The War of Resistance: My Expedition, My Country

Chapter 141: Annihilation of the Beast 1 Wood Detachment

The Japanese troops on Guadalcanal were indeed as Cai Yong had predicted. Nearly 20,000 men remained, the vast majority of them concentrated in the eastern part of the island. Relying on hidden ports, they continuously received supplies of various materials and were intensively and methodically preparing a counterattack plan.

Sano Tadayoshi decided to lead this operation. Currently, Kawaguchi's unit and the two regiments of his own 38th Division were relatively intact. Aoba Shigeru had been killed in previous battles. Japanese long-range transport aircraft had repeatedly carried out airdrops under the cover of darkness, but the actual results had been less than satisfactory.

Meanwhile, Mikawa led the 8th Fleet in a nighttime raid, attempting to launch an airstrike and bombard key positions held by the US and Chinese forces on Henderson. They were attacked by the US fleet, resulting in the loss of a heavy cruiser and a destroyer. Fortunately, the "Tokyo Express" operation remained undetected by the enemy; otherwise, the situation on the island would have become even more difficult and precarious.

In the northern part of the island, the remaining Japanese forces, primarily Ichiki's detachment, numbered approximately 3000 men. They also brought with them a large number of local indigenous people. The ruthless Ichiki not only forced these defenseless indigenous people to become victims of war, but also forced them to construct numerous secret fortifications and hiding places. In times of extreme shortage of supplies, these poor indigenous women and children not only became the targets of the Japanese army's wanton bullying and humiliation, but even worse, they became food for these demonic forces!

A US military search team accidentally rescued several Guadalcanal natives, from whom they learned of the Japanese army's brutal and genocidal acts. Word quickly spread throughout the Allied forces, calling them truly outrageous and infuriating.

Fletcher and Cai Yong decided to give priority to eliminating this beastly army. Lieutenant General Alexander Patch forcibly seized the command. According to him, the north was the combat area of ​​the US 1st Division. As the division commander, he must personally command and eliminate these anti-human atrocities.

The US 1st Division immediately took action, and the 114th Air Wing of the US Air Force stationed on Guadalcanal also sent more than 10 fighter planes to assist. General Alexander launched a carpet attack and used fire attack on the Japanese troops in the north of the island. A large number of flamethrower tanks and flamers were sent to the front line. Once the Japanese troops were found hiding, the US 1st Division immediately surrounded them with large soldiers and attacked them with small teams, continuously burning them with flames, and not giving the Japanese any chance.

The 1st Division's actions were highly effective. Months of fighting had acclimated various US units to island warfare, refining their strategies and tactics to suit the Japanese's unique characteristics. Ikki's detachment was quickly reduced to a confined mountainous and forested area of ​​less than 200 square kilometers, even abandoning the coastline.

At this moment, Ikki was hiding in a deep cave, in the dark and damp surroundings, his former arrogance gone. Several of his emaciated, pale-faced subordinates sat beside him, their faces equally filled with dejection. Sensing the end was near, Ikki ordered a farewell message to his superiors. He then ordered the execution of all detained indigenous people, comfort women, and others, preparing to launch the final "honorable death" operation tonight.

Late at night, in the improvised command post of Company A, 9st Battalion, 1th Regiment, at the edge of the forest, Lieutenant Thomson was writing battle notes and reports. During the day's operations, Company A had advanced several hundred meters, killed over ten Japanese soldiers, and rescued indigenous Dominicans. Sergeant Locke of Company A was wounded, and Private First Class Marks of the 10st Squad, 3rd Platoon, was killed in action.

At the front line of the 3rd Platoon of Company A, more than 1000 Japanese troops, under the command of Ikki, have been quietly approaching. According to Ikki's idea, the troops should get as close to the US positions as possible, and then launch a sudden assault, rush into the US positions, kill as many enemies as possible, and leave the last glory for themselves.

Unfortunately, Private Anderson Hughes of the 3nd Squad, 2rd Platoon, ran out of the trench in a hurry to urinate. After urinating in the grass in front, he looked towards the front of the position intentionally or unintentionally and found the Japanese soldiers squirming.

"Enemy! Enemy!"

With Anderson's resounding cry, a thrilling nighttime battle erupted between Ikki's remnants and the US 1st Division. The 3nd Squad, 2rd Platoon, and the front line opened fire with a chorus of weapons, but the Japanese were no pushovers. Under Ikki's command, over 1000 Japanese soldiers launched a frantic charge, like hungry tigers pouncing on their prey. The deafening roar of gunfire sent Japanese soldiers falling one after another, but they remained undaunted, charging forward. The close proximity allowed the Japanese to quickly penetrate the US positions, wiping out nearly all of the front line, including the 3rd Platoon leader, with many soldiers tragically killed by the bayonets of the charging Japanese.

Lieutenant Thomson remained undaunted. While organizing Company A to staunchly resist the attack, he urgently requested assistance from nearby allies. A brutal hand-to-hand combat soon ensued, and Company A, outnumbered, seemed on the verge of collapse. At this critical juncture, reinforcements from the 9rd and 3th Battalions of the 4th Regiment arrived. A torrential barrage of light and heavy machine gun fire, like a torrential downpour, quickly suppressed the remnants of Ikki's fierce attack.

Lieutenant Colonel Carl, who led the team, described it in his memoirs: "The Japanese army was like being possessed by a demon. They attacked frantically and recklessly, completely disregarding their own casualties. They surged in like a tide, as if to drown us. Our machine guns kept firing, mowing down group after group of enemies..."

After several hours, the gunfire gradually faded. Almost all the Japanese troops had fallen on the path of attack. The bodies piled up like a mountain in front of the position, a horrific sight! Ikki had been killed in the crowd at some point. At dawn, Carl and his men witnessed the devastating scene, stunned by the shock. A careful count revealed that the US 1st Division had killed 1137 of the remnants of Ikki's detachment that night and treated seven seriously wounded. The US troops also suffered heavy losses. Company A, including Lieutenant Thomson, lost 7 men killed. Every survivor was wounded, and the entire company was virtually annihilated.

Subsequently, the US 1st Division's clearing operation in the northern part of the island went extremely smoothly. In addition to discovering a large number of mass graves of indigenous people and comfort women who were killed by the Japanese army, the small number of Japanese troops who escaped were also wiped out one by one.

Before Fletcher and his men could recover from their victory in the northern Guadalcanal cleanup, a sudden turn of events caught them unawares. The cunning Sano Tadayoshi had meticulously planned everything. He skillfully utilized secret underground passages and, like a ghost, led a large number of Japanese troops to infiltrate the rear of the US 2nd and 113th Divisions without anyone noticing.

In an instant, several important American strongholds came under fierce attack. These strongholds were originally key support points of the US defense line. Under the fierce attack of the Japanese army, many key locations were breached, and the roads connecting the front and the rear were cut off. The 2th Regiment of the 9nd Division and the 113th Regiment of the 5th Division, which were on the front line, were trapped in the Japanese encirclement.