_While some Marines were deposited “feet dry” beyond the shoreline
of the beaches, others had to land “feet wet” wading ashore in the
shallows from the amtracs which brought them in from the attack
transports seen in the background._]
[Illustration: _Although frontline Marines appreciated the support of
the 1st and 2d Provisional Rocket Companies’ truck-mounted 4.5-inch
rocket launchers, they always dreaded the period immediately following
a barrage. The dust and smoke thrown up at that time served as a
perfect aiming point for enemy artillery and mortars which soon
followed. Notice the flight of rockets in the upper left hand section
of the picture._
Department of Defense Photo (USMC) 92269
]
Chambers had a vivid memory of that night:
There was a big gully that ran from the southeast to northwest and
right into the western edge of our area. Anybody in their right
mind could have figured that if there was to be any counterattacks,
that gully would be used....
During the night ... my men were reporting that they were hearing a
lot of Japanese chattering down in the gully.... They hit us about
midnight in K company’s area. They hauled by hand a couple of 75mm
howitzers with them and when they got them up to where they could
fire at us, they hit us very hard. I think K company did a pretty
damn good job but ... about 150, 200 Japs managed to push through
[the 1,500 yards] to the beach area....
When the Japs hit the rear areas, all the artillery and machine
guns started shooting like hell. Their fire was coming from the
rear and grazing right up over our heads.... In the meantime, the
enemy that hit L company was putting up a hell of a fight within 75
yards of where I was and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about
it.
Over in K company’s area ... was where the attack really developed.
That’s where [Lt.] Mickey McGuire ... had his 37mm guns on the
left flank and was firing cannister. Two of my men were manning a
machine gun [Cpl Alfred J. Daigle and Pfc Orville H. Showers]....
These two lads laid out in front of their machine gun a cone of
Jap bodies. There was a dead Jap officer in with them. Both of the
boys were dead.
[Illustration: