This view was taken from high on the northern slopes of  Malinta Hill across the North Dock area towards Topside. The three docks are the Lorcha Dock, North Dock, and Engineer's Dock.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Engineer's Ravine is swathed in smoke as men of the 3d Bn., 34th Inf. Rgt. crouch down low and observe for any potential movement   across the North Dock area. They are positioned on the slopes of Malinta Hill, near Malinta Point.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Things go quiet for a while.

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At 1400, 2 platoons of "A" - the first and second - were recalled to the beach to assist in unloading procedures. The platoons had to cross a piece of low, open ground on which lay a pulverized (missing text) some 500 yards northwest, in the vicinity of a well revetted building which had been used as an ice plant. Several casualties were sustained by the platoons but they got across. During the rest of the afternoon, still under crossfire on the beach, they unloaded the boats in SAN JOSE BAY. Just before dark, the first platoon was sent out to set up a road block on the south and of MALINTA HILL, where the road snakes like a narrow shelf above the bay.

The whole afternoon had boon swathed in peculiar quiet for "K" company, atop northern MALINTA HILL. A brace of squads were sent out to a brace of knolls to effect a more or less integrated line, extending from the company perimeter on the southwest to 3rd platoon on the northeast. There was nothing to do but sit tight. A similar situation existed on the southern half of the tunnel-ridden hill. "L" company performed the 'holding' part of its mission.

At first, it appeared that "A" company's first platoon - out on its roadblock - was going to experience the warmest night. Scarcely had the fat blue flies that swarmed over the island begun to retard their buzzing, when the platoon, constantly under fire, saw a great section of the cliff above them lurch into the night with a deafening roar. The Japs had mined it - filled it so full of explosive charge, that when the fuse was touched off and the charge blew, it sent the rock designed to fall across the road, blocking it, over the heads of the troops below, and on out into the bay. Only impotent chips and dust fell on the road and the "A" company men.

During the night of February 16th, the second platoon of "A" company, protecting the beach with elements of "H", killed 23 Japs who attempted to swim around their position from SAN JOSE POINT.

The night's really bloody paragraphs wore written where the day had left blank pages - on the north of MALINTA HILL by "K" company.

Just before midnight, the sudden shouts of men, the piercing rataplan of gunfire told of a fight on the knolls below. The line to 3rd platoon went out. Mortar shells burst in the company position.

One of the men from the first squad outpost north of the company struggled up the hillside, carrying a comrade with a mangled leg, helping another whose hands dripped blood. A moment later, two men from the outpost nearest 3d platoon clambered in. Third platoon and both squad outposts had been suddenly attacked by an enemy party trying to drive a wedge southward to the dense little SAN JOSE beach. Third platoon had driven them off. The two squad outposts had been all but wiped out. Of both, those 5 and one other were all that ever got back.

Before any attempt could be made to rescue the still-living wounded of the outposts who'd been left out front, the Japs came. Impossible though it seemed, they came straight up the almost perpendicular northwest side of the "K" Company hill. They camp with all the fury of the damned - in the epitome of the ‘Banzai’ tradition. Their weapons were everything from American rifles to spears. The cliff they climbed was so steep that those who were hit at the top fell straight into the faces of their comrades farther down - straight to the bottom of tho gorge below.

It was a major midnight two-wave counterattack. It got to within 10 feet of the "K" company perimeter. "K" turned it back.

The following day, "K" company's commander dispatched patrols to bring back the dead and wounded from the squad outposts the Japs had swamped. Devastating fire turned them back. Then the company commander himself took a patrol. He wanted to bring his wounded in. He'd gone but a few yards, at the head of his patrol, when a Jap rifle cracked and he fell out of view, just over a little hump in the ground. His men viciously returned the enemy fire - crawled to within inches of him, tried again to bring the officer back. Three grenades exploded almost on top of him. The Japs kept his body covered by fire. The men had to leave him there.

The company could only see to count 35 Jap bodies in front of their positions and in the gullies below them.

 

SITUATION CLOSE OF FEBRUARY 16

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