(Photo: North Harbor overlooking North Dock and
Engineer's Wharf. ) |
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VIEW FROM SKIPPER HILL |
Our
objective is the narrow ridge that traverses the island between
Topside and Malinta Hill. It�s
mid-afternoon when I reach it. Joe Froelich has a foxhole already
started when I join him. The island is only 250 yards wide at this
point; we are halfway between Black Beach where we landed and Red
Beach to our front. Down about twenty-five yards to our right
is the entrance to Malinta Tunnel.
The Japs fire at us from an ice plant down on the beach to our
front. Smoke pours from the vents. I see a couple of Japs running
from the tunnel and down the road. I fire a clip and one of them
stumbles, falls, and crawls out of sight. Three Japs pop out of the
cave, set up a motor and lob half a dozen shells at us, then duck
back behind the protection of steel doors to the plant. I look up,
standing alongside my hole is, Col. Jones, from the 503rd
Paratroops, and the commander of the operation. We point out the
enemy in the ice plant. He calls for a tank and takes off toward
Topside.
A
self-propelled 105 cannon soon arrives on the scene, zeros in on the
target and sends several shells crashing into the plant
Bill McKenna
3d Bn., 34th Infantry Regiment |
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