The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-09-25
SAGA Of five NEGROES WHO
DROVE THE jAPS FROM BUNA

minutes later the big mountain gun
cut loose.
Australian scouts sneaked on to
try and locate their position. For
80 days we laid hidden there.
trapped while the Japs hred on
our position. We fed ourselves
of OF can foods and ratloned the
water. Late one night had man.
aged 10 60 10 sleep when the Aus
tralian officer awakened me. He
asked IL ! thought could put our
gun together in the darkness. be-
cause they believed they had To-
Gated the mountain gun.
Since We we're a combat team
We had had much practice in put
ting the gun together in the dark
ness ard bl!ndtold. but that vas
back in the States months ago.
Anyway told him I believed we
could do H. called the gun crew
together and told them what was
up. Jimmie was second gunner.
Charley was third. Bob was fourth
and I was frst gunner. We found
the various bags of parts aand as
sembled the gun as quietly as pos
siole in the pitch darkness.
Outnumbered 10 to I
After setting up the gun" the
corporal continued. relating his
story in betwene puffs on a ciga-
ret. I'VE laid there with ammuni-
ton ready awaiting orders. Just
at daybRak the officer came to Us
and pointed out the position where
the Japs' gun was supposed 10 be
located. He asked IL thought We
could hit II. He cautioned me to
be positive. because IL we missed.
It meant showing our exact posi-.
ton. The Japs outnumbered Us
10 10 one. Showing our position
and missing would be suicide. Il
was all gamble and felt con-
fdent We would score on the Japs.
We loaded the gun and sighted
our target estimating the range.
With nervous hands I threw the
hammer. Somewhere in the dis
lance the explosion went OF TIE
ground seem to shake beneath us
from the recoil OF the gun. Jimmie
started re-loading the chamber.
We figured the range and started
firing continuously until we were
given orders TO cease firing. I'm
der the cover Of Aussie machine
guns scouts went out again.
Soon the officer came back TO
us and congratulated US on knock
ing out the gun. For the next a
days we followed the Aussies in q
J continuous advance on the enemy. !"
Gene - Dsys
Corporal Collins said when the,
2 found that their services ~ gun
: ners were no longer required the
started on the return TO their HON
/, base although the AuSies tried I
). persuade them 10 60 further ju.
for the adventure. The men lei
. their home base August 20. 1874:
and returned IS days later. o.
their return to camp they had n
encounters with the Japs althoug!
at night in taking turns on guart
they fred much at things the,
think they imagined being movini
bodies For food on the return triI
they mooched, OF natives. troop.
moving forward and dined on some
Of the wild jungle fruit They also
bummed vitamin pills. quinine anc
hydrochloride capsules Of passing
troops The latter they used FOL
purifying water secured from
streams.
| Corporal Collins and his crev
said this was an adventure Of Z
life time that they never will re.
greet They are proud to have been
the first American ground troops to
tackle the Japs in the Northeas,
territory. .
These are second OF our men "a
be in action within close range OF
the enemy. The others were ri
Milne bay last year when the Nips
made an attempted invasion there.