The raiders moved inland before heading west. The trails were narrow
and overgrown, but the native scouts proved invaluable in leading the
way. On 8 November the point ran into a small Japanese ambush near
Reko. The Marines killed two Japanese; one native suffered wounds.
The next day the column reached Binu, a village on the Balesuna River
eight miles from the coast. There Carlson halted while his patrols made
contact with Marine and Army units closing in on the main Japanese
force. On 10 November Companies B, D, and F of the 2d Raiders landed at
Tasimboko and moved overland to join up with their commander. (Company
D was only a platoon at this point, since Carlson had used most of
its manpower to fill out the remaining companies prior to departing
Espiritu Santo.) From that point on the raiders also received periodic
resupplies, usually via native porters dropped on the coast by Higgins
boats. Rations were generally tea, rice, raisins, and bacon--the
type of portable guerrilla food Carlson thrived on--reinforced by an
occasional D-ration chocolate bar.
On the nights of 9 and 10 November about 3,000 Japanese escaped from
the American ring encircling them on the Metapona. They were hungry
and tired, and probably dispirited now that they had orders to retrace
their steps back to the western side of the perimeter. But they were
still a formidable force.
On the 11th the 2d Raiders had four companies out on independent
patrols while the fifth guarded the base camp at Binu. Each unit had a
TBX radio. At mid-morning one outfit made contact with a patrol from
1st Battalion, 7th Marines, and learned of the enemy breakout. A few
minutes later Company C ran into a large force of Japanese near Asamama
on the Metapona River The Marines had been crossing a wide grassy
area. When the advance guard entered a wooded area on the opposite
side it surprised the enemy in their bivouac. In the initial action,
the advance guard inflicted significant casualties on the Japanese,
but lost five men killed and three wounded. In short order the enemy
had the remainder of the company pinned down in the open with rifle,
machine gun, and mortar fire.
[Illustration: