_Poised in a shallow trench, riflemen of the 22d Marines await the
order to attack an enemy coconut-log strongpoint on Eniwetok. While the
most of the men are carrying M1 rifles, the flamethrower in their midst
may well prove crucial._]
They found the beach was swept with machine-gun and mortar fire, but
they surged inland over ruined, shell-blasted soil rocked by the
continual mortar bursts. Then their captain suddenly pointed, and
above the brush line they saw 150 or so men bending forward, moving
on a parallel course about 50 yards away. The Marines, however,
waved, thinking that they must be fellow Marines. The men paid little
attention to the Marines and seemed to be setting up machine guns. The
realization struck home: they were Japanese.
[Illustration: _F6F “Hellcat” fighters from carrier decks played an
important part in the U.S. Navy’s elimination of Japanese airpower on a
number of islands in the Marshalls, as well as in the devastating air
strikes supporting the assault landings._
Department of Defense Photo (Navy) 80-K-100
]
The lieutenant by now had just half a platoon of men and two machine
guns. They set the guns up and started firing at the enemy. One gun
jammed, so they buried the parts in the sand, because they thought
that the Japanese would charge and they couldn’t possibly stop it or
prevent the capture of the gun. When they didn’t attack, the Marines
moved in against them. The two sides threw grenades back and forth
for what seemed like hours. Many were killed on both sides. Finally
the lieutenant and his men threw a whole volley of grenades and
charged in and got to the beach. Down it they could see a whole group
of Japanese, so all 12 of the Marines, standing, kneeling, or lying
prone, fired their rifles and carbines. The enemy fell like ducks in
a shooting gallery, but still they closed in on the little group of
Marines who then had to back away.
[Illustration: