拯救飞行员--布干维尔岛战役之插曲

胸口碎大石

Return to Friendly Lines – Chapter 1: The Coastwatchers

Leftenant Tomas Van der Haanks, a former escapee from the Dutch East Indies, and presently of the Solomon Islands Defense Force and Constable Edward Styles, a native Solomon Islander, had been occupying their perch on the south side of the northwest end of Bougainville for over a year. It was a lonely existence keeping tabs on the Japanese Navy as they came out of Rabaul and headed down the slot, but so far it had paid off. Their perch above Atsinima Bay, along with the other Coastwatcher stations in the Solomon chain, had given the allies enough advance warning to work they way up the chain from Guadalcanal throughout 1943. Once the allies could get fighter bases within range of the Japanese fortress of Rabaul, Japanese domination in the South Pacific would end…

“Ha! The Yanks have finally landed on Bougainville, Styles! It’s already been two days - it won’t be long now until the Japs are finished in the South Pacific.”

“That may be true, boss…but there is still plenty of work to do. The Japs will not leave Bougainville so easily. They will certainly send ships from Rabaul to attack the Yank fleet.”

“Speaking of that – what have we got out there?

“C’mon Styles, let’s get a better look!”

“Hmm. Jap Cruiser by the look of it. Looks like she faired well in last night’s battle. Quite the fireworks, eh, Styles?”

“She seems to be circling back north. I wonder what that’s about…let’s get back inside and crank up the wireless. We should report this.”

“Leftenant, look! Planes at 1 o’clock.”

“Good eye, Styles, but I doubt they’ll bother to come this way. Given the sillouette and the fact there are three of them, they must be Japs. They’re heading for the Yank ships off of Cape Torokina, no doubt.”

“They’re Japs all right. But I don’t think they are heading for Torokina, Boss. They’ve turned this way and are closing fast…”

“Bloody Hell, they’re firing! Styles, take cover!”

Van der Hanks and Styles turn and hit the deck as the roar of the zeroes’ engines gets louder…

Then, with a loud BRRATATATATATAT, the ground is torn to shreds around them as the zeroes make their strafing run...

The firing stops as the zeroes climb up over the treetops to avoid colliding with the hillside. There is a short WOOSH, and then KABOOM!
....The two Coastwatchers look up to see a blinding flash.

“Damn - They’ve bombed the wireless hut! ....Direct hit, too.”

“C’mon, Styles. We’ve got a long walk ahead to the Yank lines. We’re useless up here without the wireless and the Japs will send a patrol before long.”

The two Coastwatchers set out through the mountainous jungle, working their way ever downward toward the lowland and newly formed Marine perimeter around Cape Torokina, 15 miles away…

胸口碎大石

Return to Friendly Lines – Chapter 2: The Raiders
0200 Bougainville, 5 November 1943: 3rd Raider Bn has secured it’s objectives on the small islands of Puruata and Torokina opposite the landing beaches in Empress Augusta Bay and on Cape Torokina, and is moving on to the cape to take it’s place on the Marine perimeter. Lt Powers, Weapons Co CO, and GySgt Bronson, the Company Gunny, have been ordered to report to Major Lafferty the battalion operations officer in his dimly lit, smoky CP tent. Pfc Raincloud’s odd Navajo code chatter can be heard in the background.

“Thanks for coming in, Dan, Gunny. Nice work you boys did clearing out Puruata. I’ve got a job for you.”

Lieutenant, Dan Powers, a former football star from Lincoln Nebraska, and Gunny Bronson, a bona fide Lifer, who had been in the Corps so long that it was the only home he could remember, listen intently as the Major began the briefing...

“The battalion is in the process of taking its place in the defensive perimeter on the Division’s extreme right at Cape Torokina. The Battalion and the Regiment CP’s will be here at the base of the Cape. E Company has shifted left of the blocking position on Piva / Mission trail and tying in with 21st Marines. Tomorrow afternoon H Company will take over the position. In the meantime I have an attached reinforced Tank platoon from 3rd Defense Battalion covering the position. They’ll join G Co. in the Battalion Reserve when H Co. takes over the position. The Seabees are living up to their name, and have been clearing brush for the airfield right up to the perimeter for the past two days. It’ll be at least a week before we see the first fighters landing here, though. Supporting arms remain as they were on Puruata.”

The Major continued as Gunny Bronson continued to suck in one of the crummy K-Ration Jacky Strike cigarettes… “The entire perimeter has been hit by Jap patrols for the past two nights, but nothing sizeable. Word that has come down from the Division G-2 is that the Jap’s 23rd Infantry has established a bivouac a mile or two up the trail and is using it as a patrol base. It is unlikely that they have artillery support, but it is possible that they are supported by light tanks brought up from the southern end of the island.”

“Dan, at first light, I need you to punch a small patrol up the trail as a combination OP / mini blocking position in order to ensure that we are not surprised by any Jap force coming down the trial and hitting our main line.”

Major Lafferty straightened up in the dim smoke filled tent and took out a Jacky Strike… “As you know, the whole point of landing on this hellhole is for the Seabees to build that airfield so that we can get fighters in range of Rabaul. We need eyes farther up the trail.”

The Gunny took a drag on his cigarette, pondered the situation, then spoke: “I’ll take the patrol up the trail, gentlemen. I’ll want a dog handler from HQ Co. The dog ’ll sense Japs long before we can.”

“Thanks for volunteering, Gunny. Make sure you have a Boys rifle with you. If a tank comes down that trail, I want it stopped.”
“Aye, aye, Sir.”

First light found the 3rd Defense Bn’s Tank Platoon continuing to dig in and reposition their light tanks to better cover the approach to the area the Seabees had cleared the day before.

“I want that 37mm main gun firing right up the trail over the .50 cal. If anything comes down that trail kill it…and don’t shoot or run over our people.”

Already the sun blazed into the jungle’s new edge from where the Seabees had cut down the brush.

The Seabees wasted no time turning to, hacking away the jungle for the new airstrip, paying no heed to the idling tanks.

Gunny Bronson lead his small patrol through the flurry of activity toward the perimeter’s edge.

胸口碎大石

Cpl Vincette, with his German shepherd, Duke would be the first through the wire. Vincette always loved working with Dogs, and was proud to be part of the Corps’ new war dog program, but wasn’t to fond of the fact that it often put him on point.

Pfc Castle is not far behind with the massive Boys .55 anti-tank rifle. The weapon was unique to the Raiders, and would soon be replaced by the bazooka, but it would stop one of the Jap tanks with a well aimed shot.

Cpl Enders’ heavy machinegun team pauses from their smoke break and looks up, not knowing what to think of the mountainous Boys gunner, who not only carried the Boys, and a full load of ammo, but enough chow for the patrol for several days.


“Who’re those guys?”, Carpenter’s Mate (CB) 2nd Class Timmy Olson of the Seabee detachment clearing brush in the area wondered aloud. “They’re Raiders.” replied Sgt. Ox Henderson.

“Jeeze - dose guyz look pissed.”, said Carpenter’s Apprentice Donny Tortelli. “Aah, they always look pissed.”, said the Tanker standing next to him. “ ‘sides - you’d look pissed, too, if you had to go up that trail and lie in a puddle a mud full a leaches waitin’ for da Japs”.

Gunny Bronson paused as his patrol passed the .50 cal position. He knew Cpl Enders from before the war. Enders had been a troublesome private when he had been a sergeant serving sea duty on the USS Nevada, back in the mid thirties.

“Enders!”

“Yes, Gunny?” Enders, replied almost dropping his cigarette.





“I advise you to knock of the jaw jackin’ and turn to on prepping that gun. This isn’t one of your Hollywood beach parties.”





“When the Japs come down that trail, you better be prepared to take them out. Just ‘cause you’re goin’ back to the rear tonight doesn’t mean that you can let your guard down.”

As the Raiders went through the wire and headed up the Piva trail safeties came off weapons and the clack of bolts going home, driving rounds into chambers could be heard. The Seabees and Defense Bn Marines watched with a mix of envy and trepidation.










A veteran of Guadalcanal and New Georgia, Pfc Castle considered the prospect of going back into the jungle, his now permanent scowl masking his thoughts…

胸口碎大石

Bronson and his men moved farther up the trail, the jungle closing in rapidly from all around. The men were silent, watching everything. Sgt Frazetti, a former longshoreman from Philadelphia, brought up the rear.