Memoirs of No Battle at Leyte Island (3)

　
There is nothing impossible if tried hard. On the 16th when a week passed since the running aground, we succeeded to float Kammon-Maru on the sea at last. When we heard the strong sound of engine after a long time and Kammon-Maru moved onto the sea, we shouted Hurray, weve made it.

This result gave us confidence, which turned belief. We successfully continued to float Mankichi-Maru on 17th, Jinriki-Maru on 19th, and Daiei-Maru on 20th on the sea, which had been worked simultaneously. We thought that they would be impossible, when the battalion commander of Seikichi-Maru ordered us to go after him. But, they had been realized.

All the four boats were dug out. We must be in hurry. We stopped to move at Masbate for 12 days. In the evening of the 21st, we started navigation again to Leyte behind Masbate.

In the morning of the 24th, we anchored at the inlet of a very small island named Jintotolo which was on a little way from Masbate. After the early lunch in the boat, when 4~5 causative soldiers began the preparation on the deck to pick leaves of palm for disguise, suddenly a consolidated bomber appeared at low altitude from the opposite side of the island and attacked us with dropping bombs and machine-gunning and went away. One of the 2nd company was killed instantly and one more was injured. Of our machine-gun company, Kato, 2nd year soldier, was injured in his buttock. It was the fist injury of our company since the landing the Philippines. Fortunately we were not repeatedly attacked and the affairs were settled in a while. But it was an instance that made us realize that we were under attack by guns harder than Manila air raid.

Until the evening, we all buried our comrade of the 2nd company of war death and started night navigation again. We left the island feeling so sorry that he slept alone at a solitary island named Jintotolo in foreign land.

At the next day, 25th, the four boats reached a small fishing port named Daan Bantayan of the island of Medellin located at the north part of the Cebu Island. As the sea was shallow, we could not bring the boats alongside the wharf. I know now it was a really dangerous area which had not any shelter for us.

By these environment and situation, we all were decided to land. When landed, we knew that the friendly troops, the garrison, stayed there. We heard that sounds continually like thunders far away were that of fire at Leyte, and that it would take 7or 8 hours by boat to the west seaside of Leyte, and that we had better make and take rice balls, as cooking could be impossible there . Everything we have heard made us surprised.

So we carried rice out of the boat, and we were very busy to make rice balls using the cooking place of the garrison. In the afternoon we got nervous about the next days battle, an enemy plane came to turn so highly over us and flied away toward Leyte. Soldiers of the garrison advised that boats anchored without any shelter would be easily found and be attacked without fail. In Kammon-Maru, Kato, a 2nd year soldier who was wounded at Jintotolo yesterday, were left alone.

To rescue him, Iida superior private hurried to go in a small boat. It was a job necessary to hurry. He rowed with all his power, moved Kato 2nd year into the lighter, and rowed to the shore.
But a lighter could not run as fast as we hoped.
At the same time the lighter reached the beach, 17 Gruman fighters appeared. They which were divided into 4 groups of 4 fighters attacked 4 boats with a shower of bullets. Nonresistant and defenseless 4 boats were enveloped in flames in a while and it was only a matter of time to fire the ammunition. 4 boats exploded in succession with a great crash. The red-yellow flash was not inferior to the brightness of the sun. It was a scene we could never forget.

I went to the beach to care the patient in a lighter which reached 200m away by the current of tide. So we, several including Iida superior private, ended to watch the shooting and explosion.

Enemy fighters burned down 4 boats by 30~40 minutes of gunfight, without any attack from the ground, leisurely disappeared behind military gains, in formation, in the East sky toward Lyte.

In 3 weeks after departure from Manila, we had experienced a miracle of digging out 4 boats for 10 days at Mastabe. Our desire and hope that we could battle on Leyte tomorrow, even if late, were crashed in a moment.

At the time of 25th of November, we had no information about other front　lines, about Japanese troops at Leyte and about Izumi Corps. We felt easy in fact that the military situation might be developed to our advantage and might possibly celebrate a victory.

But the reality of Leyte on 25th was severe. The 57 regiment (Tama) at Lemon Pass resisted the pressure of US army in desperation. At the south Front, our 3rd battalion of the 13th regiment fought a fierce battle against the US pressure at Dalman and Albuera. They were really the decisive battles at Leyte.

For our wrecked corps that did not know about the serious development at Leyte, the present food was rice balls, but we had no food after tomorrow. More than that, all weapons and bullets disappeared into the sea together with boats.

Of course we had no clothes for change. First of all, I heard this situation was informed to the appropriate organization through the garrison.

(To be continued)