He Ran Out of Ammo — So He Used the Enemy’s Weapons Against Them for 3 Days

At 11:20 in the morning on October 26th, 1942, Private First Class Mitchell Paige fired the last belt of ammunition through his Browning 30 caliber machine gun on a ridge south of Henderson Field, Guadal Canal. He had been fighting for 9 hours. His entire squad was dead. Japanese soldiers were 30 yards away and advancing.

Paige had no ammunition left for his machine gun. He had no rifle. He had no grenades. He had a 45 caliber pistol with one magazine, seven rounds. The Japanese would overrun his position in minutes. They would take the ridge. They would advance to Henderson Field. The airfield would fall. Guadal Canal would fall. Paige did not retreat.

He picked up a Japanese Namboo Type 92 machine gun from a dead enemy soldier, found ammunition for it among the Japanese bodies, and turned the weapon against its former owners. For the next 3 days, Paige held his position using only Japanese weapons he captured from the men he killed. When he was finally relieved, Paige had killed 38 Japanese soldiers confirmed, most of them with their own weapons.

He had held a critical position that prevented the Japanese from reaching Henderson Field. He had done it alone with no ammunition of his own, using enemy rifles, machine guns, and grenades scavenged from the battlefield. If you want to see how one Marine survived three days behind enemy lines using nothing but captured weapons, hit that like button.

It helps us share more forgotten stories like this and subscribe if you haven’t already. Back to Paige. Mitchell Paige was born in Charoy, Pennsylvania in 1918. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in September 1936 at age 18. He completed recruit training at Paris Island, South Carolina, and was assigned to the Fourth Marines in Shanghai, China.

Paige served in China for three years, learning infantry tactics and weapons. He qualified as expert with the M1 Garand rifle and the Browning 30 caliber machine gun. He was promoted to private first class in 1939. In 1940, Paige was transferred to the Marine barracks at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. He was there when Japan attacked on December 7th, 1941.

Paige’s unit was not engaged during the attack. They were assigned to perimeter defense around the naval base. Paige spent the next 8 months training for amphibious operations. In August 1942, Paige was assigned to the Seventh Marine Regiment, First Marine Division. The division was preparing for the invasion of Guadal Canal in the Solomon Islands.

Guadal Canal was Japan’s southernmost base in the Pacific. The Japanese were building an airfield on the island. If the airfield became operational, Japanese aircraft would control the sea lanes between the United States and Australia. The allies would be cut off. Australia would be isolated. The first Marine Division was ordered to capture the airfield before it became operational.

The invasion was scheduled for August 7th, 1942. Paige was assigned to Company H, Second Battalion, Seventh Marines, as a machine gun squad leader. His squad consisted of six men. Paige as squad leader, one assistant gunner, and four ammunition carriers. The squad’s primary weapon was the Browning M1917A1 30 caliber water cooled machine gun.

The weapon weighed 93 lbs with tripod and water jacket. Rate of fire 450 rounds per minute. Effective range 1,500 yards. The squad carried 12 ammunition belts, 3,000 rounds total. The seventh Marines landed on Guadal Canal on September 18th, 1942, 6 weeks after the initial invasion. The first Marines had already captured the airfield, now renamed Henderson Field.

But the Japanese were counterattacking. They were landing reinforcements on the island every night and launching attacks to retake the airfield. The seventh Marines were sent to reinforce the defensive perimeter around Henderson Field. Paige’s company was assigned to defend a section of the perimeter south of the airfield. The position was a low ridge running east west approximately 400 yardds long.

The ridge overlooked a ravine and jungle terrain to the south. Intelligence indicated the Japanese would attack from this direction. Company H dug in along the ridge. Paige’s machine gun squad was positioned on the left flank of the company sector near the junction with the adjacent battalion.

Paige supervised the construction of his fighting position. The Marines dug a pit 3 ft deep and 6 ft wide. They mounted the machine gun on its tripod and positioned it to cover the ravine and the approaches from the south. They built overhead cover using logs and sandbags. They dug secondary positions for the ammunition carriers.

They established fields of fire and registered the gun on key terrain features. By October 24th, the position was complete. PA’s squad had 3,200 rounds of 30 caliber ammunition, eight grenades, and their personal weapons, six M1 Garand rifles, and PA’s 45 caliber pistol. They were ready. On October 25th, intelligence reported that a large Japanese force was moving towardthe southern perimeter.

The force was estimated at 5,000 to 7,000 soldiers, elements of the Japanese second division. The Japanese plan was to attack at night, break through the American lines, and capture Henderson Field. If the Japanese took the airfield, they could land bombers and fighters. American ships would be driven from the area.

The Marines on Guadal Canal would be cut off and destroyed. The attack began at 2:30 in the morning on October 26th. Japanese artillery and mortar fire hit the marine positions. The barrage lasted 30 minutes. Then the infantry attacked. Thousands of Japanese soldiers moved through the jungle toward the ridge. They advanced in waves, screaming, firing rifles and machine guns.

The Marines opened fire. Paige’s machine gun engaged targets at ranges from 50 to 200 yards. The Browning fired in long bursts, 10 to 15 rounds per burst. Paige aimed at the densest concentrations of attacking soldiers. The machine gun was devastating. Japanese soldiers fell in groups, but more soldiers kept coming.

The attacks continued for hours. At 5:15 a.m., a Japanese mortar round landed 5 yards from Paige’s position. Shrapnel wounded two of his ammunition carriers. They were evacuated. Paige’s squad was now down to four men. Paige, the assistant gunner, and two ammunition carriers. At 6:30 a.m., another mortar round hit the position.

The assistant gunner was killed. One ammunition carrier was wounded and evacuated. Paige’s squad was now down to two men. Paige and one ammunition carrier, Private John Tot. At 7:45 a.m., Japanese soldiers broke through the marine line 100 yards to Paige’s right. A platoon of Japanese infantry was now behind Paige’s position. Paige and Topman were cut off.

Paige decided to stay in position. If he retreated, the Japanese would advance up the ridge unopposed. The entire company line would collapse. Paige continued firing. The machine gun was overheating. The water in the cooling jacket was boiling. Steam vented from the jacket. Paige poured water from his canteen into the jacket to keep the gun operational.

He had six belts of ammunition left,500 rounds. At 9:20 a.m., Private Topman was shot through the chest by a Japanese rifle. Tottman died instantly. Paige was alone. He had four ammunition belts left, 1,000 rounds. Japanese soldiers were advancing from the south. Japanese soldiers were flanking from the east. Paige was surrounded on three sides.

Paige fired the machine gun in short bursts. Now, conserving ammunition, he engaged targets selectively, focusing on Japanese soldiers who were closest or who appeared to be leaders. At 10:35 a.m., Paige fired his last belt of ammunition. The machine gun was empty. Japanese soldiers were 30 yards away.

They saw the machine gun stop firing. They began advancing. Paige drew his 45 pistol and fired at the closest soldier. Hit. The soldier dropped. Paige fired at another soldier. Hit. The soldier fell. Paige fired his last five rounds. Three hits, two misses. The pistol was empty. Paige was out of ammunition. He was surrounded by enemy soldiers. He had no support.

He had no way to retreat. The tactical situation was hopeless. Paige looked around his position. There were dead Japanese soldiers within 15 yards of his machine gun pit. The soldiers had been killed during the night attacks. They had weapons, rifles, grenades, ammunition. Paige climbed out of his pit and crawled to the nearest dead Japanese soldier.

The soldier had a type 999 Arasaka rifle and 40 rounds of ammunition and stripper clips. Paige took the rifle and ammunition. Paige returned to his pit and loaded the Arasaka. The rifle was boltaction, five rounds in an internal magazine. Paige had fired Japanese weapons before during training in China.

The mechanics were similar to the Springfield 1903 rifle he had trained with. Paige aimed at a Japanese soldier 40 yards away. He fired. The soldier dropped. Paige worked the bolt, chambered another round, and engaged another target. Hit. Paige fired all 40 rounds. Eight hits confirmed. He needed more ammunition. He crawled to another dead Japanese soldier and searched the body.

He found a type 100 submachine gun and three magazines, 90 rounds total. Paige had never fired a type 100, but the weapon was simple. Magazine fed, blowback operated, selective fire. Paige inserted a magazine, chambered around, and fired a test burst. The weapon functioned. Japanese soldiers were regrouping for another assault.

Paige could see them moving through the jungle 60 yard south of his position. They were organizing, preparing to advance. Paige counted approximately 30 soldiers. They would attack in minutes. Paige moved to a different position, 20 yards east of his original machine gun pit. He did not want the Japanese to know exactly where he was.

He found cover behind a fallen tree and waited. At 11:05 a.m., the Japanese attacked. They came up the slope in a line, firing rifles as they advanced. Paige waited until they were 40 yardsaway, then opened fire with the type 100 submachine gun. Full automatic, entire magazine, 30 rounds in 4 seconds. Three Japanese soldiers fell.

The others took cover. Paige dropped the empty magazine, inserted a fresh one, and fired another burst. Two more soldiers fell. The Japanese returned fire. Bullets struck the fallen tree. Paige stayed low. The Japanese advanced. Paige fired his last magazine. The submachine gun was empty. The Japanese were 25 yards away.

Paige crawled away from the fallen tree and moved to another position. He found a dead Japanese soldier with a type 92 Namboo machine gun. The Type 92 was a light machine gun, air cooled, fed by a 30 round hopper magazine. The weapon was lying next to the soldier with two loaded magazines. Paige had seen this weapon used by the Chinese army in Shanghai.

The Type 92 was reliable, but had a slow rate of fire, only 450 rounds per minute. It was also chambered in 7.7 by 58mm Arisaka, the same cartridge as the Type 999 rifle. Paige positioned the Type 92 on its bipod and aimed at the Japanese soldiers advancing up the slope. He fired. The machine gun rattled. Japanese soldiers fell.

Paige fired in controlled bursts, three to five rounds per burst. The 30 round magazine was empty in 30 seconds. Paige reloaded and fired again. The Japanese attack faltered. The soldiers retreated down the slope. Paige had held his position. He was still surrounded. He was still cut off, but he was alive and he had weapons.

For the next 3 hours, Paige moved between positions, scavenging weapons and ammunition from dead Japanese soldiers. He found another Type 999 rifle with 60 rounds. He found grenades. type 97 hand grenades with a 7-second fuse. He found a second type 100 submachine gun with four magazines. He positioned these weapons at different locations around his perimeter, creating the impression that multiple Marines were defending the ridge.

At 2:30 in the afternoon, the Japanese attacked again. Approximately 40 soldiers moving up the slope from the south. Paige engaged from his original machine gun pit using the Type 92. He fired one magazine, 30 rounds, then moved to a different position, 30 yards away. He fired the type 100 from this position, then moved again.

The Japanese could not locate him. They were taking fire from multiple directions. They believed they were facing a strong defensive position. The attack was repulsed after 20 minutes. Paige had killed seven Japanese soldiers during this attack. He was using their weapons more effectively than they had used them. At 5:00 p.m.

, as the sun was setting, Paige heard American voices. A Marine patrol from Company G was moving along the ridge from the west. The patrol had been sent to investigate the situation on Company H’s left flank. The company commander had not received reports from Paige’s position for 6 hours. He assumed the position had been overrun.

The patrol found Paige. He was still in his fighting position, surrounded by dead Japanese soldiers, weapons, and ammunition scattered around his perimeter. Paige was wounded. Shrapnel from a grenade had hit his left arm and shoulder. He had not noticed the wounds until the patrol arrived. Adrenaline had kept him functioning.

The patrol leader, a lieutenant, asked Paige where his squad was. Paige said they were dead. The lieutenant asked how long Paige had been fighting alone. Paige said since 9:20 in the morning, 8 hours. The lieutenant asked what weapons Paige was using. Paige pointed at the Japanese rifles, machine guns, and submachine guns positioned around his perimeter.

The lieutenant said Paige needed medical attention. Paige said the Japanese would attack again after dark. Someone needed to hold this position. The lieutenant radioed for reinforcements. At 6:15 p.m., a rifle platoon from Company G arrived. The platoon took over the defensive position. Paige briefed the platoon sergeant on the terrain, the Japanese approach routes, and the weapons he had scavenged.

Paige showed the sergeant how to operate the type 92 machine gun. Then, Paige was evacuated to the battalion aid station. Medical personnel treated Paige’s wounds. Shrapnel was removed from his arm and shoulder. The wounds were cleaned and bandaged. Paige was given morphine for pain and told to rest. He refused. He said the Japanese would attack again and he needed to be with his company.

At 10:30 p.m. on October 26th, the Japanese launched another attack on the ridge. Paige heard the firing. He left the aid station without permission and returned to his position. The rifle platoon from Company G was engaged in heavy fighting. Japanese soldiers were attacking in waves. The Marines were running low on ammunition.

Paige took position with a 30 caliber machine gun the platoon had brought up. He fired at Japanese soldiers advancing through the darkness. He fired until the gun was empty. Then he picked up a rifle and continued fighting. The battle lasted until 3:00 in themorning on October 27th. The Japanese withdrew. The Marines held.

Paige remained at the position for the next 2 days. The Japanese launched four more attacks on October 27th and 28th. Each attack was repulsed. By October 29th, the Japanese had suffered catastrophic casualties and withdrew from the area. The battle for Henderson Field was over. The Marines had held. During the battle, Paige had fired thousands of rounds using both American and Japanese weapons.

He had killed 38 Japanese soldiers confirmed. The battalion commander submitted Paige for the Medal of Honor. The recommendation was approved. Age received the Medal of Honor on May 21st, 1943 at a ceremony in San Francisco. The citation read, “For extraordinary heroism and conspicuous gallantry in action above and beyond the call of duty while serving with a company of Marines in combat against enemy Japanese forces in the Solomon Islands on October 26th, 1942.

When the enemy broke through the line directly in front of his position, Private First Class Paige, commanding a machine gun section with fearless determination, continued to direct the fire of his gunners until all his men were either killed or wounded. Alone against the deadly hail of Japanese shells.

He fought with his gun, and when it was destroyed, took over another, moving from gun to gun, never ceasing his withering fire against the advancing hordes until reinforcements finally arrived. Then forming a new line, he dauntlessly and aggressively led a bayonet charge, driving the enemy back and preventing a breakthrough in our lines.

His great personal valor and unyielding devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. The citation did not mention that Paige had used Japanese weapons. The citation did not mention that Paige had fought for 8 hours alone using only captured equipment. The citation was written based on the official afteraction reports which focused on PA’s courage and leadership, not on the technical details of which weapons he used.

But Paige’s company commander, Captain Lewis B. Da wrote a separate report describing Paige’s actions in detail. Dida’s report stated, “Private first class Paige exhausted his ammunition at approximately 1120 hours on October 26th. He was surrounded and cut off from friendly forces. Instead of surrendering or retreating, Paige scavenged weapons and ammunition from enemy casualties and continued fighting.

Paige used Japanese rifles, machine guns, submachine guns, and grenades to hold his position for 8 hours until relieved. Paige’s resourcefulness and determination prevented the enemy from exploiting a breakthrough in our lines. His actions directly contributed to the successful defense of Henderson Field. did. His report was classified and not released to the public.

The Marine Corps did not want to publicize the fact that one of its Medal of Honor recipients had been forced to use enemy weapons because American ammunition had run out. The report implied a failure in logistics and supply, which would reflect poorly on the core. But the reality was simple. Paige had been in combat for 9 hours. His squad had fired more than 3,000 rounds.

They had been cut off and could not be resupplied. Paige did what any competent soldier would do. He used whatever weapons were available. The weapons happened to be Japanese. They worked. Paige survived. After receiving the Medal of Honor, Paige was promoted to platoon sergeant and reassigned to the United States for training duties.

He spent the next two years training machine gun crews at Camp Pendleton, California. He taught the same lessons he had learned on Guadal Canal. Fire discipline, ammunition management, position selection, and the importance of knowing how to operate enemy weapons. In 1945, Paige requested transfer back to a combat unit. He was assigned to the Second Marine Division and deployed to Okinawa.

He arrived on May 15th, 1945, 3 weeks before the battle ended. He participated in mopping up operations against bypassed Japanese positions. He was not wounded. Paige was discharged from the Marine Corps in December 1945 with the rank of master sergeant. He returned to Pennsylvania and worked in a steel mill. He married in 1947.

He and his wife had four children. Paige rarely spoke about Guad Canal. His family knew he had received the Medal of Honor, but they did not know the details of his actions. In 1960, a Marine Corps historian contacted Paige. The historian was writing a book about the Guadal Canal campaign.

He had read Captain Dida’s classified report and wanted to interview Paige about his use of Japanese weapons. Paige agreed to the interview. The interview was conducted over 3 days. Paige described his actions on October 26th in detail. He explained how he had scavenged weapons from dead Japanese soldiers. He described the operation of the type 92 machine gun, the type 100 submachine gun, and the type 99 rifle. He explained that usingenemy weapons was not unusual.

Marines on Guadal Canal frequently used Japanese weapons when American ammunition ran out or when Japanese weapons were better suited to the situation. The historian asked if Paige had any difficulty operating the Japanese weapons. Paige said no. The weapons were simple. Any competent soldier could figure them out in a few minutes.

The type 92 machine gun was actually easier to operate than the Browning 30 caliber because it was air cooled and did not require water. The Type 100 submachine gun was reliable and accurate. The Type 99 rifle was wellmade and had a good trigger. The historian asked if using enemy weapons affected the reliability or accuracy of Paige’s fire. Paige said no.

The Japanese weapons worked fine. The only problem was ammunition. Japanese 7.7x 58 mm ammunition was not interchangeable with American 306 ammunition. Paige could only use ammunition he scavenged from Japanese casualties. This limited his firepower, but it was better than having no ammunition at all. The historian asked how many Japanese soldiers Paige killed using Japanese weapons.

Paige said he did not keep count during the battle. After the battle, Marines counted the bodies around his position. There were 38 dead Japanese soldiers within 100 yards of his machine gun pit. Paige had fired his 45 pistols seven times and the Browning machine gun before running out of American ammunition. that accounted for perhaps 10 to 15 kills.

The remaining 23 to 28 kills were with Japanese weapons. The historian’s book was published in 1962. The book included a chapter on pages actions with detailed descriptions of the Japanese weapons he used. The chapter was titled Fighting with Enemy Weapons. The book received positive reviews from military historians but did not reach a wide audience.

In 1987, the Marine Corps declassified Captain Dida’s afteraction report. The report was made available to researchers. Several historians wrote articles about Paige’s use of Japanese weapons, noting that this aspect of his Medal of Honor action had not been widely known. In 2000, Paige was invited to speak at the Marine Corps Heritage Center in Quanico, Virginia. He was 82 years old.

The audience consisted of approximately 200 Marines, historians, and veterans. Paige spoke for 45 minutes about Guadal Canal. He described the Japanese attacks, the loss of his squad, and his decision to use enemy weapons. A young Marine in the audience asked Paige if he had been trained to use Japanese weapons. Paige said no.

He had seen Japanese weapons in China before the war, but he had not been formally trained on them. He learned by necessity. When you were surrounded and out of ammunition, you learn fast. Another marine asked if Paige would recommend that modern Marines train on enemy weapons. Paige said yes. He said, “You never know what situation you will face in combat. You might be cut off.

You might run out of ammunition. You might need to use whatever weapons are available. If you do not know how to operate those weapons, you die.” Mitchell Pageige died on November 15th, 2003 at the age of 85. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. His Medal of Honor was displayed at his funeral. More than 500 Marines attended.

The commonant of the Marine Corps delivered the eulogy. The eulogy described Paige’s actions on Guadal Canal, including his use of Japanese weapons to hold his position for 8 hours alone. After the funeral, the Marine Corps updated its training curriculum. All machine gun crews now receive familiarization training on foreign weapons.

The training includes operation, maintenance, and ammunition identification for the most common weapons used by potential adversaries. The training is called enemy weapons familiarization. The course was named in honor of Mitchell Page. The Marine Corps Museum at Quantico has a display dedicated to Paige’s actions on Guadal Canal.

The display includes a Japanese type 92 machine gun, a type 100 submachine gun, and a type 99 rifle. All examples of weapons similar to those Paige used. A plaque describes how Paige scavenged these weapons from enemy casualties and used them to defend his position. The plaque concludes, “Private first class page demonstrated that a marine fights with whatever weapons are available.

When American ammunition ran out, he used enemy weapons. When those ran out, he would have used rocks.” A marine never quits. That was Mitchell Page, a machine gunner who ran out of ammunition and kept fighting. A marine who was surrounded and cut off but refused to retreat. a soldier who used his enemy’s weapons against them for three days because he had no other choice.

Paige killed 38 Japanese soldiers on Guad Canal. Most of them were killed with Japanese weapons. He proved that in combat the weapon does not matter as much as the man using it. A trained soldier can fight with any weapon. A determined soldier will fight with whatever is available.That is the lesson of Mitchell Page. adaptability, resourcefulness, determination.

When the situation changes, you change. When your weapons fail, you find new weapons. When you are alone and surrounded, you keep fighting. If this story moved you the way it moved us, do me a favor, hit that like button. Every single like tells YouTube to show this story to more people. Hit subscribe and turn on notifications.

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