_A watercolor by combat artist LtCol Donald L. Dickson depicts members
of a Marine fire team in a close-in attack on a Japanese defensive
position on Namur._]
Across the sand spit, on Roi, it had been a different story. This
island was nearly bare, for it was mostly covered by the airfield
runways. When the 23d Marines hit the beaches on D plus 1, the
fierceness of the pre-landing bombardment prevented the Japanese
defenders from mounting a coordinated defense. Small groups of Marine
riflemen joined their regiment’s attached tanks in a race across to
the far side of the island. This charging style caused considerable
confusion as to who was where. Reorganized into more coherent units,
the men made a final orderly drive to finish the job.
[Illustration: _Members of the 23d Marines on Roi turn to look in
astonishment at the black plume of the giant explosion which took many
lives in the 24th Marines on Namur._
Department of Defense Photo (USMC) 71921
]
In spite of the rapid progress on Roi, there were still some major
enemy strongpoints which had to be dealt with. An after-action report
of the 2d Battalion described one example of this perilous work in
matter of fact terms:
[There] was a blockhouse constructed of reinforced concrete
approximately three feet thick. It had three gunports, one each
facing north, east, and west, another indication of the enemy’s
mistaken assumption that the Americans would attack from the sea
rather than the lagoon shore. Two heavy hits had been made on the
blockhouse, one apparently by 14-inch or 16-inch shells and the
other by an aerial bomb. Nevertheless, the position had not been
demolished....
[The battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Edward J. Dillon]
then ordered Company G to take the blockhouse. The company
commander first sent forward a 75mm halftrack, which fired five
rounds against the steel door. At this point a demolition squad
came up, and its commander volunteered to knock out the position
with explosives. While the halftrack continued to fire, infantry
platoons moved up on each flank of the installation. The demolition
squad placed charges at the ports and pushed bangalore torpedoes
through a shell hole in the roof....
“Cease fire” was then ordered, and after hand-grenades were thrown
inside the door, half a squad of infantry went into investigate.
Unfortunately, the engineers of the demolition squad had not got
the word to cease fire, and had placed a shaped charge at one of
the ports while the infantry was still inside. Luckily, no one was
hurt, but as the company commander reported, “a very undignified
and hurried exit was made by all concerned.” Inside were three
heavy machine guns, a quantity of ammunition, and the bodies of
three Japanese.
[Illustration: