When Ha-Go Tanks Ambushed M3 Stuarts

It’s December 22, 1941, and five US Army M3 Stuarts rush to head off the Japanese landings on the beaches of Luzon when Platoon Leader Lieutenant Benjamin Morin spots a unit of Japanese infantry mounting up on trucks parked right in the middle of the road, oblivious to the approaching Stuarts. He orders his loader, Private First Class Steve Gados, to ram a 37-millimeter high-explosive shell into the breach. Morin orders his tank to a halt. He lines up a Japanese truck and squeezes the trigger. A loud cracking noise echoes through the Stuart. But the shell never leaves the barrel. Morin is confused. He shouts out to his men and they realize that the Stuart's gun has jammed with a live round still in the breach. The Japanese troops are now alerted to the sound and locate the tanks and immediately fire back with their machine guns and rifles. The bullets clatter into the Stuart's armor. “Machine guns!” Down in the driver’s position, Private First Class Zelis squeezes the triggers on his steering columns, sweeping the twin hull machine guns across the ditches, tearing into the Japanese troops. Overwhelmed by the fire, the surviving Japanese fall back into the jungle leaving their fallen behind. A few miles away, Lieutenant Mitsuoka of the Imperial Japanese Army’s 4th Tank Regiment advances from the nearby beach of Agoo with three Type 95 Ha-Go tanks. He has been sent to intercept the approaching Americans. He quickly orders his Ha-Gos to take up an ambush position behind the grove of trees and the long grass by the roadside. Minutes later, he spots Morin’s vehicle far ahead of the trailing column. Alone. The range is 800 meters and he prepares to fire off the first shot before his enemy sees him. Mitsuoka gets the tank centered in his sights. The gun cracks and sends the 37-millimeter shell down range, heading straight towards Morin’s Stuart tank. There’s a massive impact, which sends sparks flying into the air. But the shell smacks into the armor and ricochets off without penetrating. Mitsuoka works quickly to reload his gun, pushing home a new shell. He fires and another 37-mm armor-piercing round clangs off the Stuart’s hull front. With horror, Mitsuoka sees that the armor is too thick for the Ha-Go’s low velocity gun to penetrate, at least at this range. The tanks ahead of him are far superior to the Japanese ones. The other two Ha-Go tanks join in the battle, sending their main cannon rounds and their machine gun bullets directly at Morin’s tank. Morin’s Stuart shakes violently with every new impact. The shells come in so quickly that the bow gunner’s hatch metal door is knocked loose. Another shell slams into the Stuart’s armor plating and tears the door away from the hull, leaving the bow gunner exposed. Mitsuoka shouts an order and the Ha-Go’s machine gun begins spraying the enemy tank. If he can land some rounds through the hole in the American tank, he could devastate the crew inside. Fully exposed to the enemy fire, Morin’s bow gunner Corporal John Cahill intuitively covers his head as sparks and shrapnel fly around while Japanese bullets land just inches from his face. The hull shudders as Japanese cannon rounds find their mark. The American armor holds, but Morin and his crew have never been under tank fire before. And every impact shakes their confidence. Trying to save Cahill from certain death, Morin shouts down to his driver, ordering him to angle the tank. Another shell comes into the road nearby, pelting the Stuart with dirt and rocks. Morin immediately orders to pull the tank off the road. The Stuart swerves into a roadside ditch just as Japanese machine-gun fire rakes the tank's side. It keeps hammering the armor until the Stuart finally drops below the enemy's line of fire. Inside the tank, the inexperienced crew quickly get to work, trying to fix the damaged door. Behind Morin, the four other Stuarts move up and take over from their leader. Their engines roar as they break out of their column formation. One Stuart advances along the road, while others maneuver into the rice fields on either side of the road, extending the formation and covering the flanks. The American gunners scan from side to side, trying to find the Japanese tanks. While both sides have 37mm guns, the American gun has a much higher muzzle velocity and can easily punch through the Ha-Go's thin armor. But the Japanese have positioned their tanks well. Hidden by dense foliage and tall grass, they remain almost impossible for the American tanks to spot at this range with their low powered scopes. The American tanks keep pushing forward trying to spot the Japanese. With every foot they advance, the Ha-Go crews have a better chance of punching through the Stuarts' armor. Mitsuoka joins in with the rest of his platoon and pulls the trigger. But even at 600 yards, the Ha-Go can’t penetrate the Stuart’s thick skin. Mitsuoka starts to sweat in the cramped interior. In the small tank he acts as Commander, Loader and Gunner. Racing between the gunsight, loading the gun, and firing takes its toll. He watches in growing frustration as yet another shell strikes a Stuart but fails to deal any meaningful damage. Finally, the American crews spot the Japanese positions, and start to return fire. The Stuarts’ muzzles flash as they fire towards the Japanese tanks. But the inexperienced American crews are still struggling to hit the tiny and well-concealed Ha-Gos. Their rounds fly wide and high, cutting through the roadside trees and smashing into the surrounding paddy fields. Mitsuoka feels a round pass by his tank and fly into the vegetation behind him sending rocks and pieces of wood clattering on his tank. He grimaces, surely it won’t be long before the Americans find their mark. Mitsuoka watches wide-eyed as one of the American tanks swings its turret towards him. It’s too late to try and evade. He waits for the shot and accepts the fact that it’s now his time to fall in battle. But there's no blast. The Stuart’s gun fails to fire. Just like Morin’s tank, a round is jammed inside the barrel. But the American tank wastes no time and immediately opens fire with its machine gun, sending tracer rounds toward Mitsuoka to mark his position for the other Stuarts. Spared death this time, Mitsuoka begins reversing further back into the grove, when he suddenly sees one of his fellow Ha-Go tanks rolling out of cover on the other side of the road to spray Morin’s tank with machine gun fire. Up to now, Morin has been busy repairing his tank, but with the Japanese Ha-Go bursting onto the road, he turns the turret towards it. Even though he knows the gun is jammed, he's hoping that maybe the machine gun will be good enough. Mitsuoka watches the drama unfold and tries to get a clear shot, but the Stuart is partially hidden by the roadside ditch. And he has no idea that the Stuart’s main gun is jammed. In Mitsuoka's mind, unless he acts now, he's going to lose one of his tanks. Thinking quickly, he gives his driver an order to ram, smashing headfirst into enemy armor is a bold move. “Target, 50 meters. Prepare to ram!” But Sergeant Takeuchi Shimao doesn’t hesitate. He immediately slams his foot down on the throttle. The Ha-Go tank erupts from the bushes and climbs onto the road. The tracks grind into the earth as it accelerates towards Morin’s vehicle. The Ha-Go races towardsthe American tank, its nose dipping into the roadside ditch as the driver lines up the crushing blow. Inside, Mitsuoka lets out a Japanese battlecry. "Long Live The Emperor!" The other Stuarts see the Ha-Go speeding towards their leader and hurry to turn their fire onto Mitsuoka's tank. All the Stuarts rotate their turrets and a roaring pair of rounds flies at Mitsuoka. The first one streaks past his tank. But then there’s a sickening crunch as the second shell slams into the front of the tank with a deafening crack, rocking the Ha-Go. Mitsuoka looks down to see his driver, Sergeant Shimao, slumped dead against the bulkhead. Then, he realizes that his driver’s foot is still pressing down on the accelerator pedal. Mitsuoka says a quick prayer of thanks for his friend’s heroic memory. Even in death, Shimao’s warrior spirit lives on. Then he braces himself for the collision. There’s an almighty crash as the Ha-Go smashes into the Stuart’s front left corner, denting the armor and cracking the American tank’s sprocket wheel. Mitsuoka is thrown against the inside of the turret, hitting his head on the armor. Dazed and bloody, he shakes the ringing from his ears as the muffled sounds of battle echo around him. He has hit his target. But his own tank is now completely immobilized, wedged into the ditch, with Morin’s Stuart. For a moment, the two enemy commanders' tanks are completely cut off from the battle that rages around them. Up on the road, Stuarts and Ha-Gos continue trading rounds with each other. The well covered Japanese tanks are still dodging their enemies’ shots while desperately trying to hold back the superior Stuarts. Inside Morin’s tank, the crew pull themselves back into their seats, they are dazed and bruised from the impact. But they’re all still alive! Private Zelis quickly gets back into action and pulls on the control levers. Morin is overjoyed that the Stuart is still operational. But as they drive the damaged left drive sprocket finally fails, locking the left track and forcing the tank into a wild turn. Zelis fights to control the wayward tank. With only the right track moving, the tank is pulled off onto the left side of the road and down into a paddy field. The Stuart splashes through the shallow water before Zelis pushes on the brakes and brings them to a halt. With one track completely disabled, there’s nowhere to go. The tank is now stuck in full view of the Japanese. Placing his faith in his platoon mates, Morin orders his loader to get on the radio and call for help. If the other tanks can get up here quickly, there’s still a chance of rescue. Zelis squeezes the triggers on his twin machine guns, desperately trying to keep the Japanese pinned down long enough for the rest of his unit to take out the enemy. But with a broken track he can’t turn the tank to aim. All the machine gun can do is spray the area with lead. But the Japanese waste no time in finishing the job. Inside his crippled Ha-Go Mitsuoka is injured but still alive. He hauls himself up and pops open the hatch, and looks over the battlefield. The Stuart he has rammed is no longer there. He scans and sees it in the nearby paddy field. His injuries have not dimmed his warrior spirit and his anger gives him strength. His tank may be immobilized, but he still has control of his gun. Mistuoka says a silent prayer and squeezes the trigger. The round fires off, like so many before it, destined to deflect, but this one finds a weak spot in the Stuarts armor and penetrates. Morin’s tank is hit in the side and the battery compartment explodes. Acrid fumes fill the fighting compartment. The men choke on the thick chemical gas, burning their throats and making their eyes water. Morin shouts out that it must be a Japanese gas attack and orders the crew to put their gas masks on. Scrambling with shaking hands, the crew pull on their gas masks and breathe deeply. In the bow, Zelis squeezes the triggers for his machine guns again and again. Nothing happens. Without electrical power the solenoid firing switches are useless. Gados frantically tries the radio, calling for help from the rest of the platoon. But the set has died along with the engine and the battery. A wave of apprehension comes over Morin, he’s dead in the water, all out of firepower and now with no communications. Despite all his efforts his fate is out of his hands. Then, through the smoke, Morin sees that the four other Stuart tanks are still advancing. His hopes surge as it looks like his comrades are going to make it. The Stuarts are just a couple of hundred meters from the Japanese tanks. At this range, the Stuart’s guns will tear through the Ha-Go’s thin armor with ease. Inside the crippled Ha-Go, Mitsuoka feels his tank lurch as he is hit with a round from the Americans. It’s a good hit which completely disables his gun. Mitsuoka cries out with anger and frustration. He curses the Ha-Go’s thin armor and weak gun which have been outclassed by the American design. Then the Stuarts send an armor-piercing shell whizzing towards another of the Ha-Go tanks, striking it in the track and leaving it a sitting duck. As shells fly towards the Japanese tanks, the last operational Ha-Go swiftly rolls back into the grove, trying to take cover and get out of the line of fire. Mitsuoka, with horror, feels the shame of defeat rising within its stomach. It’s his first engagement against the Americans and he’s about to lose. Mitsuoka sees the advancing Stuarts through his gunsight. With his main gun disabled and his driver dead, all he can do is fire machine guns. He orders the bow gunner to open fire, but there is no response. The bow gunner is sitting unconscious, knocked out by the shell impacts. He’s all alone in the tank. But he’s still determined to fight on. While there’s still breath in his lungs, he’s not going to let the Americans break through his unit. He grabs the crank and the Ha-Go begins turning its turret. Once the rear machine gun is lined up, he squeezes the trigger. The Ha-Go spits a stream of bullets at the better-armored American tanks, but they just spark against the steel. Mitsuoka’s anger boils over. The enemy is right in front of him and he’s powerless to stop them Then, from the north, a barrage of cannon fire crashes down the road. A shell strikes right next to the lead Stuart, throwing up a wall of dirt. Another platoon of Ha-Go tanks has arrived. And three tanks roll over the dirt and grass, ready for battle. One of the Japanese tanks scores a direct hit on the lead Stuart, punching through its weakened armor and instantly killing the bow machine gunner. The crippled tank grinds to a halt. The tables have turned and now Mitsuoka sees the chance of victory. At this point in the battle, only 2 of the 4 Stuarts have operational guns and overwhelmed by the volume of fire, the American tank commanders throw their Stuarts into reverse. Morin's tank is engulfed in smoke and no longer moving. So the Stuarts assume he and his crew are already dead. The Stuarts are outgunned, and it's not worth the risk to keep advancing. The Americans fall back along the road, firing as they withdraw while suppressing the Japanese. The Ha-Go tanks maneuver into better positions, sending a steady stream of 37-mm shells after the retreating Stuarts. Trapped inside his crippled tank, Morin hears the gunfire gradually fade. He peers through his periscope. He sees the last of the Stuarts disappear down the road, leaving his tank stranded in the middle of the battlefield alone. His last hope slips away. The Japanese have won. Then the rumble of engines grows louder from the opposite direction. One by one, Japanese tanks emerge from the smoke, rolling steadily towards the crippled Stuart until they surround it. The Japanese infantry follows the armor. The American crew exchange silent glances, weighing their options. They could keep fighting with sidearms, but it would be suicide. The decision is Morin's and the crew waits for his order. The Lieutenant slowly unholsters his pistol. "We've done all we can." He places the pistol on the floor of the tank. Then, he reaches up and pushes open the commander's hatch. He has no idea how the Japanese will treat him. But his only priority is to save his crew’s lives. Morin emerges from the hatch and tears off his gas mask, breathing in the clean air. Then, he climbs from the tank, his hands raised. One by one, the rest of the crew follow, splashing into the flooded rice paddy. Mitsuoka approaches the Americans on foot, his hand on his katana. His wounds have been wrapped with field dressings as he stares at the exhausted tankers who killed his friends and nearly wiped out his platoon. He locks eyes with Morin. He could kill the American commander where he stands. A single stroke would avenge his fallen comrades. For a brief moment, silence hangs over the battlefield as Morin's life rests in the balance. Then Mitsuoka turns his back on his enemy. With a single order, Japanese soldiers step forward and lead the American tankers away from their battered Stuart. Their hands bound, Morin and his men are loaded onto trucks and driven away into captivity. As they drive away, Morin locks eyes witn Mitsuoka standing on the hull of his Stuart. The first tank battle between American and Japanese forces is over and it’s a victory for Japan. Lieutenant Benjamin Morin and his crew would spend the next three years as prisoners of war. His faith helped him cope with the horrors of Japanese captivity. After his release in September 1945, he joined the Jesuits and was ordained as a Catholic priest. If you enjoyed this film, click here to watch another brutal clash between the US and Japan. At Wake Island, a small force of US Marines made a desperate last stand against Japanese naval attacks and relentless bombing.