The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-06-14
BY SHERMAN MONTROSE
Acme Newspictures Photographer
Written for NEA Service

Written for NEA Service
Holtz Bay, Attu. June IA Amer
icap troops under Major Albert V
Hartl executed thanking move
ment on Japanese entrenched in the
Holtz Bay area and got their frs
real baptism of japanese tactics les!
than "a hours after landing.
They found the tactics not X
their liking, but beat the JapS al
their own game and came out with
relatively few casualties.
First dawn ashore found troops
moving forward under the same
dense fog that concealed the land
ing. But this time the fog wasn't
quite so friendly.
"a" Company, under Capt. Rich
ard H. Natzke, Fort Leavenworth
Kan. met an impasse in pocket
between two hills when they en-
countered machine gun, sniper and
mortar fire from all sides. Forced
to take cover, they holed in to meet
bullet for bullet with the enemy.
WATCHED ADVANCE
Through occasional breaks in the
fog We could see broWnclad forms
dart over the snow from concealing
positions to better ones ahead O.
caSionally, one would fall, roll down.
hill in sprawling. loose imbed at
titude of death.
At a distance it was impossible
TO detect friend from foe. Once
we could discern six dead ahead.
-Four more still forms dotted the
snow on slope TO our right.
Straight ahead, and also to the
left, on a ridge later named Bloody
Point concealed machine guns and
mortars swept the valley An occa-
Sional sniper bullet thudded into the
tundra near where a correspondent
and ] we're crouching.
We had reached the opposition
and found the going tough. From
cunningly concealed holes cut deep
into the mountainside, the Japs
poured thousands of rounds of ma
chine gun fire into the valley. To
advance without heavy losses was
impossible.
Major Hartl decided to blast the
enemy from their holes with artil-
lerY and mortar fire.
The japanese, too, thought they
had the answer to that, and the
thunder Of their anti-aircraft bursts
rolled over our heads, bursting high
and with little effect
Riding outside Holtaz Bay har-
Dor, a destroyer opened up on our
objective. Army artillery on a land
ing beach poured steady stream of
shells into the hills ahead, searching
out the enemy positions by direction
from Navy observers ashore.
STRAFED JAPS GUNS
From the sea, two fighter planes
swept over Holtz Bay, drawing hea-
Wy anti-aircraft fire. They rode
through, circled, went into steep
dives and chattering 5O-caliber ma
chine guns strafed Japanese. Imme-
diately the fire fell far behind.
Bursts from Japanese i-aircraft
became erratic and scattered.
Tempo of the action increased I'M
I'll it had everything of a full sized
war, More fighter planes came in
to bomb and strafe Land and sea
artillery continued the barrage. But
through it all the Japanese held
firm. Their defiant fire rarely
slackened.
We'll change the face OF that hill
with artillery and then take it, i"
Major Hartl decided.
Mitchell" medium bombers and
heavy Liberators dropped tons of
bombs on Holtz Bay and Chichagof
Harbor. The din of bursting shells
and bombs was terrific. Lightning
fighters Numbered down on Chicha-
gof with their multiple guns spit
ting death.
First Of the walking wounded to
reach camp was a sergeant. Hit
four times by mortar fragments, he
insisted on walking alone into a
first-aid station and then hiking to
the rear.
The fighters hit again and a fall
ling-off of anti-aircraft accuracy
was noticeable.
We're rolling now" said Capt.
Robert H. Johnson, of PaWnee City,
Neb. land A Company is fighting
its way out, too"
We had a grandstand seat for one
OF the greatest shows Oh earth.
THEM JAPS FLED
Under protection of heavy fire,
our troops moved ahead, charging
score or more PAGES up the steep
incline, falling to the ground to take
protection, rising and charging
again. Some fell in the snow, got
up and continued. Others lay where
they fell.
Japs scurried from their holes, ap-
peared for a second on the skyline,
then dropped out of sight.
Darkness found both sides firing
furiously with rifles and machine
guns. SHIPPER fire continued through
the night as both sizes settled down
for another test of the opponents
mettle.
Clearly, the first round was ours.
We had toe-hold deep in the enc
my's territory and on the reverse
slope of mountain overlooking his
most important position in our mis-