Chapter 88 scarier things than landing

The daytime temperature on Peleliu Island is often as high as 46°C.Although the 1st Marine Division had been living in the tropics since the Battle of Guadalcanal, they had never experienced the scorching heat here. When the strong sunlight shone on the shiny white coral stones, it was simply unbearable. Many people passed out from the heat, and even some veterans of the Battle of Gloucester were sent back to the rear due to collapse. In hot weather, you need to constantly replenish water.Due to the all-weather intensive firepower attack by the Japanese army on the beach, logistics supplies including drinking water could not be delivered for a while, and the military kettles they carried with them had long been empty.A soldier asked his squad leader, "Is there any water?"

Everyone greeted the arrival of the Japanese army thirsty, because everyone knew that the Japanese were usually restless at night.But what is very surprising is that the lively, bluffing, acting-like "Long Live Assault" in the past did not appear. Playing "Viva Assault" has always been a favorite of Marine Corps veterans, and Sledge has heard veterans nagging more than once: "They will launch a suicide attack, and we can get out of this goddamn hot rock when we smash their asses, Maybe the general will send our division back to Melbourne." Why was the expected "Long Live Assault" not staged?A senior officer speculated that this may indicate that the morale of the Japanese army has been very low, and the cowards dare not rush.

However, he guessed wrong. According to the "July Instructions" and the new combat plan, the Japanese army abandoned the aimless suicide charge. It's not that the lives of Japanese soldiers have become valuable since then, but that they think they can use the lives of these soldiers in exchange for greater losses for the other party. The co-ordinated attack by infantry and vehicles during the day had shown that the tactics adopted by the Japanese at Peleliu would be quite different from those elsewhere. After dark, Sledge's impression continued to be strengthened: the Japanese did not swarm up, but instead attacked The position of Company K was bombarded throughout the night.

For any infantryman, a night of shelling is no less than a punishment, because no one knows whether the next shell or shell fragments will fall on him.If Sledge had a choice, he would rather take a bullet and die cleanly that way. Thinking of the scene of being blown to pieces, his heart beat faster and he was covered in sweat. The nights seemed endless, and Sledge couldn't even take a nap.At this time, what he should be especially grateful for is the recruit training of the Marine Corps.During the training of the Marine Corps, recruits are required to get up at 4 in the morning and train until the lights are turned off at 10 in the evening. After that, the instructor will consciously interrupt their dreams, or check the guns, or train the queue, or go around the playground or even Running laps in the sand by the sea.

It was unbearable during the training, and it was only after actual combat that I realized how important this seemingly cruel "harassment" was.War does not make people sleep at all, especially for the infantry on the front line, if they want to sleep, they can only sleep and sleep forever. On September 16, the second day after landing, the marines began to look for water in a hurry. Everyone felt that if there was no water, they might die before they attacked. However, Peleliu Island does not have natural surface water, and most of the large reservoirs built by the Japanese were destroyed in advance.Sledge and his teammates once discovered a water storage well, but after the teammates drank the water in the well, they immediately vomited violently with their stomachs in their hands.Apparently, the water in the well was either poisoned or polluted.

Fortunately, by this time the supplies had finally arrived at the front.Along with jugs, ammunition, and rations came an operational order to scramble the airfield. Peleliu Island Airport is located under Umburogo Mountain.Umburogo Mountain is a mountainous area composed of dozens of grotesque coral ridges. The entire mountainous area is covered with honeycomb-like caves and firepower points. As long as the U.S. troops approach or pass through the airport, the Japanese army can, under the guidance of the observation post, put the troops in the open area. People running on the airport were shot at as living targets.

In order to help the infantry attack, the U.S. naval guns, carrier-based aircraft, and artillery on the beach concentrated, and conducted a large-scale fire attack on the airport and Umburogo Mountain in advance for half an hour. However, the Japanese fortifications were so concealed that the fire attack Whether the loss of infantry can be reduced and to what extent is anyone's mind. The fire attack stopped, and the infantry lying prone on the ground was about to charge forward.Someone cheered everyone up: "Boys, keep rushing over there. The faster you pass through and the more you don't stop, the less chance you will get hit."

The Marines walked first, then trotted, each stooping as much as possible to avoid being hurt by bullets and shells. The Japanese heavy weapons opened fire, and shells screamed and exploded all around them. The explosions pierced the sky. Under their shaking, the ground seemed to shake back and forth, and Sledge felt as if he was floating in the vortex of unreal thunderstorms. Something more terrifying than the landing happened. There is no vehicle for manning, no tracked vehicle steel walls that can at least defend themselves, and the exposed marines can only pass through the deadly bullet rain, relying on their own strength and luck , Sullen head kept running straight ahead.

The Japanese no longer carry out suicide attacks, it is the Americans who carry out suicide attacks, albeit passively. This was the worst experience of Sledge's entire military career. During the run, large pieces of cracked coral rock hit him on the face and hands. Fallen figure. About halfway through the run, Sledge staggered and fell forward. At this moment, a bomb exploded beside him, and the shrapnel flew across the ground, just passing by his head! Many people didn't just brush off the problem, and Snaf, who was advancing together, fell to the ground with an "ah".

Sledge scrambled to his teammates.Not bad, the shrapnel that had hit Snaff had died, and it had hit his pistol belt, and Snuff had only scratched. If you are not dead or seriously injured, you must continue to run, otherwise staying on the open battlefield will be a dead end.Finally, Sledge and Snaf made their way through the peril and joined the rest of Company K in a low bush. After he calmed down for a while, Sledge realized that his military boots were full of sweat, and he felt sticky when walking. He pulled out his foot, and the water in the shoe immediately poured out. "Hey Sledgehammer, you're walking on water," one soldier quipped.

Another soldier laughed: "Maybe that's why he wasn't shot across the airfield." Sledge grinned too.In the Marine Corps, jokes and one-liners are common, but this time it was rare. Everyone was terrified of the crossing, including veterans who had survived Guadalcanal and Cape Gloucester.One veteran told Sledge: "It's hard work, I hate doing it every day."