Operation Easy Street (Jock Miles WW2 Adventure Series Book 3) by William Peter Grasso

Author:William Peter Grasso [Grasso, William Peter]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2014-04-16T04:00:00+00:00

Once dawn broke, four facts became unmistakably apparent:

The Japanese casualties littering the alleged battlefield could be counted on one hand.

Third Battalion was in hopeless disarray. It would take a day or longer to re-establish their position opposite Buna—provided the Japanese let them.

The casualty count for 3rd Battalion boiled down to zero killed, zero wounded, and two missing.

“The crocs probably got them,” Jock mumbled.

Finally, Jock’s 1st Battalion, through no fault of their own, had suffered the worst. While they were rushing to aid 3rd Battalion—aid it was now obvious hadn’t been needed—the Japanese had reoccupied that choice position in the grove in force.

Probably with fresh troops that landed last night, Jock feared.

Able Company, with the help of the just-arrived Baker Company, tried to retake the grove. Both companies were exhausted before they began, Able from the night’s needless adventure, Baker from the all-night march from the plantation to rejoin the battalion. As the casualty reports began to trickle in, Jock ordered, “That’s enough. Call it off. Pull back and regroup.”

With great disgust, he summed up the night’s action: “That was a big step backward.”

As if the fiasco never happened, General Hartman found something else on which to vent his displeasure. Lining up Jock and Colonel Molloy in his sights, he began: “You both deliberately ignored my orders. Explain to me, Colonel Molloy, why only one of Major Miles’s four companies was where I ordered them to be?”

“Three companies, General,” Molloy said. “There are only three companies in First Battalion.”

“Why the hell is that, Colonel?”

“Because his weapons company was decimated by a plane crash before it ever got here. Perhaps you recall, sir.”

Hartman looked confused, as if this was all news to him. But he recovered his air of disapproval quickly. “Regardless, Colonel. Where were the other two companies?”

Molloy replied, “Two are here, sir, and they did the bulk of the fighting last night. The third, Charlie Company, is still at the coast, near the plantation.”

Hartman’s face turned a furious red. “And what the hell are they still doing there, Colonel?”

“They’re holding that terrain until Eighty-Third Regiment relieves them,” Molloy said. “I believe that was your intent, sir, to protect our flank against the Japs reinforcing by sea.” He paused, hoping the logic of his statement would sink in, before adding, “Was it not?”

General Hartman’s face grew slack as the feistiness drained out of him. He seemed struggling to remember something…

His own words, probably, Jock thought as he watched the confrontation in silence. I think the old man’s losing it.

Molloy asked, “By the way, sir, where is the Eighty-Third, anyway? We thought you said they’d be here yesterday.”

“There’s been a small change of plans,” Hartman replied. “I’ve ordered them to secure Oro Bay. The engineers will be there within days to build the road to Buna.”

He hesitated, sensing how inadequate his explanation seemed, before saying, “Didn’t my staff advise you?”

“We’ve been pretty busy with the Japanese, sir,” Molloy replied. Making a great play of conciliation, he added, “Perhaps we overlooked the message.”

Molloy

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