Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-09-05
How 700 .Japs
Were Erased

t&Vue4uoO0 ~
Col. Lenard B. Cresswell of Mis-
sissippi. then encircled the entire
body of Japs from the rear and
closed the pocket. Tanks under
1t. Leo B. Case Of Syracuse. N. Y,
moved into the Jap positions.
SHIPPING NOTED
1t was shortly after last mid
night that q platoon of troops
stationed on the bank of the Te-
naru encountered sniper fire from
the other bank.
SHIPPER fire, in itself, is no indi-
cation of enemy strength on this
island. There are still probably
few score of snipers who harass
outposts occasionally. The pla-
toon, was not alarmed--at first.
But. at 2:10 a. m, it became
evident that the platoon was OPP
posed by more than a stray sniper
or two. japanese machine guns
and mortars began TO fire. and
machine guns answered from our
shore.
At about 3 o'clock. the Japa-
nese stormed our position, after
successfully running across the
bar at the mouth Of the Tenaru.
FEW CROSSED BAR
Many OF the japanese were
killed, but a few crossed the bar
and one hurled rife grenade al
the position. The Jap who threw
the grenade was MORALLY wounded
/ by fire from the gun of Pvt. Pat
rick j. Sweeney OF Philadelphia
Private Sweeney has two broth.
ers in the service, one In the army,
one in the navy.
The other Japs who managed ia
cross the spit of sand were also
killed and those behind them driven
back by heavy fire from our posi-.
tons.
In the hours remaining before
daylight, the Japs tried many times
to cross the bar and wipe out the
American position. but each time
they failed. and left more dead on
the beach. Marine achievements
were arriving at the outpost with
heavy weapons. and each success.
sive attempt was more costly tc
the japanese than the preceding
one.
LINE ON BANK
The Americans had established
a firing line along the bank Of the
Tenaru. Each time the Japs tried
to creep along the sandbar. a blast
iof heavy fire leaped out to meet
the attackers. But the Japs be-
came aware Of the American posi-.
ton, and at about 4 O'Clock in the
morning they fired flares which
showed exactly where the Amer.
leans lay.
The Americans dug in" i'm.
proved their positions, and helC
them, despite the fact that they
knew by this time that they were
faced by a force which was tenn.
porarily far superior.
Our artillery began to fire on
the japanese positions in the grove
on the other side of the Tenaru.
FIRE GREW HEAVIER
As the hours before dawn wore
on, increasingly heavy fire was
directed against the Japs. But the
enemy also was bringing up more
troops and heavy weapons. The
fire grew heavier and more and
more concentrated. We heard II
from our camp positions few miles
away from the fighting. and knew
that a major action was developing
I arrived at the command post
nearest the front lines shortly after
daybreak. and watched plans be.
ing laid to trap the japanese.
Gen. Alexander A. Vandegrift
commanding general of all marine
forces in the Solomons. had di.
rected that an effort be made tc
pin the Jap forces down and drive
them into the sea.
Colonel Cresswell was just al
the moment getting his instruc-
tons to conduct the movement,
1t. Col. Gerald c. Thomas, Gen.
eral Vandergrift's chief of op-
erations. was laying out the cam
paign on a map, with suggestions
from Colonel Cresswell aand Col
c. B. Gates, the commander Of the
regiment involved. Colonel Thomas
INDUCED in appropriate profanity.
I'VE want you to-go- In
here and pin the -
down." he said.
That was just what Colonel
Cresswell did--with improvements
Colonel Cresswell drove them
in a pocket straight toward our
positions on the bank OF the
Tenaru.
Meanwhile there was to be
plenty of tough fighting for our
troops on the other bank OF the
, In Doris