ran away before the battle or just after it commenced. Later he, Seizoh Watanabe became a POW. He and 14 others were alive 12 years ago.  

After the initial battle action in which those tanks were shot up and swamped by seas, they were ruined. The Japanese had no spares, tools, etc to repair such damage. The Americans would have destroyed them largely to prevent Japanese machine gunners/ snipers setting up in them. From a Jap MG point of view those armor tank hulls would have been great to set up in again, and thus were destroyed, except for one.

Stan Jersy reports:
"The head on the tank was from the 4th Tank in the 'crossing' photo. In the photo---the first tank was the leader, the second tank was the adjutants tank, the third was the 3d Tank, 1st Platoon, the next was 3d Tank, 2d Platoon, the fourth tank---was a light tank.(3d Tank, 1st Platoon).  It is believed there were two bodies in the tank.  Years ago, [a Japanese person], tried to get an Assise unit to pull the tank out but the crane could not get a firm hold on the rusted hull."

Wreckage
Over the decades, the river mouth has moved, now only one tank remains, submerged up to its turret. The sand bar moves extensively. In very wet cyclones the Matanikau, floods incredibly and blasts out the sand bar at the mouth and washes it all away. Then it begins building up again etc. The bar changes a lot. It would shift out near the tanks on some occassions and then shift back again. 

References
Thanks to Stan Jersy, Ewan Stevenson for assistance with this profile.

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