For the first time in its history a tank squadron of the Third New
Zealand Division went into action on Nissan Island, supporting infantry
units which destroyed the last remaining nest of Japanese on the atoll.
This action began unexpectedly and with startling suddenness, as so
often happens in the jungle, where every man must he constantly
alert. When night fell over 60 Japanese lay dead. in a grove of pandanos
trees and littering the shore, mowed down by our grenades, machine-guns
and rifle fire. Individual acts of bravery marked the whole action.
Well tested in their action on Vella Lavella, our men moved to the
attack with courage and precision, outwitting the Japanese by their
superior skill and jungle tactics.
The Opening Rifle Shot
The action began on the outskirts of the tiny native
village of Tanakeran, about 150 yards from the low coral cliffs which
border the south-west coast of Nissan. All round the area were dense
thickets and large trees where a man may remain concealed five yards
away. This area, like all others on the island, had been patrolled and
was thought to he clear.
Between 11.30 a.m. and noon Captain J. F. B. Stronach, of Christchurch,
officer commanding a Bren carrier platoon, was making a reconnaissance
of the area with the object of establishing head-quarters there. As it
was lunch time he rested his men and decided to go for a swim. A few
minutes later one of his men walked across toward the edge of the cliff.
Suddenly a rifle cracked in the green gloom. A Japanese had fired on him
from behind a tree.
Force Quickly Organised
Two sergeants immediately collected 15 men to
search the area, thinking that one or two Japanese stragglers had Ii
escaped.. our patrols. ‘I’hey were met by withering bursts of rifle
and machinegun fire, and two of their men fell wounded.
The firing brought Captain Stronach to the scene at the double. He
realised that the Japanese were there in considerable numbers.
They were either hidden in caves or up in the trees, and thus
escaped our patrols. in all he had 28 men assembled quickly from various
units. With this small force he formed a perimeter, boxing the Japanese
in along the coast, with the object of holding them there until
reinforcements arrived. At first an attempt was made
to rescue Corporal Roy Stannard, of Wairenga, of the carrier platoon,
who lay wounded in the field of fire. Although Captain
Stronach and some of his men crawled to within 10 feet of him, they
could not effect a rescue, as the Japanese riddled the area with rifle
and mortar fire. Corporal Stannard was afterward rescued by
a tank.
Tanks Go Into Action
Lieutenant E. H. Ryan, of Hawera, who was
also making a reconnaissance of the area with a machine-gun company,
arrived and went into action on the right flank, spraying the area from
knee height to the tops of the trees. Because of the noise,
it was impossible to pick up snipers hidden in the branches.
So severe was the Japanese mortar fire that Lieutenant Ryan’s
machine-gunners were pinned in along n the coast and the signal was sent
for reinforcements. Soon afterward he was wounded.
At two o'clock in the afternoon Major R. J. Rutherford, of New
Plymouth got his first tanks into action. Visibility was limited and
great spreading roots of trees hampered tank movements. But the trees
were plastered with shrapnel from the tank’s howitzers. Lieutenant T
K. Evans, of Hawera, commanded one tank and Sergeant H. H..
Beetham, of Masterton, another.
Sergeant Beetham’s tank located Corpora] Stannard and went
in under a bail of bullets to rescue him. Although the Japanese were
only 15 to 20 yards away our men could not locate them accurately; all
they aimed for was space.
Reinforcements Arrive
Japanese snipers picked off a tiny periscope on one tank
and fired at an observation aperture no larger than a bullet. Their
accuracy was disturbing, as was evidenced by bullet marks on the heavy
metal. Two more tanks were now brought into action, one commanded by
Lieutenant D. Holden, of Onga Onga, and the other by Corporal H. E.
Johns, of New Plymouth, the
Taranaki footballer. Once more the area was plastered with shrapnel,
bringing down showers of leaves and shattered branches. As the tanks
were now too close for the safety of our men, they were withdrawn.
Meanwhile Captain Stronach was still holding the perimeter, his men
firing into the area where the Japanese were pinned.
By 3.30 p.m. Major A. B. Bullen, of Auckland, officer commanding D
Company, arrived with two platoons, and the infantry, the real heroes of
jungle fighting, prepared for the final assault.
Well-Conducted Attack
Major Bullen took full command of the operation, moving
his 14th platoon to the right flank and placing his 15th platoon on the
left. By now the Japanese were well trapped, and as our men moved
forward the action developed into a perfect exhibition of grenade
throwing. Major Bullen was shouting his orders and making his
voice heard above the wicked crack of rifles, the stutter of
machine-guns and the explosion of mortars. And every one of those orders
was obeyed implicitly as his men closed in on the Japanese, now hemmed
into a small area with a cliff behind them. Every shouted order brought
a storm of lead in Major Bullen’s direction as the Japanese sought to
find him.
Order for Final Dash
Night was coming on. The final
clearing up had to be
completed before dark-ness. Major Bullen had the whole situation under
control and was elated by the conduct and coolness of his men. Word
reached him that eight Japanese had heen killed while trying to escape
along the rugged coast. Corporal L. G. Ratcliffe, of Kerepeehi, in
charge of a picket, accounted for six with a tommy-gun and two others
were dispatched as they rounded some rocks.
Meanwhile the net closed in. With only about a quarter of an hour of
daylight left, Major Bullen gave orders for the final assault to his
impatient men. First came a shower of grenades, every man hurling them
vigorously and with telling effect. Then the final dash. The men
were firing as they stumbled and ran over the jagged coral,
avoiding splaying roots of pandanus Just before that final dash Captain
P. .R. W. Adams. of Blenheim, fell dead, shot by a sniper.
New Zealand Losses Light
Victory was
complete and our losses were remarkably light, thanks to skilful
handling of the whole situation by Major Bullen, and before his arrival
by Captain Stronach. They counted the dead 51 of them
lying in groups among the rocks and tree roots, One wounded Japanese, as
our men approached him, placed a hand grenade on his stomach and
committed suicide. Only a few of the enemy escaped, and they were
accounted for next day.
Source:
Warwick Hughes - "3rd
NZ Division in the Pacific".
