33. Oba, “The Fox”
Sakae Oba took command of 46 surviving Japanese soldiers, and along with 160 civilians, headed into Saipan’s jungles. After hiding the civilians in caves and remote villages, Oba led his men in a guerrilla campaign, raiding American outposts and supplies, ambushing patrols, and sniping at sentries. Patrols sent to track down and finish off Oba’s force were unsuccessful. So was a massive dragnet, with American troops lined up across Saipan, separated from each other by only two meters, that swept the island from end to end. The chagrined officer in charge of the operation was reassigned, and the Marines nicknamed Oba “The Fox” for his elusiveness.