

Bourke orders Francis to examine the mortally wounded Kuroki to see if he can be saved. Only Francis, Bourke, Bleeker, Blair, and Corporal Ruffino survive the skirmish. When they are ambushed by the remaining 8 men of the Japanese platoon, the remaining 11 Americans are given no option but to retaliate, resulting in a bloody and pointless firefight during which all the Japanese and most of the Americans are shot dead. As the Americans proceed to the beach, Bourke orders his men to be ready to shoot to kill. When the Americans establish radio contact and their pickup by a US naval vessel is arranged, they demand that the Japanese surrender, but Kuroki reestablishes that they are at war. There is some clandestine cooperation and trading and earnest respect and friendship. The truce results in both platoons, reduced in numbers through their earlier conflicts and later natural disasters, choosing to live side by side – although a line is drawn forbidding one from encroaching on the other's side of the island. Calling a truce, Koruki trades the Americans access to water in exchange for a visit from their doctor to treat the wounded soldier, whose leg has to be amputated. The vessel is destroyed and a Japanese soldier is seriously injured.

As the 19 Americans learn of the Japanese platoon's existence on the island, tension mounts resulting in a battle for the Japanese boat. Confidante to Bourke is Navy chief pharmacist's mate Francis. Marine Aircraft Wing Captain Dennis Bourke assumes command of the platoon of Marines he was transporting, over their buffoonish and incompetent 2nd Lieutenant Blair and Sergeant Bleeker. The Zero and an American F4U Corsair destroy each other, with no outside commands learning of the island.

Lieutenant Kuroki keeps his men firmly in hand and is supervising the building of a boat for their escape.Īn American C-47/R4D transport plane is shot down by a Japanese Zero, crash landing on the same island. During an unspecified period of World War II, a platoon of 16 Japanese soldiers is stranded on an island in the Solomon Archipelago with no means of communicating with the outside world.
