Memoirs of No Battle at Leyte Island (4)

　
Anyway we had to secure a place to sleep at the night. We searched vacant houses of local people in the neighborhood and stayed there separately by every squad. Lodging could be easily　secured, it became the biggest job to obtain daily food since the next day. We diverted ourselves by obtaining food everyday, although our long-awaited ships were not given even if November ended.

On 5th of December when we had spent 10days at Daan Bantayan, 2 boats were given hurriedly. For the reason of capacity, 3rd company stayed at the spot. 2nd company and 1st company of machine-gun started to run in full speed on the pitch-black dark sea. Once we felt a shudder of fear when we looked at tracer bullet from a torpedo boat, we could enter Cebu Port safely at 5 oclock of daybreak.

Soon after landing, we received baptism of air raid by more than 10 of North American bombers. It was the large-scale air strike that we had first experienced since landing Philippines. The roaring sound was just as a strong wind blew through a bamboo thicket and was very more effective to blow our fear of failing. We avoided or watched the first air raid. We had no shelter and entered houses avoiding roads and waited for the raid to end. At the bottom of the battle, we realized that we would approach to the main stage step by step. After marching some kilo-meters from the port, we arrived at the camp to have breakfast. We had a meal like meal after a long time.

It was no longer for the unarmed soldiers to eat safely at the camp. We had to take an unexpected duty. We were asked to dig a shelter-moat for the Cebu military hospital at the encampment on hill by several hundreds of soldiers. We were the corps gathered from many places. Digging holes at a hot country was a hard job for us, choosing the interval of air raids.


When we came back to the camp in about two weeks, after releasing from digging a shelter moat, we were provided weapons and bullets and a new set of clothes. We changed our clothes and mind to look like soldiers and the armed forces. We prepared to go to Leyte with a tension.

At the time, Kamioka battalion commanded by Captain Kamioka stayed at Cebu City. This captain, who commanded Kamioka battalion and us, planned to reach Leyte in the shortest course in the direction of the north of the Cebu Island.

We had weapons and clothes and stood in a line in the garden of the camp. Captain Kamioka finished a admonitory address and ordered us. Forward Leyte! Go ahead!

We started to march on 27th under the scorching sun, even in December of the southern country: Philippines.

The troops which aimed at fierce battle, was greedy. We carried everything to the maximum on carts that were down to pans, kitchen knives and cutting boards. The length of our marching file was exceptional.

Our first stay overnight was at Yate which was within the territory of the allied troops. If we could bear the hotness, we could march almost smoothly as the schedule, as there was no need to watch out for air raid and inhabitants often met were friendly.

But the smooth march was ended here. When we went 1km out of Yate village on the 2nd day, we might enter the territory of guerilla. The road was completely blockaded with palm trees and many obstacles. We could not carry carts any more. Therefore, baggage on carts was naturally divided on shoulders of soldiers.

The second stay overnight was at Danao which was a port town. Here, injured soldiers (patient of tropical ulcer and Kato 2nd year soldier) were to move by boat commanded by Shimizu squad leader.

On the 3rd day we could march smoothly by taking off injured soldiers out of the march. We reached Catmon for the third stay and took a long break.

Soon after we started 4th days march out of Catmon, an advance guard was suddenly shot in the darkness before dawn and Sanitary soldier! Forward! was shouted. Ishigami first year soldier was pierced at his upper arm and fortunately had no fracture. I tried to stop bleeding with feeling of hand touch literally. Our side attacked the guerilla by a heavy machine-gun. We took a short break until dawn.

We had the last fourth stay at Borbon. We were woken up to start a march at about 10 oclock in spite of the way of sleeping. We missed the way somewhere. We sank in water under knees, and walked in a bog. We could not easily see a man walking ahead in the darkness of midnight.

At about 3 oclock when long time had passed, we looked up through trees grown thickly. We felt that we walked round and round at the same place.

At about half past four when the sky was turning light, we heard the sound peculiar to the engine of enemy torpedo boat. Embarrassment, tension and fear attacked us at the same time. In a while, sounds of fire and explosion of a rapid-fire gun rung at once. Anyway we could do nothing until passing through the bog. After 3 hours of wandering, we felt relieved to find the way revealed by low tide when the sky turned light. But we felt suddenly tired to know that a white house ahead 500m was where we took a short sleep last night.

We could escape out of the bog as it dawned. At the shore a boat was attacked by a torpedo boat. Shells carried on the boat, caught fire to explode. Brass made cartridge flied up by explosion were scattered in every direction and were more dangerous.

A little later we met the group of Shimizu squad leader that moved by boat. We heard of fear that they were attacked by the torpedo boat and Tanaka private 1st class was injured with both legs to instant death.

We gathered all our strength to reach the goal of Tobogon in the evening of 31st of December, 19th year of Showa. After a long march of 100km for 5 days, we took a long break just in case.


Here near the north part of Cebu Island, there were Mitsui unit of boats and it was certain that we could start for Leyte by boats. At the next day, the New Year began. We had repeated a detour for 2 months since the departure from the Port of Manila, we were just in one more step to Leyte.

We waited for boats for 2 and 3 days, but they could not be seen. In the morning of 4th of January, 1st lieutenant Sakata, the company commander, with the medal of commander, read the whole of the Emperor Words and gave instructions to us in front of soldiers standing in a line with formal military dress. It was the anniversary day for hearing the Emperor Words.

In the morning of 6th after one day, a serious incident had happened. Astonishingly His Excellency of the divisional commander who was supposed to be commanding the division at Leyte appeared at Cebu Island. We had supposed a little about the situation of Leyte, but we had not been made known anything about Leyte at the time. The situation became decisive by the fact that the 1st division (Tama) appeared at Cebu Island with the commander presenting the Three Military Flags. The tales spoken by soldiers were fragmentary, but the whole situation was revealed gradually. Severe fight, desperate battle and defeat were beyond our imagination.

We had also received a baptism of bullets and exchanged gun fight. But during the time we devoured a sound sleep at Cebu Island, our friendly troops fought desperately there, fell down and died.


For all of us, a hope of landing Leyte was decisively crashed at last. We had to stay at Cebu Island under the command of Tama division. Those described above were all situations why we could not land the Island of Leyte.

At Leyte, Japanese 5 divisions belonged by 80 thousands of soldiers, developed desperate fights. The movement of our small unit, that was only 0.5 % of those, could not influence a little to the result of the battle. Nevertheless, I would like to write even a sentence at the blank space of the history that there was a small unit that made all endeavor to reach the front of battle somehow or other and but their endeavor could not been rewarded. These memoirs are the best way for a memorial service and consolation of the souls of our brothers who died regrettably at the southern island, I thought. I tried to write down my memories as above.

Additionally writing at the last, we reached the end of the war on the hill of Illihan on the 28th of August, 20th year of Showa (1945), under the command of Tama Corps. We could come back to the home country peacefully.

End

(To be continued)