Yasuyuki Kasai - Dragon of the Mangroves

British-Indian forces had already brought the northern half of Ramree Island under control. A river named Yanbauk flowed across its central part. It almost divided the island into two pieces and drained into the Bay of Bengal. It was more of an estuary than a river, but everyone called it a river because of its impos-ing appearance: it was over fifty meters wide, stretching across the inland for miles. Utilizing this as a natural obstacle, Ramree Garrison had reset a defensive line along its south bank.

From January 26 to 27, enemy troops had intended to cross it forcibly by rubber raft near the mouth. Just when they were bogged down at the opposite bank, Seventh Company had intercepted it with machine guns and a twenty-five PDR field gun and beat it back successfully somehow. Everyone shouted for joy at this clear victory, but it was a passing delight. Soon the enemy rushed around the positions of Sixth Company.

A village named Payadgi lay at the eastern tip of the Yanbauk River. Considering it a point of strategic importance, the regiment had once set its HQ there until the fall of 1943. A barrier-free plain stretched eastward behind it toward Ramree Town, the second largest town on the island. Determined to stop the enemy from advancing into Ramree Town, Sixth Company now guarded Payadgi, together with Fifth Company, which came from the south as a reinforcement.

When Kasuga, Hirono, and Jinno arrived at the open emplacement in the eastern-most portion of the fire trench, Sergeant Tomita was standing beside their heavy machine gun with a tool box and a shovel—his usual items to set the gun—in his hands. Jinno stepped up to him, and they held a short discussion in subdued tones.

Then Tomita gave a command. “Prepare for disassembly conveyance!”

In the heat of early afternoon, the column led by Tomita went into a long stretch of hills where the roars of cannons had been getting louder and more fre-quent day by day. Jinno didn’t accompany them for some reason. Treading on the path silently, every soldier followed the man in front of him without knowing where he was going. No one spoke, or even thought. It was the easiest way to prepare to rush into a front line.

But Kasuga was an exception. Groaning under the heavy barrel, he didn’t stop thinking. He asked Tomita, who was walking ahead of him, “Sarge, why didn’t the platoon commander come with us?”

“Binchoku went to HQ to receive orders,” said Tomita.

Kasuga let out a deep sigh. It was a downright lie. What orders did Jinno need after he had sent almost all his subordinates in for the battle? It was sad to have a commander so wretched as to spare his own life. Naturally, Tomita should have the same feeling. Kasuga waited for his reply, but Tomita kept walking without comment. He had expected showers of name-calling, so Kasuga changed the topic reluctantly. “Where are we going, Sarge?”

“Mountain Maeda,” answered Tomita.

“A weird name.”

“Yeah, it’s a name of convenience for one of the platoon commanders guarding there. I don’t know the real one.”

Tomita’s back revealed some resignation. Kasuga understood well Mountain Maeda would be a decisive battlefield.

They had marched exclusively through jungles to avoid air raids for almost an hour. A hill suddenly came into view. Its presence was strong, as if the whole hill tensed up. Likely it was Mountain Maeda. A dense thicket abruptly dropped in the middle of the hillside; gales from the sea had probably affected it. From this point to the top, a meadow spread out greenly, in spite of the dry season.

No sooner had Kasuga seen the hill than a distant whiz came and blew part of the hill away. A tremor reached them with a deafening roar. Kasuga instinctively ducked his head. Then he saw the second shell explode at a hem of the thicket, throwing up many broken branches and dirt into the air.

When Tomita Squad finally arrived at the position set at the foot of the hill, shells had poured down the whole hill. Tomita hollered in the middle of loud reverberations, which sounded like a drum festival.

“We’re HMG of Jinno Platoon! Where is Sixth Company?”

“You said what? Sixth Company? We’re Battalion Gun!” hollered back a

bearded man sticking his head out from one of the foxholes.

Kasuga found a gun emplacement nearby. It seemed hastily made of sandbags.

And a toy-like howitzer had been placed demurely in its center.

Tomita said, “I know who you are! I’m just asking you where Sixth Company is!”

“I don’t know! Fifth and Sixth are so tangled up around here. Which officer do you need to get in touch with?” asked the bearded soldier.

“Second Lieutenant Ogino.”

“He’s on the east side. You’ll find a hill east of Mountain Maeda. It’s long and curved like a banana. He’s guarding a military road running between that mountain banana and here. Bear in mind, many mines are set on the road.”

Tomita Squad departed at once. Soon they found a firm game trail in the jungle east of Mountain Maeda and took it. Fortunately no shells hit that side; the hostile fire seemed concentrated on the west side of the hill. They got to the road in no time. East of the road, they could see a hill with ridges on both sides pushed out toward them. It looked like a banana, as the bearded man had said.

“I see some friends ahead!” said Hirono, the hawkeyed man. Soldiers numbering about one squad were running toward them through a sparse woods beside the road—probably drawing back from the front. All of Tomita Squad ran forward to meet them.

Tomita hollered, “Hi, guys! HMG’s coming!”

The man at the front of the group raised his head. Judging from the white sash across his chest, he was likely the squad leader. He gave some instruction to one of the soldiers by gesturing and then approached Tomita Squad alone. He was a small man with the insignias of a corporal. The bandage around his head was an indication that he had sustained wounds in battle.

“Which troop are you in?” Tomita asked him.

“Engineers. I was setting antitank mines on this military road ahead. But those Gurkha bastards in the point have electric detectors, so we’re just going back to HQ now.”

“How is the enemy?” Tomita asked.

“Oh! Really a hard nut to crack! Somebody said Engli were far weaker than Chinese. Damned nonsense! Anyway, nothing can be done until we get rid of those tanks. HQ has some flame throwers, and we’re on our way to fetch them.”

“A flame thrower? I didn’t know we had such a thing,” Tomita said. “It’s encouraging. Well, we’ve come to reinforce Ogino Platoon. Do you know where Ogino is?”

“Second Lieutenant Ogino of Sixth Company?” asked the engineer.

“Yeah, exactly!” replied Tomita.

“Already killed in action.”

“What?”

“A bomb hit him this morning. Though I don’t know who is commanding now, Ogino Platoon is still in the northeast part of Mountain Maeda. Go through the woods along the foot of this hill. It won’t take you long at all. Take care! May the war gods be with you all.”

Booms of cannons could be heard from beyond the hill. They could see a blood stain on the bandage of the corporal as he ran off. Even Kasuga felt ill at ease.

Making a wry face, Tomita said, “Binchoku didn’t know Ogino had been killed in action. News of an officer KIA half a day ago hasn’t reached the top yet. No doubt those brass hats are getting confused.”

Tomita Squad single-mindedly advanced through the sparse woods. Suddenly the view widened to an open field of dead grass. Everyone ran with a stoop not to be sighted. A large grass fire was burning on the far left side, probably caused by incendiaries dropped that morning. Watching the flame consume the dead grass, they turned left along the edge of the woods and went on.