Authors: Japanese Reaping the Whirlwind: Personal Accounts of the German,Italian Experiences of WW II
Finally the order for the all-out attack came.
28 March: … 6 Company of 122 Division is to advance on a line 1km wide to take the enemy’s front line at night. Our artillery will fire with all they have to hand. The general attack will start at the 20th hour; the artillery will begin at the 19th. As I read the order from headquarters, I felt strongly the enemy’s determination to live and defend themselves and their comprehension of what the war is all about. At the 16th hour, by order of 2 Battalion, we get reserve soldiers from the original division at headquarters … The sun is going down over the western hill. Darkness is falling over the jungle. It is the 19th hour. Guns of every description have begun to roar. Our artillery is helping 6 Company advance. But enemy shells are dropping on our base long after our artillery stopped firing. I am praying for our success in getting the objectives without much sacrifice. Moonlight is shining strongly on the river and over the jungle. Those reserves we expected yesterday have not yet arrived.
29 March: The enemy’s shelling has never stopped. The shells are falling all over us. 6 Company reached their objective last night. Again our group must wait here. Top-Private Makamura, Private Wamuki and Corporal Hamazaki stayed over night with us in our trench. I wonder when I am going to write about the fall of the mountain forts. As the evening sun began to fall into the Aboabo River, artillery started firing from both sides. There is skill and power in artillery battles. We must recognize the enemy’s power and their will, since they have resisted this long against our assault … Those mistaken, misled natives! They are not defending their own country. They are playing the band with their precious blood for the American jazz song. What do they gain by fighting against us? Wake up, my friends, the Filipinos! We are fighting for a great Asia, the family of the yellow race. You should not be under the control of the white people. You must listen to our voice and become a strong nation. Follow the bell that your brothers are ringing.
30 March: At last the reserves have arrived. Most of them are from Matsuyama, and some are men who have been trained …
The bad news was that in order to pick up the reserves they would have to return to the confluence of the Abuabua River, where they had been badly shelled on the 16th.
… We received a terrific shelling when we marched along the upper stream of the Abuabua River. 6 Company, which was just ahead of us, became the centre of the enemy artillery’s target and instantly four of our comrades were blown up. The next shot took two artillery men of our division, one from 1 Company and some from the supply corps. I received 58 men from the service base and proceeded towards our objective. Four shells were fired at us, but they dropped behind our position. We were proceeding carefully now. The enemy sent more shells, but they dropped near the base of the mountain artillery. We ran quickly to our stopping place. After lunch, we will start back to our base. It is lucky that we have no casualties among us … I find that Top-Private Katuma Yamaguchi has been killed. Here, on the battlefield, it is natural for one to be killed at any time. But now I have lost both Corporal Hasegawa and Private Yamaguchi since we arrived at this river. We must watch ourselves more, for the great battle is approaching soon.
31 March: I got the report that Sergeant Kano has been killed … He belonged to the educational department at Matsuyama and was liked and respected by everyone. He died on the night of the 29th. Of course, my life is as uncertain as others at this moment, but I will fight to revenge my friend as long as I am breathing …
The battalion commander Lieutenant Nakanishi gathered together his officers to tell them that, during the night or at daybreak on 3 or 4 April, they were to take over a strongpoint that ‘the enemy had been guarding diligently’.
3 April: It took us one hour and a half to reach this point. Soon our shells will be dropping on the enemy’s position which has the benefit of natural protection. At 8 and 12 o’clock there was a terrific salvo from our artillery and the airforce was dropping their bombs on the enemy’s position. Black smoke covered the enemy bases. The order to attack came at last. We faced the enemy as soon as we went down a valley and crossed a stream. We went forward and thrust into a hill which was the enemy base and took possession of their front line. The enemy snipers were very accurate and we had many casualties. We lost Top-Private Yano, Private Yamado, Private Kodama, Private Iida and Iwama, Tahara, Kato, Kinoshita, Yoshida – all of them injured.
4 April: The battlefield at night is as bright as day. It is strange that Yano is not around any more. He used to talk to me and like to stay near me. Now he is dead and I can no longer hear his voice. There is no sound of the bugler or other familiar sounds when the night was broken by day. We just fight, we front-line attackers, and go after the enemy when and wherever we see them.
5 April: Again pursuit. We went up a mountain where there was no path. But soon we found a splendid road and advanced. We went after the enemy and took a base, but we did not know what was to come the next day. We were trapped!
6 April: At seven o’clock the enemy began to attack. We are surrounded by the enemy. It is a hard fight. Our first squad is dying one by one. Fifty men in all are at the mercy of the enemy. If 1 Battalion had not come to our rescue, our company would have been wiped out. On this occasion we lost Tanaka, Sadavo, Kawabata, Kuniwo, Ogawa, Hirano and five men were injured. Under enemy fire 3 Company replaced our force.
7 April: We had joined 6 Company which was guarding the road on the morning of 5 April. We then followed 1 Battalion on the front line facing the enemy. We had pursued the enemy continuously, gained 6km and took a rest.
8 April: By order, we were to guard a point where three roads join. During the night, we suffered an earthquake, enemy shelling and malaria.
Kubota soon succumbed.
9 April: I am suffering from a very high temperature and am weak, but must advance. Our company took over again the point where the three roads meet. It was after midnight. I never felt such agony before. At last! The enemy has put up the white flag! There were about 800 prisoners.
10 April: Again 2,000 of the enemy gave up! We are smiling. I remind you that all of these enemies have a hand in killing our comrades and our brothers. It seems that no one is thinking deeply, just smiling. The enemy is giving up, but we must think of our loss. Our company alone lost its commander and 30 soldiers under him. One more breath and we will be in Manila. We are awaiting that day. At last the game is up. For this day, we went through our difficulties and suffering!
11 April: The enemy commander, Major General King, sent a declaration saying: ‘Stop fighting.’ Those soldiers who gave up fighting are coming down the mountain. Sixty, 80, 100 vehicles are coming down flying the white flag. Our dead comrades are now enjoying the sight from the other world. We have been waiting for this day … we fought for this day … and our comrades died for this day. This day is the fruit of our hard fight. Now the spirits of our dead comrades can go back to the shrine of Yasukuni and rest forever. There are 3,000 prisoners to be shot to death – those Filipinos who fought against us under the command of America. I felt sorry for the conclusion of their life. I suppose this is the end of the diary of the fighting at Bataan.
But it was not the end of Kubota’s diary, as his suffering continued, though this was nothing compared to the suffering of those captured at Bataan. Some 70,000 starving prisoners of war were force-marched 100km (60 miles) under the tropical sun to a prison camp in Tarlac. They were kicked and beaten on the way, and those who fell behind were bayoneted. Some 7,000 to 10,000 died on the journey. But Kubota knew nothing of this.
12 April: We received orders to go to Baliugo or Bagio and we began to march at nine o’clock. Our division expected to reach there by stopping over at Hato Base which lay on the right bank of the Chawel or Jauel River. Again I had a temperature and a difficult time. Today we passed the place where they distribute the prisoners who are brought back by truck. There was a bloody wind blowing. We even smelt it with our nostrils.
13 April: Again I have a high temperature. It must be malaria. We will start marching to Guagua tomorrow. The diagnosis was malaria. Tomorrow I will be sent to the San Fernando clearing hospital. Thirteen of our company will go. I feel quite sick. I will depart with Kawano, Nishmura, Jinno. We had a nice farewell party because we had received additional supplies. We celebrated our victory over Bataan. At the same time we prayed for the repose of the souls of our dead comrades.
14 April: We arrived at the hospital by truck. I think it will take some time to get well because I am so run down. Today, I laid on a bed for the first time in months, it seemed, for we have been sleeping in the trench dugout.
15 April: Two days have past since I came to this hospital. Most of the patients were sent to Manila. I expect they will send me there around the 16th or 17th. I feel that my temperature is lower. There is so much perspiration while I sleep, Top-Private Ishikawa watching me has been a great help. Privates Hamada, Musui, Murakami and Kinoshito who are leaving the hospital to rejoin the company came to see me; also Lieutenant Suzuki. I will try and cultivate my spiritual side while I am in this hospital. For a long time it has been neglected. Now I am as weak mentally as I am physically. I recall many incidents while we were fighting. It was hard fighting. Our company lost its commander, 30 men killed and 100 wounded. At any rate, the enemy at last gave up at Bataan … Since we arrived here on 1 January, we have slept on the beach, by the roadside, in fields, dugouts and on the mountainside. In pursuit after pursuit, we lost our comrades. Now I can hear the voices of those dead comrades and my blood begins to boil. I can visualize the fight on 5 Company on the river bank and the enemy’s artillery fire when we were crossing the Abuabua River on 16 March. 3 April was the attack on the enemy’s base and on the 6th the assault. It is hard to stop thinking and seeing those fighting figures fall before the enemy’s fire. Those shouting voices and bloody bodies. Those men who have gone as the many falling petals of the cherry blossom had now become glorified by Kudan
i
at the shrine of Yasukuni. Now they rest peacefully. It is so strange that I am alive. Such was my fortune to live through the battle and I cannot help but wonder how it happened. I know that my family are praying for my safety and that my wife and child are looking for my safe return. I look towards the sky where my family live and pay my deepest respect to them as I lay on this bed of the San Fernando clearing hospital.
16 April: This is the day I am to be sent to Manila. Lieutenant General Nara, the commander of the Nara Army, came to visit us at the 13th hour. He said to the sick men, ‘You must take good care of your sick bodies.’ Sergeant Major Utsuki came to report about our soldiers. I asked Private Tachibana to take my officer’s public report. The price of commodities in San Fernando are so high that we find it very difficult to buy anything. I will buy rubber boots when I arrive in Manila. And I have no more shirts left. Also my gold filling is loose and the cavity in my tooth should be filled. I hope to be in Manila very soon.
17 April: The day passed as usual. There is nothing to write about, only that there are few cigarettes left. If I were at home I would smoke Homore [a cheap brand of Japanese cigarettes]. Here we can only get a few Piedmont, Commander and Circle. I will not smoke those cigarettes, but I will ask Lieutenant Kishi to get others for me …
18 April: After the fight: There is no sound as the evening sun disappears behind the western hill. It seems like a dream. What has happened? Ten of my men are killed, ten injured. We buried the dead in the dugouts which the enemy built. There are the enemy’s bodies too. Who will take care of them? It is a sorrowful sight. Again we will be marching tomorrow. Yesterday’s soldiers are no more today. There I was alone looking up at the moon, thinking. My emotions sink low.
19 April: Again the day. It is a lonesome existence at the hospital. Last night another soldier died. A lonely death for a soldier to die of sickness. Our company commander and Lieutenant Abe are on the hospital list. This fever is a greater enemy than the enemy itself. The nurse with whom I have become friendly for the last four or five days is leaving for Manila. The women of Japan are doing their part. They are working as hard as anyone …
21 April: Another patient died … died calling for Mr Orderly! Mr Orderly! His voice was restrained by army discipline. Why can he not shout out, ‘My mother! My father!’ Or call his wife or sweetheart’s name? It is natural to call for one’s nearest when one is dying. Why can they not supply nurses instead of those uniformed orderlies? A woman’s voice after the death battle is sweet … The soft voice, gentle manner, kindly words, graceful walk – all these we look for. Not for any physical desire, nor with worldly eyes towards the nurse. We only want their tender care and the feeling that we are at home. It gives us strength.
22 April: Again the hot wind is blowing. The sky is getting dark. Everyone is wishing for a downpour of rain and the breath of a cool breeze. Most of the patients are out of their minds with a high temperature. Their red eyes gazing aimlessly into the air. In the cellar of this hospital lay many patients. And they die, one by one, every day. It is the tragedy of this war. My pain in the heart is greater than anywhere else when I think of those who die by sickness after this glorious battle. Theirs is a lonely and sad death. We sick men must get well. We must fight against this fever as we fought against the enemy. We must not give up so easily.