12dz Chapter 132 Battle of Guadalcanal (2)
Chapter 132 Battle of Guadalcanal (2)
The Japanese troops steadily closed in on the trenches of the 113th Division's Engineer Battalion, a hail of bullets streaking across the night sky with fluorescent flashes. The well-prepared Engineer Battalion spotted the enemy's presence amidst the dim glow of the fire. Under the command of their commander, they launched a counterattack using their limited weapons. The guard platoon's three Czech light machine guns unleashed a crisp "da-da-da-da" sound, raining bullets down upon the enemy.
Without hesitation, the Japanese commander ordered the entire battalion to charge with all their might. Grenade launchers, mortars, and grenades rained down on the engineer battalion's positions. For a moment, gunfire and explosions rang out one after another, and soldiers from both sides continued to fall in the flames.
The engineering battalion not only possessed a solid trench position but also utilized various engineering equipment for cover. Some soldiers, hiding beneath excavation equipment, bravely resisted the enemy with their rifles. However, the Japanese did not retreat, but instead charged forward recklessly. Due to the relatively limited weaponry of the engineering battalion, they were unable to withstand the massive Japanese charge. Some Japanese soldiers successfully broke into the trenches and engaged in fierce close combat with the engineers.
"Kill!" Seeing the critical situation, the battalion commander immediately stepped forward and rushed to the front line of the battlefield. The other soldiers were also fearless. They put down their rifles and picked up tools such as shovels and iron spades to engage in brutal hand-to-hand combat with the Japanese troops who had entered the trenches!
At this time, the commanders at all levels of the 3rd Regiment of the United States also realized the seriousness of the situation. The deputy regiment commander, Lieutenant Colonel William, organized the approximately 2 to 300 people he had gathered around him and bravely rushed into the position of the Chinese engineering battalion. These American soldiers equipped with a large number of carbines used powerful firepower to stop the Japanese army from continuing to rush into the trenches. Two groups of heavy machine guns were quickly set up. As the tearing sound of the M2 heavy machine gun rang out, a large number of Japanese soldiers who were still charging in the back were killed, and a brief vacuum zone appeared at the front of the position.
William found the engineer battalion commander who was entangled with a Japanese soldier and helped him kill the Japanese soldier. Seeing that the battalion commander's head was covered in blood, he quickly called the medical soldier to come and bandage the battalion commander. The battalion commander shook his head and told William that he was not injured and that the blood was all from the Japanese soldiers.
Then the battalion commander asked anxiously, "Are you equipped with 107 multiple rocket launchers?"
William replied: "There are 18 guns, in the artillery position at the back."
"Quickly bring it up! Put it here, adjust the muzzle to the level firing position, and attack the Japanese aircraft cluster attack!"
William immediately asked the signalman to contact the regimental commander, and soon, several 9-barrel 107 multiple rocket launchers were pulled up. The US military only then realized that this thing was completely designed for this kind of jungle field battle. Three or two people quickly set up the artillery formation, and then countless shells dragged long tail flames towards the Japanese army, tearing the Japanese army apart in groups.
The various units that were gradually gathering joined the battle. According to the US Marine Corps, a regiment had nearly 4000 men, about half of whom were infantry. They followed their sergeants to join the trench warfare, and using their superior weapons and personnel, they quickly defeated the surprise attack of the Japanese. Considering the darkness, William did not allow the units to break out of their positions and pursue the enemy.
The 1st and 2nd Battalions of the Ikki Regiment of the Japanese Army suffered heavy losses, and the 3rd Battalion could not find a breakthrough. Ikki had no choice but to order each unit to take turns to provide cover and withdraw from the US landing site.
After daybreak, the US troops began clearing their positions in the landing zone. After a night of fierce fighting, the US suffered over 500 casualties, including 113 killed and 41 wounded in the 103th Division's Engineer Battalion. The Japanese fared no better, leaving behind no fewer than 300 bodies around the Engineer Battalion's positions alone. Further out in the open, piles of shredded flesh, ripped apart by M2 machine guns and rocket launchers, left the inexperienced soldiers of the 2nd Division vomiting.
Colonel Brand hurried to the front and met with William and the Chinese engineering battalion commander. After a brief exchange between the three, the mechanical equipment of the US and Chinese engineering battalions began to move. The bodies of the Japanese soldiers were buried in nearby pits, and the remains and wounded of Chinese and American soldiers were soon taken away by the arriving transport ships.
Major General Thomas Holcomb, commander of the 2nd Division of the United States, was shocked when he received Colonel Brand's report and hurried to meet General Fletcher. When he arrived, Fletcher was having a cordial conversation with the Chinese division commander Cai Yong.
Holcomb had to express his gratitude to General Cai out of courtesy and extend his condolences and sympathy to the Chinese engineers who died last night.
Fletcher did not say much about this. In war, people die every minute and every second. Once chosen by the god of death, there is no escape.
Fletcher was very interested in the meeting with General Cai just now. Based on the information obtained from the Japanese corpses, Cai Yong believed that the Japanese army on Guadalcanal could not have had only a few thousand people, and it was impossible for the Japanese army to send all its main forces to participate in the battle in the first encounter. In addition, the Japanese army had been operating on Guadalcanal for more than a year and had begun to build an airport, so they must have made some preparations.
Cai Yong, analysing the Japanese military's premeditated plan, advised the Chinese and American forces to expedite the landing operation, initially aiming to expand the landing area and establish forward bases, then gradually advance deeper to seize the airfield as quickly as possible. Furthermore, patrols along the island should be strengthened, especially at night, as the Japanese would undoubtedly use the cover of darkness to support their forces on the island. Cai Yong even suspected the Japanese had a secret supply port somewhere.
Fletcher knew that this Chinese general had never participated in naval combat, but his analysis was very sound and closely matched the US military's high-level deductions for the battle. The Allies had chosen to conduct this battle on Guadalcanal for two reasons: first, to address the threat posed by Japanese air forces to Australia, and second, to practice their own forces' combat patterns for subsequent island-hopping operations.
The three quickly reached a consensus: the 113th and 2nd US Divisions would all land today, using the daylight to establish a base several kilometers wide and deep. Fletcher suggested that the 113th Division send several units to join the 2nd US Division, while the 2nd US Division also sent several units to join the 113th Division. As for General Cai's request for flamers and flamethrower tanks, Fletcher agreed without hesitation. A newly arrived modified flamethrower tank was immediately assigned to both divisions.
During the day, the two landing sites of the Allied forces on Guadalcanal were bustling with the coming and going of various ships. The US military, especially the 3rd Regiment, which landed first, quickly grew after a night of fierce fighting. With the support of the 113th Division Engineer Battalion, they continued to expand the landing site. With the arrival of subsequent large-scale machinery, the landing area continued to expand and improve.
Both the Chinese and American divisions dispatched platoon-sized search teams, gradually penetrating the inner islands. They encountered no Japanese troops or indigenous people along the way, and found no trace of the enemy. Air force reconnaissance and bombing raids on the Guadalcanal airfield revealed only simple infrastructure around the airfield, with no trace of Japanese aircraft. This cryptic situation further confirmed the Japanese's ulterior motives.