TEARS OF ANGELS

An essay by Graham J. Smith, author of The Making of Warriors

In late November 1942, as the Kokoda campaign was about to give way to the Battle of the Beachheads, the three battalions of the 16th Australian Infantry Brigade (2/1 st , 2/2 nd and 2/3 rd ) were in the area of Soputa on the Sanananda-Killerton Track, and within striking distance of the Japanese northern coastal positions. The 16th Brigade had been engaging the Japanese in running actions since 26 September, following their failed attempt to take Port Moresby. The Brigade was now part of a three-pronged advance in a final push to drive the Japanese back to their beachheads, at Gona, Sanananda and Buna.

The 16 th Brigade’s objective was Sanananda; to its left was the 25th Australian Infantry Brigade, with its objective being Gona, and to the right, the US 128th Regimental Combat Team, whose objective was Buna. The Battles of Eora Creek (11-28 Oct) and Oivi-Gorari (4-11 Nov) had taken a heavy toll on the Australians; tropical disease and sickness had taken an equally heavy toll, but there was no doubt that the allies had gained the upper hand against their enemy, who by this time were also war-torn, and suffering the effects of disease and malnutrition.

The 2/1 st Battalion (now 1 RAR), under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Paul Cullen, having taken up a position as the Brigade’s vanguard, was under orders from the brigade commander to hasten their forward movement, as they had fallen behind the other two axes of advance.

Early on the morning of 20 November 1942, Cullen was on the track near the leading units, which were being shelled by a Japanese 70mm mountain gun. At the time he was riding a fine-looking black steed which had been found wandering at large one week earlier, near the Kumusi River crossing. Cullen, disregarding the shelling, rode up to Captain Basil Catterns, his second in command, when suddenly an incoming artillery round exploded nearby.

Cullen’s horse was killed instantly by flying shrapnel, and the concussion from the blast hurled the two into a ditch beside the track. Both were stunned, but for the most part uninjured, and upon recovering his senses, Cullen asked Catterns for his opinion as to how best deal with the enemy gun.

Catterns quickly formulated a plan, which involved moving wide off the track to the left, through tangled undergrowth and malarial swamp, to come in behind the gun. He estimated that the Japanese would not be expecting an approach from this direction, thus giving him the element of surprise. Cullen agreed, and Catterns was allocated two understrength companies totalling 90 men, for the mission.

By 9:30 am, Catterns and his small force were underway. Their movement through the swamp and undergrowth was painfully slow and tiring, taking all the daylight hours to cover only a few kilometres. Finally, they reached a point where to their right they could see a Japanese encampment set amongst native huts, it was almost sunset and light was fading fast.

They could hear the enemy gun firing in the distance, and realising they had passed their objective, Catterns concluded that it was too late to turn back for the gun. He consulted with his officers, and all agreed that it was too dangerous to turn back, and that they should attack the Japanese encampment, breakthrough to the main track, then wait for relief to arrive.

Unbeknown to Catterns and his men, what they had come across, was a well dug-in defensive position, occupied by up to 1700 enemy.

Catterns moved quickly, forming his men in a single line, shoulder to shoulder and several paces apart. They emerged from the undergrowth at a steady pace, crouching catlike, all weapons at the ready. They reached a position about 50 meters from the Japanese forward pits when they were spotted, and all hell broke loose as Catterns entire force opened fire simultaneously; 18 Bren guns, 36 Thompson submachine guns, as well as rifles and grenades spoke as one. The shock of the noise was so great that some Australian troops dropped to the ground, but the officers quickly rallied them to their feet again, and they pressed forward.

They smashed through apron fences of vines, hurdling networks of trenches. They were fighting like wild animals into the very heart of the enemy’s position, some of whom, rallying, manned their gun-pits and began to inflict a heavy toll on their attackers. But there was no stopping the assault, and these Japanese died at their guns. Soon, many of the huts were ablaze, creating a surreal backdrop to the attack, with grenades exploding in the fires and scattering live embers into inky black sky. Panicked enemy ran yelling, and their figures, silhouetted against the firestorm, gave the grim impression of a scene from Dante’s Inferno.

It was estimated that at least eighty Japanese were killed in the initial assault, with five Australian officers being killed, including the company commanders, and three platoon commanders.

Reaching the main track, Catterns formed his men in perimeter around a large fig tree, under which he placed the wounded for protection, amongst the tree’s large buttressed root system.

Throughout that night, Catterns’ force desperately fought off repeated attacks, in scenes later described as being reminiscent of the Battle of Rorke’s Drift. When daylight finally arrived, the wounded under the tree were now visible to the enemy, and they came under withering machine-gun fire; many of them were killed here.

The remnants of Catterns’ decimated force was finally relieved during the latter part of 21 November; the Japanese were forced to withdraw and the gun was captured. As dusk fell on that fateful day, an electrical storm broke out. Beneath a heavy downpour, the last of the walking wounded slowly made their way back to the rear; the rain, as if formed from the ‘tears of angels’, cleansed the blood of the fallen from the battlefield.

Sadly, of Catterns force of 90, only 24 came out (not killed or wounded). In total, this single valiant action, resulted in recommendations for 1 Victoria Cross, 3 Military Crosses, 3 Distinguished Conduct Medals and 7 Military Medals. Catterns, having previously been awarded a Military Cross for bravery at the Battle of Eora Creek, was recommended for a second.

By the end of the Kokoda campaign the Australians were considered, arguably, to be the best jungle fighting force in the world. The campaign was later described by a Kokoda veteran as:

‘A campaign without chivalry, a bloody fight to the death. An elemental struggle with only one password, kill or be killed.’

Lest we forget.