General Ichiki's False Start
Sunset over Sugar Plantations
Ichiki's Kure NLF division was the unit which had pushed into the French Congo, setting his forward HQ at
Boukoumoukongo he had placed his regiments so as to secure the potential routes of attack from the north as well as cut the Chemin de fer Congo-Océan (CFCO) the Congo-Ocean Railway to isolate Brazzaville from the port at Port Noire. An infantry regiment, the artillery, and engineers were detailed to this task, securing the substantial
sugar plantations as their base as well as cutting the railway at
Kiosi and patrolling as far as the
Niari River His other regiments were located
near Kimpandzou in the center and
north of Satou Bouala on the far left flank to the west.
Facing the Japanese was a combined US/French Corps under the command of "Vinegar Joe" Stillwell, two French infantry divisions and the 44th US National Guard division. The Americans were screening to the south from the key crossroads of
Loubomo as far as
Manga Kala where their advanced outposts could observe the Japanese positions just over 2000m south. The French 2nd Infantry was guarding two prime paths to the south at
Tsiboukou which if the Japanese took would irretrievably separate the Allied force. The last division was the French 81st located at the far eastern keypoint of
Loudima Poste where roads and rivers converged, just around 7km west from the Japanese at Kiosi.
Terrain near Tsiboukou
On the 23rd of February General Ichiki and his staff made an error of assumption in their intelligence appreciation of Allied activity, believing that the Allied Corps was pulling out for some position in the north. Wanting to keep close contact with the enemy, as much to push along an enemy assumed to have lost the will or capacity to fight as anything else, the Kure division was ordered to attack along each of their three attack axis.
The Japanese facing the positions of the French 81st division at Loudima Poste had discovered through a stealthy reconnaissance that the
heights above the town were barely screened, most of the 81st's forces were deployed on the plain east of town towards the plantations. The regimental officers hatched a daring plan where the Pioneers would surreptitiously get the Artillery across the Niari. Arriving at
a commanding position and setup before dawn, they rained down deadly accurate fire on the French positions. The 81st's commander felt that Loudima Poste was compromised and withdrew, obligating Stillwell to order the division in reserve at
Mbote - an order delivered in a manner which brought complete understanding to the French *why* Stillwell was called "Vinegar Joe." General Guillaume in charge of the 81st was himself a hard boiled character and he went to III Corps HQ for some words with Stillwell...the two Generals parted company that day on less than amicable terms and protests lodged against one another.
Otherwise the Allied positions of the US 44th and French 2nd were holding firm against the unsupported regimental attacks directed at them. Ichiki realized he had made a mistake by this point, but his sense of superiority held firm. He believed his bushido could crack the allies and send them fleeing up the trails.
To a certain extent the General was right. His men assaulted with gallant grimness the Allied positions, which began to give way around the French 2nd division. Stillwell was replaced as III Corps commander by the French General Carpentier, who goaded the commander of the 81st back into line in a manner deemed more appropriate to French sensibilities.
Meanwhile in the air and unopposed the Nakajima Kikka's of Tactical Wing "A" were in action against the Allied lines of communications at the front and in depth.
Nakajima Kikka
Mitsubishi Hiryu
With Allied (French) sensibilities suitably mollified, General Stillwell again resumed command of the battle, the Japanese were pushed back towards their starting points.
On the 6th, with the complete Japanese mastery in the air over the area, the Germans dropped paratroops and airlanding infantry at Brazzaville.
Unfortunately for General Ichiki, his Kure division simply could do no more to attack and were even unable to hold their start positions, being pushed south of them by the US 44th National Guard and eventually staging an organized retreat towards Leopoldville.
On the 10th it was the US troops turn to be surprised by the sudden appearance of the Sasebo NLF division in their flank along the Louvila river at Moukeke. Without the support of the two French divisions, Stillwell withdrew north with the Sasebo division hot on his tail and engaging the Allied III Corps at
Maga Kala and a
track pass towards Kimpandzou.