The Bloody Story of Lieut. Kliebert

Lieut. Nicholas Kliebert, with 37 men, had gone to protect some wounded on the Munda trail. While they were holding a bridge against a frontal attack their three Browning automatics became overheated, could no longer be used. Later, in the presence of his commanding officer, Lieut. Kliebert told correspondents what happened next: "The Japs who got through to one of our litter cases propped the man against a tree and five Japs took turns bayoneting him. I got three of them. . . . We saw Japs pull blankets off litter cases and line them up. ... They cut one of the poor lads from the top of his head to his feet, meanwhile laughing deliriously. Then they shot him through the head."

The battle lasted for seven hours. When the Japs finally withdrew, Kliebert had lost three of the handful of brave men who had fought beside him while others were evacuating the wounded, had killed 175 Japs. He estimated that the Japs killed at least 20 of the wounded, most of whom could not walk.

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