The Rat Bastards #5 by Len Levinson

Author:Len Levinson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: world war 2, action adventure, military adventure, jack higgins, len levinson, anthony doerr, david benioff, john okada
Publisher: Piccadilly

Chapter Seven

THE SUN SHONE brightly in the sky, but its golden rays didn’t reach the jungle encampment of General Hyakutake’s headquarters. The thick leaves and tangled vines of the dense jungle area blocked out the sun and made the encampment dank and gloomy. Colone Saburo Shibata marched across the clearing, his left hand resting on the handle of his samurai sword, a scowl on his face. He was still pissed off about the escape of the American prisoners the night before, and the wound in his shoulder bothered him. The medical corporal had removed the bullet and bandaged the wound. He’d applied no painkilling drugs or antiseptics, because medical care in the Japanese army was primitive compared to the US Army.

Colonel Shibata entered one of the headquarters tents and was ushered into a cramped area that had a map table in its center. Surrounding the table were General Miyazaki, Colonel Imoto, and Major Suginoo. The air smelled like stale, rotting canvas, and a kerosene lamp illuminated the map. Colonel Shibata drew himself to attention and saluted General Miyazaki.

“Colonel Shibata reporting, sir!”

“At ease, Colonel,” General Miyazaki replied, smiling faintly. “I hear you had a little trouble last night.”

“Yes, sir. Some American prisoners got away with the help of natives, as far as we can tell.”

“You were wounded, I see.”

“It’s nothing, sir.”

“Good.” General Miyazaki looked down at the map. “Natives have been bedeviling us ever since we came to this godforsaken island. They have not responded to our offers of friendship and brotherhood, preferring instead to remain lackeys of British and American imperialism. Well, so be it. They will pay for their stupidity.” General Miyazaki pointed to Cape Esperance on the map. “We’re retreating to here, where the ships will pick us up so that we can leave Guadalcanal.” General Miyazaki looked at Colonel Shibata. “Your battalion will act as a block, slowing down the Americans and making them think our intentions are to defend Guadalcanal to the death and not abandon the island. You will move your men to the front today and relieve troops fighting here, in the vicinity of the Bonegi River. Then you will slowly give up ground, making the Americans pay for every inch of it, and withdraw to Cape Esperance, where you too will be evacuated. Do you have any questions, Colonel Shibata?”

Colonel Shibata looked down at the map, glowing in the flickering light from the kerosene lamp. “How many American troops are there on Guadalcanal?”

“We estimate thirty thousand, maybe more.”

“How can my battalion hope to hold back thirty thousand men?”

“You won’t be fighting them in an open field, Colonel. The terrain here is extremely difficult, consisting of thick jungle, swamps and mountains. Fighting usually breaks down to small-unit activity. The Americans are scattered all over the island, but you will concentrate your battalion near the coast to protect our withdrawal from Cape Esperance. The Americans don’t know that we’re withdrawing. When they run into your fresh troops, they’ll probably think we’re mounting a counterattack. They’ll dig in instead of pressing forward.

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