▁march ed ▁directly ▁west ▁toward ▁the ▁village ▁of ▁As am ana , ▁encountered ▁a ▁large ▁body ▁of ▁Sh ō ji ' s ▁troops ▁camp ed ▁near ▁the ▁Met ap ona ▁River ▁and ▁were ▁quickly ▁p inned ▁down ▁by ▁rif le , ▁mach in eg un , ▁and ▁mort ar ▁fire . ▁Carl son ▁respond ed ▁by ▁direct ing ▁Comp an ies ▁D ▁and ▁E ▁to ▁come ▁to ▁C ' s ▁aid , ▁attack ing ▁the ▁Japanese ▁forces ▁from ▁two ▁different ▁directions . ▁ ▁As ▁Comp an ies ▁D ▁and ▁E ▁moved ▁in ▁C ' s ▁direction , ▁both ▁encountered ▁large ▁concentr ations ▁of ▁Sh ō ji ' s ▁soldiers ▁and , ▁by ▁ 1 2 : 3 0 , ▁were ▁involved ▁in ▁inten se ▁fire f ights . ▁At ▁ 1 5 : 0 0 , ▁Company ▁D ▁commander ▁Captain ▁Charles ▁Mc A ul iffe — with ▁nine ▁of ▁his ▁men — un expected ly ▁march ed ▁into ▁the ▁B inu ▁base ▁camp . ▁Mc A ul iffe ▁reported ▁to ▁Carl son ▁that ▁soon ▁after ▁he ▁had ▁made ▁contact ▁with ▁the ▁Japanese ▁forces , ▁he ▁and ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁squad s ▁had ▁become ▁cut ▁off ▁from ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁his ▁company . ▁After ▁extr ic ating ▁themselves ▁with ▁difficulty , ▁Mc A ul iffe ▁and ▁the ▁men ▁with ▁him ▁had ▁decided ▁to ▁retre at ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁base ▁camp . ▁Mc A ul iffe ▁reported ▁that , ▁as ▁far ▁as ▁he ▁knew , ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁his ▁company ▁had ▁been ▁anni h il