The Ashes of Iwo Jima
Chapter 10: Surface Tension
"Royal Flush," announced Mike as the other men complained about his good luck. He had just won himself seventy-five bucks. His celebration was cut short by the arrival of the company commander.
"Listen up! Tomorrow we are moving to take the Jap airfield that we are so happily camped beside. Our flyboys need this airfield so they don't have to go around Iwo Jima and can just land here," he told them.
Fukuda lay down on his bunk in the barracks with his arms behind his head and in deep thought. He thought about Aika, Satou, and this senseless struggle that had killed thousands already. It all seemed so absurd that the government wouldn't just surrender to the Americans. He wouldn't dare say that too loud because the Kempeitai were everywhere across the Empire and you could easily be killed for speaking of surrender. Fukuda slowly drifted off to sleep wrapped up in his private thoughts.
Fukuda was jolted awake by his bunkmate as sirens sounded and explosions rocked the barracks. He stumbled out of his bunk and quickly slipped into his gear. He then raced out the door to the armory. When he arrived he quickly got himself a rifle and a helmet. He then slipped the picture of Aika back under his helmet as he ran towards the sounds of fighting. He ran past the charred remains of Mitsubishi Zeros and Betty bombers. Fukuda soon arrived at the sandbags that had been hastily set up in the middle of the runway and took cover. He poked his head out to see what was going on but quickly dove back behind the bags as bullets slammed into them causing them to leak sand.
Mike pondered how they could possibly take out the next line of sandbags before the obvious answer occurred to him, grenades. He quickly pulled the pin on a pineapple and lobbed it into the position.
Fukuda was in the middle of load a new clip into his rifle when a grenade landed on his lap. Without thinking he picked it up and tossed it out. Shortly afterward a second soared in and he threw that one back as well. Then two more which he tossed back together and laughed at the predictable Americans.
I know what will work, thought Mike and he opened a crate containing an M2 Bazooka.
"Suck on this Japs" he said as he fired off the rocket.
Fukuda saw him fired the rocket and began to run. As he looked back the sandbags blew apart and soldiers flew in all directions. He quickly moved to the next line and mounted a Type 99 light machine gun. He felt it difficult to remove the magazine after the weapon had emptied since the clip was on the top of the weapon as opposed to being on the bottom or being belt-fed. However Fukuda still made the Americans suffer mightily as he disposed of a least twenty.
Damn, we need some help here ,thought Mike as the Japanese machine gun tore through each attack the Americans made. Luck however turned in favour of the Americans as a Japanese Zero hurtled to the ground in a raging inferno and smashed right across the sandbags, ripping them apart.
Fukuda had just barely escaped with his life as the plane ripped into their defenses and tore the sandbags and the other soldiers to shreds. Fukuda fell back into the command post.
"We need to leave and make for Kuribayashi's bunker!" he told the commanding officer.
"Silence corporal! I know what I am doing," he replied coldly. He turned the knob on the radio and picked up an incoming message.
"This is Colonel Baron Takeichi Nishi; my remaining tanks are on their way to assist you as best as they can".
Good at least we are getting some tank support, thought Fukuda as he left the command center. He hurried down the runway and took up positions at the far end of the airstrip.
Mike motioned for the others to move up to the door of the command center.
"Once I open the door I want you to frag them. Got it?" he asked the soldier next to him. The marine just nodded and primed a grenade. Mike opened the door a few inches, the marine threw the grenade in and then closed the door. A few seconds later there was an explosion and the door blew off its hinges. Inside there was only a bloody mess and damaged radio equipment. They then moved to the barracks which had a wooden door that was locked from the inside.
"There must be something valuable in there" guessed one marine who then proceeded to try to knock down the door. Suddenly machine gun fire shredded both the door and the marine who fell to the ground dead. Mike stepped up and tossed another grenade into the opening and killed the machine gunner. Mike remained outside as the others searched the barracks. He heard a distant rumbling and moved to investigate, to his horror he saw eight Japanese tanks, three Type 97 Chi-Ha medium tanks and five Type 95 Ha-Go light tanks break cover and charge their positions. The tanks opened fire on the barracks and destroyed it instantly with all of the Americans still inside. Mike dove for cover and picked up his bazooka, the Jap tanks had thin armour and he could destroy them. As they approached Mike opened fire on of the Type 95s which proceeded to erupt into a geyser of flames and debris. He quickly dropped in another rocket and fired at another Type 95 which also blew up from one direct hit. Mike then fired at a Type 97 which took the shell and kept on coming. They were getting too close and Mike could risk firing again because he would be in the blast radius. As he ran back towards the others he saw a column of Shermans arrive and begin engaging the Japanese tanks and soon the counterattack had been repulsed with the loss of only one Sherman.
Damn, Fukuda thought before he turned and headed towards Kuribayashi's bunker with a small group of survivors.