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Hō… mukatte kuru no ka...? By 6 July 1944, the Japanese had nowhere to retreat. Saito made plans for a final suicidal banzai charge. At dawn of the 7 July, with a group of 12 men carrying a great red flag in the lead, the remaining able-bodied troops — about 4,000 men — charged forward in the final attack. Amazingly, behind them came the wounded, with bandaged heads, crutches, and barely armed. The Japanese surged over the American front lines, engaging both Army and Marine units. The 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 105th Infantry Regiment were almost destroyed, losing well over 650 killed and wounded. However, the fierce resistance of these two battalions, as well as that of Headquarters Company, 105th Infantry, and of supply elements of 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Artillery Regiment, resulted in over 4,300 Japanese killed and over 400 dead US soldiers with more than 500 more wounded. The attack on 7 July would be the largest Japanese Banzai charge in the Pacific War. -
