The surprise attack on the Japanese garrison in Tuaran of British North Borneo by Lt. Albert Kwok's rebels was a stunning victory.
This happened in October 10th 1943.
Within a short time, the rebels managed to overrun the isolated garrison, killing several Japanese soldiers, including a couple of civilians who worked for the occupying forces.
By the time, the first ray of the sun shone above the peak of Mount Kinabalu, the flags of the Union Jack and Kuomintang Party were fluttering in the morning sun.
While the rebels were celebrating, a junior Japanese army slipped through the heavily guarded perimeter and fled from the doomed garrison to raise an alarm by wireless set to the Regional Headquarters in Tenom, a town 200 kilometres away.
As the news of the treacherous attack reached it's military command, the commanding officer of the Japanese Imperial Army of western North Borneo dispatched a train-load of battle-hardened Imperial Army to Jesselton where the rebels continued to engage the enemies.
In the meantime, in the Island of Labuan, a squadron of Japanese attack airplanes took into the sky, their mission was to provide aerial support to the avenging Imperial Army which was bent to regain its lost garrison and to punish all those who sided with the rebels.
Leading the second squadron was a young Japanese Kamikaze pilot who was sworn to strike the Emperor's enemies without mercy.
His name was Lt. Yamaguchi.
Without help from the Allied, the Japanese Air Force had a total aerial supremacy, like a swarm of bees, the Kamikaze pilots made a bombing spree on all the houses along the 20km Jesselton - Tuaran route.
The local resistant group was decimated, alongside with the innocent inhabitants.
Those who survived would soon face the wrath of the advancing army.
Five thousands meters up in the sky, Lt. Yamaguchi pulled away from the battle zones and made a wide arc to survey the damage done to the rebels' held zones.
Then he caught sight of a man riding on a buffalo speeding across the battered paddy fields.
It seemed that its rider was trying to escape from being caught in the cross fire.
Thinking that the man was a sure meat : Lt. Yamaguchi pushed his throttled to the left, making a sharp turn toward the terrifying man and his beast.
Lt, Yamaguchi aligned his bomb stick forward, took aim before releasing a two pounds bomb taking a spiral spin toward the fat target, creating a swishing sound as it dropped.
There was a loud booming sound followed by a cloud of black smoke bellowing beside the only road that connect the rebels to the main town.
Feeling satisfied with his action, he pressed the joystick forward and the nimble fighter soared upward.
But when the smoke had cleared, he saw the same beast again speeding away.
Lt. Yamaguchi was so furious that he cursed, made a double spins to gain precious altitude before he pressed its accelerators, aligning his weapon's sight to its target.
Then he pressed its trigger.
A continuous ra-ta-ta-ta sounds of his newly serviced machine guns echoed onto his muffled ears as hundreds of deadly slugs flew from its multiple barrels at great speed spattering soil and bits of splinters into the air.
Just before he flew north, he saw the nimble buffalo again - unscratched!
Lt. Yamaguchi was frustrated with his luck that morning that he refused to accept his failure, decided that he would not rest until that damned buffalo was blown to kingdom come!
It seemed that the accused beast which was still running had more than nine lives to spare.
His sweat dripped down underneath his fluffy leather helmet like warm rivulets, although his skin felt cold and damp.
Depth inside his heart, he was contemplating with what had gone wrong with his aims that morning: surely the ace of the 13th Imperial Squadron did not simply lost his shooting skill in annihilating miserable targets overnight !
Biting his lips in unbelief, he made another spin toward the fleeing animal and aligned his gun's crosshair making sure that this time, he would not miss his target again.
Unfortunately just before he pressed its trigger, the animal dived into a deep ravine and disappeared with its rider, sending precious bullets slamming hopelessly onto the edge of the ravine, shredding the bushes that grew on its side to pieces.
"Damn you buffalo!" He cursed again gritting his teeth.
Suddenly a reprimanding voice echoed into his ears, "Lt. Yamaguchi. What are you doing?"
"My apology Sir commander!" he replied, breathing slowly as he tried to refrain his voice for being too obvious. "I have just blasted a stupid buffalo and its rider! "
"Forget about your buffalo and return to formation! We have been ordered to fly east for another target! "
"Yes sir! "
Reluctantly, Lt. Yamaguchi pulled his joystick and his nimble Zero zoomed skyward to rejoin his triumphal squadron, leaving a trail of destruction behind.
As he flew away, he saw the same undefeated buffalo again : climbing effortlessly out of the ravine and trotting leisurely toward a narrow grove of rubber trees.
His frustration was intense that he could almost hear its rider giggling at him.
#halloweehistfic
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THE OLD KAMIKAZE HEADBAND
Historical FictionThis story had its beginning during the Pacific War in 1944, in the eastern part of the British North Borneo territory. It was about a young Japanese Kamikaze pilot who was shot down over the abandoned prisoners ' camp in Sandakan. He was to die wh...
