Harano was fairly satisfied with the amphibious landing operation; their combat strength remained completely intact as they quickly moved through the danger zone. Even when a few unexpected issues cropped up, timely responses from subordinate officers and soldiers kept things from spiraling into chaos, and the landing plan was smoothly completed. The whole process was orderly from start to finish—very much in line with his personal sense of aesthetics.
This was a real combat exercise. The Chita Peninsula was high in the center and low all around—classic hilly terrain. Each year, seawater washed a huge amount of earth back upstream, so the beaches were small, but there were plenty of mudflats. As long as he could overcome the adverse terrain, he could boldly declare that the Chita Peninsula was his backyard; he could come and go as he pleased, and there was no place on the shore that could stop his landing.
