Скачать или смотреть How a US Soldier's 'Payload Trick' Killed 25 Japanese in Okinawa and Saved His Unit

Discover why a standard crate of M49A2 mortar shells, considered technically "useless" without the accompanying 29 pounds of launch tube and baseplate...

...became the decisive factor on Kakazu Ridge, allowing a lone, wounded sergeant to improvise a manual artillery barrage that single-handedly shattered a Japanese offensive.

Learn about the harrowing defense mounted at 03:30 hours on April 13, 1945, by Technical Sergeant Beauford T. Anderson of the 96th Infantry Division. Explore the tactical desperation atop Kakazu Ridge, where Anderson’s squad was pinned inside an ancient Okinawan limestone tomb by 75 soldiers of the Japanese 272nd Independent Infantry Battalion. Features detailed analysis of the M2 60mm mortar system specifications and the extreme improvisation required to arm M49A2 High Explosive projectiles without a firing pin. Examine the ballistics and risks involved as Anderson manually struck 1.38-kilogram warheads against the tomb walls to engage the percussion fuse, throwing them by hand to achieve a 27-meter blast radius at distances of less than 30 meters. Chronicles the 50-minute engagement where Anderson expended 16 mortar shells and his M1 Carbine ammunition, inflicting 25 confirmed kills and halting the advance of Captain Shimada’s forces. Highlights the physiological and medical realities of the engagement, including the shrapnel wound that missed Anderson's femoral artery by two centimeters, and the subsequent Medal of Honor citation authorized by the War Department in 1946.

...reveling why sheer tactical improvisation and individual resolve often supersede superior numbers and military doctrine in close-quarters combat.

Perfect for students of the Pacific Theater, military ballistics enthusiasts, and anyone interested in the history of the Medal of Honor.

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