Ridgway stifled a sigh. Spare me from armchair generals. "Not in enough time to help out. While the Japs have stripped many of their defenses to form for this attack, the soldiers left behind are well dug in and in strongly situated positions. They would hold out for some time, and even if overrun, the mountainous lay of the land would preclude any quick move around the Japanese rear. No, the battle will be fought with the forces currently in place and those I mentioned as moving up to reinforce them."
"And the weather was the primary reason they got the jump on us?" This was from Edwards, and it was evident from his voice that he was used to being behind a microphone as well as a typewriter.
"Yes, although we knew it was likely coming, there was little we could do to prevent them from moving and massing their forces under the cover of cloud and rain. We dug in as much as possible and we can only hope it was enough."
"Sort of like the Ardennes all over again, eh, General?" This from the Brit, Burchett.
"Except that we are much better prepared. It shows that possessing overwhelming power is not always enough to prevent a desperate enemy from trying one last throw of the dice. The Japs will doubtless achieve local penetrations and overrun some positions, but they will be stopped." Ridgway faced Baldwin. "Like you said, we will suffer many, many needless casualties. Except for the fighting in I Corps area, the war is over."
"Any comment on the kamikazes?" asked White.
Ridgway's expression turned even grimmer than before. "That the Japs would use kamikazes on frontline positions came as a complete shock. With our warships pulled back, we expected suicide attacks on fuel depots, storage dumps, and command centers, but not on frontline trenches and pillboxes. Gentlemen, they hurt us badly with that tactic. Our antiaircraft guns were almost all situated farther rear. Just like the picket destroyers caught hell off Okinawa, our boys in the foxholes and trenches are taking a beating, and there isn't a helluva lot we can do about it."
"But why doesn't the weather hamper them like it does us?" Baldwin queried. He had seen Iwo Jima and was familiar with hell.
"Because they don't care. Jap planes by the hundreds, maybe a couple of thousand, are skimming a few feet over the hills, and when they see something that looks like our lines, they line up and crash into it. Since they intend to die in the first place, they are willing to take risks that we wouldn't even consider. If they lose some of their pilots through accidental crashes into the wrong hillsides, they just don't seem to give a damn."
It was White's turn. "What about Hirohito? Where is he and what's he up to?"
"Hirohito is now in Kagoshima City trying to coordinate an end to the hostilities. He has recorded messages for the Japanese troops and people that are being broadcast as we speak. Additionally, hundreds of thousands of leaflets are being dropped on the combatants. Hopefully, it'll work.
"The remnants of Japan's armies in the Philippines under General Yamashita have given up as a result of Hirohito's actions, and the garrisons of Rabaul and Hong Kong have also surrendered. Even in Kyushu, General Yokoyama is trying to recall his troops. It's working. It'll take time, but it's working." Then Ridgway sagged. "I can only hope that it isn't too late for our boys in I Corps."
Edwards looked up from his notes. "When will Hirohito be going to Tokyo, and what about General Homma's position with us?"
"The emperor feels that his place is on Kyushu, and everyone agrees with him. General Homma and Admiral Ozawa have pretty well shut down the Japanese military on Honshu and elsewhere, so there's no need for the emperor's presence there to help things along. Hirohito has told Bradley that if it would help, he would march to the front lines and try to stop the Japanese attacks in person. It won't happen, of course, but we believe his sincerity and it does show that he is fully committed to the goal of ending the fighting."
White was concerned. "But what about Homma? Isn't he the man responsible for the Bataan Death March? If he is instrumental in ending the war, does that mean he won't be prosecuted?"
Ridgway shrugged. War crimes trials were none of his concern, at least not yet. "Maybe his actions show he isn't as guilty as we thought? On the other hand, you may also be right. Helping to end this crap might just win some people a lot of forgiveness."
Burchett seemed to shiver. "In the meantime, God help the men in the front lines who are having to endure this awful fighting."
The reporters looked at each other. "I think we're about done, aren't we?" White said, speaking for the group.
"Yes."
"Well then, General, how much of what you've said will we be able to print?"
Ridgway laughed grimly. "Not a damned word."
Chapter 82
Paul Morrell was consumed with fear and anger. Japs were less than a hundred yards away in the trenches along where the kamikaze had crashed. The Japs had swarmed up the hill and overrun what remained before he could shore up the defenses and replace the casualties. Worse, a misunderstanding had sent Sergeant Collins and the reserve force of twenty men in a counterattack that had seen them chewed up by the Japs. Only a handful of men had returned, and Collins wasn't one of them.
"What now, Lieutenant?" It was First Sergeant Mackensen, and Paul saw fear in his face as well. The sergeant was normally a rock, but now he was as scared as anyone. Death in the form of untold numbers of Japs was only a little ways away.
Ironically, the long night had ended and the weather had begun to clear up, which meant that he could see the Jap trenches more clearly. Sometimes he could see their helmets and bayonets as they moved around and got organized. Shooting between the two groups was constant, and Paul wondered which of the many dead bodies on the ground between the two lines was his friend Collins.
"Lieutenant," Mackensen insisted, "what the hell do we do now?"
Paul began to shake again. With enormous effort, he gathered himself. There were orders to give. "We go to Last Stand. Order everybody out of their trenches and into Last Stand."
It was desperation, but what other choice did he have? Last Stand was the sardonic name given by the troops to the earthen berm that ran around Orlando's tank. In front of the berm was a line of trenches. It was Paul's idea. Men could shoot from behind the berm and from the trenches, which would effectively double their firepower. It would also make them more vulnerable to machine gun and mortar fire because they would be so closely packed, but it was a chance he had to take. Already Jap mortar rounds were falling, and a number of his wounded had been pulled back to the narrow ground between the tank and the berm.
On signal, men raced from their positions and into Last Stand. Paul was dismayed at how few they were. Mackensen sorted them out and made sure there were no gaps in the lines. The Japs must be doing much the same thing, Paul realized. They were gathering for one last push past the useless howitzers and into Last Stand. He wondered just what the hell the Japs would do with the hill when they took it. The Japs had suffered badly. The slopes of Round Top were littered with dead and the trench was full of them.
"Lieutenant." It was Orlando from the tank.
"What?"
"I just want you to know that our hitherto inexhaustible supply of ammo is pretty well shot, pardon my pun."
It didn't surprise Paul. Everyone's weapon had been firing constantly. A lot of their reserve stores had been destroyed by the plane, while others were out of reach because of the Jap advance.