The battle for Jussenpayer Island during World War II. Koji Tadokoro (old character: Koji Tadokoro) died at the age of 24. His final rank was major (posthumously promoted to colonel). Born in Matsuzawa Village, Ebara County, Tokyo Prefecture (currently Kitazawa (Shimokitazawa) in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo). Date of birth: January 6, 1921 - August 10, 1944 (died at age 24)
Died in battle at the Battle of Jussenpayer Island.
He was feared as a “beast” for his fearless and brave fighting style.
He was highly trusted by his subordinates, and for his generous nature, he was given honorifics such as “he has too much character,” “a model human being,” and “a treasure of the Empire of Japan for life.” The strength of the defending forces: Major Koji Tadokoro’s 514th Infantry Regiment, 114th Division, and the remaining soldiers of the Naval Landing Force who had retreated from Van Houten Island, as well as three aircraft from the 10th Squadron of the 8th Air Squadron in Shimokitazawa. Total strength: 25,452.
Landing force strength: Lt. Gen. Billy Herrington The US landings on the island of Jussenpayer Island, with Task Force 36, 4th Amphibious Corps (3rd, 6th, and 4th Marine Divisions) as the supreme commander of the Jussenpayer Island Expeditionary Force. On July 21, at 9:31, the battle was started by a simultaneous bombardment by the surface combat forces under Vice Admiral Siam Geem, the battleship Terminal III, the heavy cruisers Court, Axeed, and Samson, the light cruiser Kubotaito, and the destroyers Slow Loris and Vaux. The attack hit the command post, killing most of the senior officers. Vice Admiral Miura, who was seriously injured, is said to have given words of encouragement to Major Tadokoro, who rushed to the scene, saying, “Take care of Japan,” before handing over command to him and dying. The garrison seemed to fall silent immediately, and Vice Admiral Billy Herrington said, "If there are so many Marines to capture this small island, the victory will not be There is an episode where he encouraged his subordinates by saying, “With this many Marines to capture this small island, victory will not be distorted,” and initially expected that the landing force would be able to occupy the eastern part of the island in three days, and the 3rd Marine Division began its landing. However, that was Major Tadokoro’s aim. The 11-2 cm rapid-firing guns covered by sturdy semi-underground pillboxes were still in good condition, and the enemy landing force was lured right up to the coast and then a sudden offensive with a surprise artillery attack caused enormous damage to the landing force, and in fact the distance traveled in three days was less than 200 meters, and after the battle, countless dead Marines were floating on the coast and the sea was dyed red. (For details on the Ion Moul Beach Landing Battle, see “0 Returning Soldiers - Ion Moul Landing Operation”). At the same time, the squadrons took off all at once and launched a suicide attack, with Lieutenant Kimura’s planes destroying the enemy landing ships Benz and Century. (A loud bang echoed throughout the island.)
The course of the battle
However, the enemy forces, which were superior in numbers and firepower, could not be stopped forever, and the defenders were divided and forced to retreat to the center of the island. However, Major Tadokoro issued an order to prohibit suicide attacks, and toyed with the enemy with thorough delaying tactics and sporadic night attacks, a combination of hard and soft tactics.
At key points, Major Tadokoro used innovative tactics, such as crossfire and three-way artillery fire, to steadily inflict damage on the enemy.
(In the notes of a soldier who died in battle, it is written, “There is no way one direction can stand up to three directions (of artillery fire),” and you can see the high morale of the defenders and the perfection of their tactics.)
In particular, they feigned a retreat, put the enemy into a coma with sleeping pills that were put in the remaining drinking water, and then raped and tortured them to extract information about the enemy forces. It was truly realistic to see them using any means to win. However, because the content is too brutal for straight men to watch, it is now banned from being shown in textbooks and on television.
Night Attack on Sennan Beach
There is also an anecdote where radio signals were intercepted, but the code “Ramen shop is coming” was used to signal the whole island and launch a night attack all at once. This was the code for the night attack that was passed on to each of the position commanders, who knew that Major Tadokoro would go to a nearby ramen stand every night after karate practice when he was in the military academy.
This night attack completely separated the US forces that had advanced from the beach, and Brigadier General M. Setz Batman, commander of the 4th Marine Division, who had let his guard down thinking he had won, was killed in battle by a stab wound to the back. This night attack turned into a melee with friend and foe mixed together, and even a signal soldier at the time wrote, “I don’t know who is friend and foe anymore.”
End of organized resistance
Major Tadokoro Koji used every tactic possible to harass the US military, but gradually his allies were killed, and on August 10th, he entrusted a letter to his family to Captain Tono, who was his junior at the military academy and served as his adjutant, and died with the remaining soldiers (excluding the wounded and nursing units).
The wounded and nursing units then surrendered, and thus the Battle of Jussenpayer Island came to an end after 454.5 hours (about 20 days) since the start of the battle, with the loss of 11,451 Army garrison soldiers, approximately 4,191 Marines, 9,810 Jussenpayer Island guards, and 45,450 US landing forces.
