▁Joseph ▁L . ▁Al li ▁of ▁Buff alo , ▁New ▁York , ▁a ▁Marine ▁Corps ▁Com bat ▁Cor respond ent . ▁From ▁almost ▁point - blank ▁range , ▁Japanese ▁mort ars ▁and ▁field ▁guns ▁opened ▁up ▁on ▁them ▁from ▁ad jo ining ▁pe aks ▁on ▁Su ic ide ▁R idge . ▁Pope ▁and ▁his ▁men ▁took ▁Hill ▁ 1 5 4 ▁at ▁d usk ▁after ▁hours ▁of ▁blo ody ▁fighting ▁that ▁nearly ▁anni h il ated ▁the ▁group . ▁ ▁For ced ▁to ▁deploy ▁his ▁men ▁thin ly , ▁he ▁never theless ▁determined ▁to ▁hold ▁his ▁ground ▁for ▁the ▁night . ▁Im medi ately ▁after ▁darkness ▁fell , ▁the ▁Japanese ▁started ▁to ▁attack , ▁first ▁in ▁small ▁in fil tr ating ▁bands , ▁then ▁in ▁groups ▁of ▁ 2 0 ▁to ▁ 2 5 . ▁Each ▁time , ▁the ▁Mar ines ▁opened ▁fire ▁with ▁everything ▁they ▁had : ▁one ▁light ▁machine ▁gun , ▁several ▁Tommy ▁guns ▁and ▁rif les , ▁and ▁a ▁limited ▁supply ▁of ▁hand ▁gr en ades . ▁When ▁the ▁gr en ades ▁ran ▁low , ▁they ▁hur led ▁rocks . ▁" We ▁would ▁throw ▁three ▁or ▁four ▁rocks , ▁then ▁a ▁gr en ade . ▁The ▁Japanese ▁didn ' t ▁know ▁which ▁were ▁which ," ▁one ▁Marine ▁said . ▁By ▁sun r ise , ▁the ▁Mar ines ▁were ▁be ating ▁off ▁the ▁enemy ▁with ▁bare ▁f ists ▁and ▁hur ling ▁am mun ition ▁boxes ▁at ▁them . ▁Finally ▁only ▁eight ▁rif le men ▁remained . ▁When ▁day light ▁brought ▁dead