Evening star., 1942-11-12

tcopyrisht. 1912. Klns Features Syndicate,
! Inc; Inc 81. Reproduction in whole or part
| (Tenth Installment OF FourteenJ
(Capt. William Lloyd Osborne
continues the story of the fight
ing in the Philippines prior to the
time he and Capt. Cause en-
bdrked on their dangerous uoynge
to australia and HbertyJ
One ofiicer stands out in my mind
as perhaps the first soldier during
those last desperate days Of Bataan.
Maj. Cleary, executive officer for
my regiment, knew our situation was
almost hopeless. He realized that
our only chance to hold our lines
against the devastating enemy at
tacks was to re-estab1ish strong
front-line position. Unwilling to
ask any. JUNIOR of1icer to lead the
reinforcement attempt, Maj. Cleary
personally took command of the
forces. I last saw him courageously
leading the combined American and
Filipino units as they went into
action. Maj. Cleary was one of the
finest officers and men I have ever
known-a gallant soldier.
Meanwhile, from our advanced
units and from regiments defending
other sectors came disheartening
news. Capt. James Mcdonald of
Powell, Wyo., my closest friend on
Bataan, came to my foxhole one
night during temporary lull in
the enemy's bombardment program.
He told me that our key division was
in retreat. literally blasted out Of
its dugouts by the undiminishing
fire Of the Japs. BY this time the
enemy's ground troops were being
brought up in tremendous numbers
to support their already overwhelm-
ing artillery power.
Japanese attacks against our most
important positions were occurring
hourly Although the enemy troops
were being steadfastly repulsed with
tremendous losses to them, our posi-
tions were being broken through
again. Bataan's hours were num-
bered.
Malaria Hits Troops.
In our sector, meanwhile, we were
facing pressure such as we had not
known in all the battlefield days
of our little peninsula's stand.
There was pressure from the enemy
and pressure from within our
selves-we were all fighting on
rations which couldn't have sus-
tanned us in normal times, much
less on 24-hour battle stations.
Sickness was running rampant
through our troops; more than 40
per cent of our men were in serious
condition from continuous attacks of
malaria We were almost without
quinine, and what was available was
being used on those soldiers who were
in the most critical state. We were
afraid that our drinking water was
being deliberately contaminated by
the enemy, and what water we
could get was hot, muddy and COM
pletely unrefreshing.
Scores Of the men were wounded
many times over, small injuries in
many. cases, but they were wounds
that definitely impaired their;
fighting worth. We were gaunt and.
haggard from lack Of sleep-it's
hard te rest when artillery seems
10 be going OF in your ears, when
the eArth rocks as II 1t Is going to-
split and when dive bombers scream
at you for hours on end.
The Japanese forces. now con-
vinced that they had smashed the
defenses Of one division, imme-
diately shifted to the division de-.
Tending the sector next to us. Again
they employed the same uncom-
promising methods. Japanese in
fantry units had already crushed
through the slim regimental reserve
lines Of our sector when the enemy
main forces were ready to concen-
trate the full force Of their vicious
attack on us. Through all that
short, bloody, horrible campaign
when we fought day and night to
hold our sector I never heard one
omcer or soldier-American or Fill
pino- a single protest.
Fanatic Attacks.
Our machine guns moved down
literally thousands Of Japanese as
they rushed our lines in packed
masses Of humanity. They came at
us like stampeding animals, scream
ing as they ran. To the Americans
who awaited them grimly they
seemed like so many sheep follow
ing their leader. They didn't try to
take cover even as our machine gun
and rifle barrage plowed into
them, dropping them before they
were out of their own salient. They
just came, soldier after soldier. Be-
hind them their howitzers and can
non were lending killing support
to their fanatic attack. The toll
among our troops was terrific. Fox
holes crammed with men would
disappear in a single flash of ex-
ploding smoke and only a ifeless
crater would be left.
The Jap snipers were our real
local threat. They hid out in bushes
for hours, awaiting a chance for
good shot at an offlcer or the men
manning our machine gun nests,
Sometimes we couldn't see 20 yards
in front of US because of the ex-
ploding shells. And always the Jap
air force roared overhead-pattern
bombing, dive bombing and strafing,
apparently not caring where or what
| they hit as long as 1t was some
where in American territory.
Headquarters contact with the
front lines was cut OF as the Jap
juggernaut slashed into our TANKS