JUNGLE WARFARE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 121, 24 May 1944, Page 8

JUNGLE WARFARE

LAUGHING AT DEATH

JAPS SCREAM TO SLAUGHTER

(By KEITH WHEELER)

BOUGAINVILLE.

The battalion commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Preston Hundley (32), of Aurora, 111., was in line when the Japs made their latest stab into the tiny American perimeter on Empress Augusta Bay, here on the west coast of Bougainville.

Hundley's men were in a chain of pillboxes and shallow trenches behind two fences of double-apron barbed wire. Beyond the wire were GO yards of semi-cleared jungle— clear enough so you could see to shoot—and beyond that you couldn't see anything.

Inasmuch as the Japs already had tried three times to crack through the perimeter defences, Hundley's outfit was expecting trouble—and they got it.

"They came through about 4 a.m. and they were jabbering and raising hell," said Major James H. Ketchin, executive officer of the battalion.

"We got flares up to let us ancl there they came, an absolute mass bursting out of the jungle. They were carrying a 'helluva' load of bangalore torpedoes, land mines, machine guns, grenades—everything in the book. The boys opened up on 'em."

"Those Nips Are Nuts"

One of those who opened up was Technical - Sergeant Paul Tanner. "Boy, those Nips are nuts," said Tanner. "They sure didn't care about getting mowed down. We butchered them, but they kept rolling in. A bunch would yell and make a racket while the others cut wires.

"There were so many we couldn't stop them all. We stuck in our holes and kept them away, but a lot of them went on past."

In another. pillbox near by were live men.

From 4 a.m. until daylight, these five fought until their weapons burned their hands. And one, firing an automatic rifle, poured so many rounds through it, the barrel burned out.

No matter how many they killed, live Japs still swarmed around them..

"I don't know whether they're maniacs or doped?" Private Elmore said. "They've sure got plenty of nerve. We could hear them laughing and jabbering back and forth and pretty soon we heard them digging in within twenty yards of our box.

"Once in a while, they'd toss a grenade over our way. It was one of those, I guess, that nicked me in the back. It wasn't bad enough to stop me, though. I caught another chunk during the night, but that wasn't serious either.

Once- during the darkness, they caught a Jap cr6uching against their pillbox walls and killed him.

Piled High With Dead Warriors

Just as daylight came, Private Pyka saw a Jap rise from a nearby hole and raise an arm. He had a grenade in hand. At twenty feet Pyka fired. The bullet struck and exploded a grenade in the Jap's belt. "His hand and helmet went twenty feet in the air," said Pyka.

With daylight came five American tanks and behind those Hundley's Battalion moved in and rooted the Japs from their newly-dug holes, brush piles and the few captured American pillboxes into which they had penetrated.

It was' all over by noon. The break-through was littered, in some places high with dead warriors of Hirohito's Sixth Army Division. Eighty-three dead Japs were counted around the pillbox occupied by Sergeant Ron's men.

From another box, Lieut. Robert Curry shot two Japs within a yard A third Jap reappeared directly before the box and Curry fired again.

"The bullet tore his right leg off, all but a few shreds," Curry said. "A Jap officer leaned over him, trying to give the wounded man a drink. And the sergeant with me killed the officer.

"Then I'm damned if the wounded man didn't make a grab for his rifle and so I shot him again."—Auckland Star and N.A.N.A.