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At 2:30 AM the Japanese suddenly stumbled onto the squad deployed across Cheney Trail south of Battery Cheney.  So sudden was the onslaught, the startled riflemen had neither heard nor seen the marines until the head of the Japanese column quickly went through the position before a shot could be fired.  The surprise was so complete that no alarm was sounded immediately, and the lead Japanese marines, moving swiftly, ran into the 4th platoon position in the crater in the middle of Cheney trail.  By that time the men defending along Cheney Trail were alerted.  There were some subdued voices giving commands and a few rifle shots sounded in the deep darkness, but other than that it was strangely quiet.  In moments the enemy was now well within the positions along the trail.  It was as if the Japanese had blundered into the squad's positions, so black was the night, and for want of something better to do they merely went ahead on Cheney Trail.  The Japanese were fired on shortly after they were discovered and as the attackers and defenders mingled in the darkness the D Company men couldn't tell friend from foe. 

It takes time in the telling but it happened very quickly.  The Japanese struck the 2d, 4th and 1st platoons in that order.  In the chaos the survivors fell back to the bunker.  The mortar men managed to get off a few 60mm rounds, a gesture more than anything else during a confusing fight where nothing could be seen.  The men who had been overwhelmed at their defensive positions along Cheney trail were drifting slowly back toward the north side of the bunker at Wheeler Point.  They fired their rifles at the vague shapes which were shouting and milling about in confusion in the utter black darkness in front of them.  The Japanese were talking loudly now, as if their leaders were urging their men to move forward on the trail.  The surviving men from the two squads of the 1st and 2d platoons and the 4th platoon, who were driven back to Wheeler Point joined with Company Headquarters' men. From their position north of the bunker, this brave band fought the attackers through the seemingly endless night. Most of the casualties the Company suffered that night occurred at the bunker as the defenders poured heavy fire into Endo's column now stalled on Cheney Trail where it crossed the promontory at Wheeler Point.

It is difficult to imagine why Endo did not maneuver around the company but he did not; instead they chose to attack the riflemen head on in the coal black darkness. There were about 40 men now in place around the bunker pouring fire into the column stalled on Cheney trail.  The Japanese had attacked on the narrow trail, a tactic that gave them considerable control of their column while attacking at night.  However, once the head of the column stops the whole column stops, and confusion becomes inevitable.  If the attack is to continue you must either destroy the obstacle and move through it or maneuver around the blocking force.  The head of the column must keep the attack route clear at all costs. Only a small part of the greatly superior force could be brought to bear on the defenders, who were now backed around the concrete bunker. Immediately behind the bunker were the cliffs, so there was no retreat for the defenders.