AAR: 120700LAUG42 – Somewhere in the Solomon Islands – Classification: RD.[1]

Orders Summary

1st Marine Division, 5^th Regt.:

On or about 1400 hrs. August 10^th contact was lost with 1^st Battalions’ LRRP[2]. Their last contact indicated they were eluding one or more Japanese patrols about a half click[3] from the shoreline. Their last reported position on the island was 502143[4]. Our regimental Top, Col. William Philips, has ordered Capt. Kirk (Baker 6)[5] to insert a group near the lost patrol’s last known location and conduct a search and rescue operation. The objectives are to ascertain the LRRP’s situation and, if possible, arrange an extraction of all personnel by PT boats. Baker 6 formed a search group consisting of 1^st Plt., under the command of Lt. Dan Gaston (1-6), and the remaining elements of 2^nd Plt., commanded by Lt. Bill Lewis (2-6), from which the LRRP personnel originated.

Action Report filled by Lt. Gaston (1-6)

0700-0707:

After off-loading in the dark at 0530, 2-6 and I immediately took up concealment in the mangroves and determined our search procedure[6]. 2-6 seemed quite anxious to recover his men. I gave the order to move out shortly after dawn at 0700. My 1^st Plt. led the way with the point taken up by sections a and b of 1-1[7] fanning out south along the road from the shore village. We had progressed about 350 yards with no contact reported.

0711:

Advancing another 50 yards through a group of huts, section b of 1-1, led by Sgt. Rock, came under Japanese fire from the jungle 100 yards to the south. There was no effect as the section took cover rapidly. I moved the rest of 1^st Plt. south towards the jungle during this exchange of fire. 2-6 began to move 2^nd Plt. up through the huts to support Sgt. Rock’s section b.

0715:

After a further exchange of fire, Sgt. Rock reported a diminished volume of fire coming from the Japanese position. I continued leading the balance of 1^st Plt. through the jungle to encircle the Japanese position while approaching our search area from the west. 2-6 continued to engage the Japanese with Rock’s section while pushing southeast on the road towards the search area.

0720:

I led 1-2 and 1-3 in an assault against the Japanese position. From the looks of it, it appears that Sgt. Rock and 2-6 had reduced a Japanese force of squad size and that our assault had finished off the few remaining who refused to be captured. In the meantime, section a from 2-1 drew fire from another Japanese unit that was in some huts 50 yards to their southeast on the road. 2-1 also spotted some activity about 100 yards directly to their northeast on a knoll in jungle. Quick responses by 2-1’s section a avoided serious casualties by taking cover in some nearby huts.

A quick observation: we’ve been fighting in the Solomons less than a week and it’s become clear to me that the Japanese intend to fight to the last man. We were very fortunate to come away from this initial encounter with no KIAs!

0725:

Since 2-6 and I both had our Plts. in position, we coordinated our suppressing fire on the Japanese in the huts and conducted an assault against them. The assault failed, we had to pull back under heavy fire but, again luckily, we incurred only minor wounds and no KIAs. Some of that fire had also come from a MG on that jungle knoll to the northeast.

Note: just before we started the assault, I had directed 1-2, under Sgt. Forrest, to begin a search in the nearby jungle to the south and east as we were very close to the lost patrol’s last reported position. Sgt. Forrest sent a runner back, Pvt. Tex (I can’t recall where Tex is from), to tell me that they hadn’t found anything as yet.

0728:

2-6 and I repeated the assault of the Japanese position in the huts and took it. The Japanese defense seems weak this time and the few survivors fled into the jungle. While searching the Japanese dead for information we discovered a reason for the suddenly weakened defense: their leader, one Lt. Adachi, appeared to have fallen in our initial assault. His personal effects revealed that his unit was from the 2^nd Japanese Div. commanded by Lt. Gen. Maiku Densonaga. We had heard of Densonaga earlier in our pre-campaign briefings. He has a reputation of being ruthless and cunning. 2-6 and I agreed that that was another reason to complete our mission ASAP before a full counter response could be mounted!

Sgt. Forrest reported that they continued to search, found some traces of the patrol, but discovered nothing firm as yet.

0732:

Next, 2-6 turned his Plt. against that pesky MG on the jungle knoll. Using suppressive fire to pin the MG down, he led 2 squads in an assault on the jungle knoll. During the engagement, 2-6 determined that another Japanese leader and some troops had reinforced the MG position. Despite facing a stronger than anticipated defense, 2-6 and his men prevailed, eliminated the MG, and sent the enemy scurrying into the jungle.

At this point, I received some good news from Sgt. Forrest; they had found the lost patrol just to our southeast – all of them! 2-6 was relieved to get his whole 2-1 back alive and well!

2-6 and I assessed our situation and decided that it was time to head for the beach and a speedy extraction before Densonaga’s troops caught up with us!

0736:

Immediately following the engagement on the knoll, 2-6 had difficulty getting his men to move again quickly. They were in a bit of a panic mode after that assault on a MG turned into a more vicious fight than they had expected. As it turned out, they had good reason to be wary as the Japanese immediately counterattacked! Again, 2-6 and his men prevailed; sending the Japanese scurrying back into the jungle.

In the meantime, I had ordered 1^st Plt. to start returning to the beach, which they did, led by Sgt. Rock’s section b of 1-1 and our MG unit.

0739:

After having staved off the Japanese counterattack on the knoll, 2-6 was preparing to join 1^st Plt., as it continued its move towards the beach, by withdrawing his men from the knoll and the huts just to the southwest of the knoll. However, before they could move, they were hit by a second Japanese counterattack on the knoll! This time, 2-6 and his men were able to retreat from the attack, while only incurring minor wounds, and headed for the beach following 1^st Plt.

0743:

As I wrote earlier in this report, it’s become clear to me that the Japanese intend to fight to the last man. No sooner had 2-6 disengaged from the knoll fight than a Japanese unit continued in hot pursuit of 2^nd Plt. There is a fine line between heroic and foolish but we had to acknowledge their tenacity even when outnumbered.

It was at this moment that our 1^st Plt.’s section a runs into a Japanese force in the village by the beach. Damn! We were so close! Fortunately, quick reactions by Sgt. Rock’s section a of 1-1 avoided serious casualties.

0745:

At this point all hell broke loose and I thought we might be done for.

2-6 was leading the rear guard of 2^nd Plt. and was assaulted by that Japanese unit in hot pursuit just south of the beach village; it was clear they were being led by a fanatical officer. On his own initiative, Sgt. Couch of my 1-3, which had been disrupted under fire, bravely rallied his squad and rushed to join the fight with 2-6. His squad saved the rear guard and helped wipe out the Japanese force pursuing them.

Simultaneously, in the beach village, I led 1-2 and Sgt. Rock’s sect b from 1-1 in an assault against the Japanese force there. We were driven off into the jungle just west of the village near the beach. I didn’t know the outcome of 2-6’s rear guard fight at this time so I felt that we may be in deep trouble.

Then the miracle occurred. The Japanese suddenly withdrew and disappeared eastward into the jungle. Perhaps they had hit a tipping point. All I know is that there were a lot of Japanese KIAs in this short operation and, although we had wounded men, we did not have a single KIA! We definitely lucked out in some real hot action.

2-6 and I then made contact with each other and immediately requested an extraction from the beach. We gathered up our Plts., set up an arc defense around the village, and waited nervously until the boats arrived. No further action took place.

Mission Success: Our objective had been achieved – we recovered and extracted the Lost Patrol, in full, and without the loss of a single man!

Recognition: Many of our men earned Purple Hearts for the wounds they received in the Mission. In addition, I wrote up the following awards for individuals whose heroic actions I witnessed firsthand. 2-6 is also writing up others whose valor he witnessed.

Silver Star: Lt Bill Lewis – His valiant leadership of the 2^nd Plt. secured our east flank against a serious counterattack that threatened our entire mission. After leading the successful assault of a dangerous MG position, and suffering minor wounds, he led the defense of the position against two strong Japanese counterattacks. In addition, his leadership of an effective rear guard action against a determined Japanese pursuit helped our mission successfully return to the beach and be extracted.

Bronze Star w/ V Device: Sgt. Alphonso Rock – his leadership of 1-1 in the assistance of 2^nd Plt.’s initial efforts did much to ensure the mission’s success.

Bronze Star w/ V Device: Sgt. Alvin Couch – his leadership of 1-3 in assisting 2^nd Plt.’s rear guard efforts, against a fanatical Japanese counter attack, ensured our forces’ success in its final efforts.

Commendation Medal: Sgt. Reginald Forrest – His leadership of 1-2 in the prompt search and location of the Lost Patrol significantly reduced our mission’s exposure to a potential counterattack by larger enemy forces in the area.

Oohrah!

Respectfully,

Lt. Dan Gaston

1-6 Baker Company

5^th Marine Regiment

1st Marine Division

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Footnotes

[1] After Action Report: Begins 7am on August 12, 1942 in time zone L, exact location is Restricted Data.

[2] Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol

[3] a kilometer, which is about 1093 yards

[4] 6 digit military map grid coordinates (near the hex F2 crossroad in sector 28)

[5] 6 is a commander’s call sign number. “Baker 6” is the leader of Baker Company, “1-6” is the leader of 1^st Plt., and so on

[6] Plan is to search jungle hexes F1, E3, and G3 for the lost patrol

[7] “1-1” is the designation number for the 1st Plt. – 1^st Squad; 2-1 would be for the “2^nd Plt.-1^st Squad”, and so on