Japanese Invasion of Cebu | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||
Belligerents | |||||||||
![]() |
| ||||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
![]() | Contents
![]() | ||||||||
Units involved | |||||||||
Ground units:
| "Ground units":
| ||||||||
Strength | |||||||||
4,500 | 6,500 | ||||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||||
500 | 1,000 |
On April 14, 1942 Kawaguchi Detachment who just landed in Lingayen, Pangasinan intended as reinforcement of the 14th Imperial Japanese Army to finally subdue Philippine-American forces in Bataan. However, General King surrendered days earlier before they arrived. Instead, General Homma Masaharu commander of 14th Army ordered them south to secure Cebu island in the Visayas intended as launching place for invasion of Mindanao after it is secured. [1]
The island garrison was neutralized after a few days of fighting as they lacked artillery guns, no anti-aircraft guns, no antitank guns, and limited ammunition. The forces retreated but did not surrender until ordered to do so by General Sharp on May 10, 1942. [1]
The island has 6,500 defending troops under Colonel Irvine Scudder who has Philippine Commonwealth Army units, Philippine Constabulary units, Philippine Army Air Corps unit, and US Navy detachment in Mactan Island. It is also based on Army Transport Service under Lieutenant Colonel Cornelius Byrd, who was responsible for bringing the supplies to Bataan and Corregidor. It has a harbor and Lahug Airfield where a few bombers and fighters to attack the Japanese in Luzon. Homma wanted to use Cebu as a launching pad for the invasion of Mindanao island and secure whatever supplies were available under Army Transport Service. [1]
The Island is under the command of Colonel Irvine Scudder, who has his command post at Camp Lapulapu in Lahug, Cebu City. It has 82nd Infantry Regiment, which is based in Argao, Cebu, under Colonel Emigdio David. 83rd Infantry Regiment (less 1st Battalion) under Lieutenant Colonel Fortunato Borbon but technically under its senior instruction Lieutenant Colonel Rufus Rogers based in Liloan a northern town of Cebu. [2] The Cebu MP Regiment under Lieutenant Colonel Howard Edmands as former Philippine Constabulary officer. A day during invasion it was transferred to Lieutenant Colonel John D. Cook's command of Cebu East sector command. Just like any other units in Visayas Islands and Mindanao they do not have a single artillery piece in the island and ammunition is limited. [2]
Visayan Force Headquarters is also located in Cebu where it was organized a month ago. General Chynoweth and his staff are in Camp X, a Bureau of Forestry compound located in Cantabaco a town in central highway. [3] A few days before the invasion, after getting permission from USFIP HQ he ordered 1st Battalion 83rd Infantry under Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Grimes transferred from Bohol to Cebu to cover Cantabaco and protect Camp X vicinity. [3]
Two MP companies were posted in the Mactan Island with a naval detachment under Lieutenant Commander Slimmons, USN, in charge of the island.
On April 9, 1942, reports of Japanese naval convoy with 4 cruisers and 11 transports from Luzon is spotted south of Panay by a P40 Warhawk fighter who landed in Lahug Field in Cebu has reached Visayan Force Headquarters. General Bradford Chynoweth alerted all his units of imminent invasion of the Japanese in the Visayas Islands. [1]
Major General Kawaguchi Kiyotake sent 124th Infantry Regiment to west coast of southern Cebu and landed in Barangay Bato, Pinamungajan, Cebu on April 16. Kawaguchi moved north with tanks and artillery support towards Toledo. [3] Opposing them is 1st Battalion 82nd Infantry under Major Daniel Iway. General Bradford ordered Lieutenant Colonel Grimes to moved forward and repulse Japanese nearing Barangay Uling. [1]
Japanese sent a group to land in Sibonga, another group landed in San Fernando however it withdraw before Captain Ernest V. Jordan Brigade Operations Officer brought 3rd Battalion 82nd Infantry. [3] Later Japanese landed in Talisay and was opposed by Cebu MP Regiment. Colonel Edmands MPs initially hold off Japanese at the beaches but Naval fire support made his troops retreated to Cebu City. Colonel Edmands ordered Naval Detachment to start the demolition and the two companies cross back to Cebu through Mandaue pier. [2] However, they cross back through Cebu pier where Japanese also landed the same time. [1]
As the demolition charges placed on bridges failed to detonate and 1st Battalion 83rd Infantry failed to carry its mission in Cantabaco, General Chynoweth and Colonel Scudder decided to evacuate the headquarters to Sudlon, Cebu City. [3] Cebu Brigade evacuated towards Busay, Cebu City and left evacuated supplies in Cebu Sierra Madre Mountains. [3] Chynoweth arranged Colonel Roger Hilsman his Force Chief of Staff who is ill to transfer to Negros and maintained a liaison with USFIP and Mindanao Force. [1]
Supplies in the warehouses of Army Transport Service was brought to the mountains, some issued to units and civilians to ensure nothing is left to the Japanese. This resulted to torture and brutal beatings of Colonel Cook upon knowing is left and leaving the Japanese ship sent to Cebu to get all the supplies ended empty handed. [1]
After Visayan Force headquarters unable to maintained contact outside Cebu having been isolated in Cebu Sierra Madre Mountains, General Wainwright upon realization that Cebu is lost, receiving Colonel Hilsman's report that Cebu combat operation has cease ordered General Sharp of Mindanao Force to reconstitute his old command the Visayas-Mindanao Force to command the other island garrisons that still exists. [3] [1]
Kawaguchi Detachment was able to defeat the Cebu Brigade and in control of the island including Cebu ports and Lahug field which is vital for their next conquest of the Japanese, the Mindanao Island. [1]
Philippine Commonwealth Supreme Court Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos was captured in Barili, Cebu and was brought to Malabang, Lanao and was executed in May 1942. [1]
The 61st Division of the Philippine Army was an infantry division from the 1941 to 1942.
The 81st Infantry Division was a reserve division of the Philippine Army under the United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE). It was established in the prewar period and fought 1941–1942. Its troops are from Cebu, Bohol, and Leyte but most of its troops are Americans and junior officers are Filipinos coming mostly from Luzon. The division served in defense of Mindanao but it never commanded the 4 of its maneuver regiments but was supplemented with 61st Infantry from Panay and 73rd Infantry from Negros. Also, 2nd Regular Regiment was transferred to its command in the early part of Japanese invasion of Mindanao.
The 101st Infantry Division was one the reserve divisions of the Philippine Army under the United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE)'s 10th Military district mainly entire island of Mindanao.
Visayas-Mindanao Force was a military formation created in November 1941 to command all soldiers of US Army, US Philippine Scouts, Philippine Army, and Philippine Constabulary in the southern islands of the Philippines. Colonel William F. Sharp was appointed as commanding general and was promoted to Brigadier General in November 1941 and later Major General. His executive officer is Major Howard Edmands. He was just starting to organize his command and train his soldiers into a fighting unit when the war started on December 7, 1941.
Mindanao Force is a corps size military unit defending the island of Mindanao the second largest Island of the Philippines from March 17, 1942, to its surrender on May 9, 1942. The force was already created when the Visayas-Mindanao Force was split into two in March 1942. It was initiated in February 1942 in the headquarters of US Army Forces in the Far East but took effect when General Douglas MacArthur departed for Australia on March 17, 1942.
101st Infantry Regiment is military unit and formation activated by Philippine Army during the early days of World War II. It was composed of Filipinos who resided in Mindanao, few officers from Luzon, Moros, and American soldiers assigned to command and train the regiment. It is known for his action in Davao province during the early days of war. It is credited for holding Japanese forces from reaching Kabacan for December 1941 to April 1942. It held them beyond Digos sector for 4 Months, that it needed reinforcements in April to reach Kabacan.
Visayan Force is a US Forces in the Philippines subcommand which was created and took effect on March 17, 1942, after General Douglas MacArthur departed for Australia. It was disintegrated in the month after its creation due to the loss of contact of Visayan Force headquarters during the Japanese invasion of Cebu in April 16 to 19, 1942, it resorted to guerilla warfare. Eventually all forces in the Visayas was ordered to surrender on May 11, 1942.
102nd Infantry Regiment is a military unit of the Philippine Commonwealth Army during World War II. I was activated in September 1941 and inducted to USAFFE on the same month. It fought under 101st Infantry Division
82nd Infantry Regiment is a unit activated by the Philippine Commonwealth Army for the defense of the Philippine during World War II. It defended the Cebu Island particularly in the southern part of Cebu during the Japanese landings in Cebu island on April 16, 1942. It surrendered on May 12, 1942, after it was ordered by Visayas-Mindanao Force commander General Sharp to surrender.
Cebu Brigade is a military unit and formation organized in January 1942 by Visayas-Mindanao Force to defend the island of Cebu after ordering 81st Infantry Division Headquarters moved to Mindanao to bolster its defenses. USAFFE and later USFIP saw the island vital for the transport of the supplies to Bataan and Corregidor. Colonel Irvine Scudder was appointed as its commander until its surrender to Japanese.
Negros Force was activated by USAFFE on September 1, 1941, to May 12, 1942. The force did not fought during the war but played in organizing units deployed to different sector. The force also continued to fight as a guerilla after the surrender. Although the two provinces was never united due to different affiliation of the commanders.
101st Field Artillery Regiment is a reserve field artillery regiment activated in August 1941 as part of 101st Infantry Division based in Camp Casisang in Bukidnon Province. Visayas-Mindanao Force only received 8 QF 2.95inch Mountain Guns and divided it between two divisions in the island 101st and 81st in Lanao sector. The regiment retrained into fighting as infantry due to lack of guns to operate.
63rd Infantry Regiment is a reserve unit of Philippine Army activated and organized during World War II. I was organized from reservist and recruits high school and college students around the 6th Military District. It is part of the 61st Infantry Division activated to cover the island of Panay. The regiment fought entirely in Panay island until it was ordered to surrendered on May 12, 1942.
United States Forces in the Philippines (USFIP) is a unified command in the Philippines during World War II. It was the successor to the United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) which General Douglas MacArthur commanded. He moved to Australia as he evacuated as ordered by President Roosevelt in March 1942. The command only lasted two months as it surrendered by Lieutenant General Jonathan M. Wainwright to Lieutenant General Homma Masaharu commander of 14th Army of the Imperial Japanese Army.
After Davao Force was dispersed on December 24, 1941, they went missing and no contact, General Joseph Vachon sent Lieutenant Colonel Howard Frissell to Digos, Davao and setup defense of Digos Junction area to prevent Japanese drive towards Digos-Pikit road and reaching Kabacan the southern terminus of Sayre Highway.
Japanese invasion of Panay on April 16–18, 1942 was the second landing in the Visayas Islands after Fil-American forces surrendered in Bataan on April 9, 1942. It is the next step to prevent any supplies reach Corregidor Island and control the Visayas waters and established bases for the campaign to invade island of Mindanao to complete the invasion of the Philippines.
83rd Infantry Regiment of the Philippine Army is a reserve unit activated and organized in late 1941 few months before WW II commenced in the Philippines. It fought in Cebu Island during Japanese landings in April 1942 but ordered surrendered in May 1942. It was disbanded after all soldiers were POWs but some escaped and joined the guerilla movement in Cebu.
75th (Provisional) Infantry Regiment was a reserve unit of Philippine Commonwealth Army activated under Negros Force in January 1942. It saw no action as it was disbanded in May 1942 after it surrendered to Japanese during World War II. Most of its soldiers escaped and joined guerilla movement organized by Major Salvador Abcede.
Leyte Force is a brigade size unit that was organized in Leyte Island in the Philippines during World War II. It was commanded by Colonel Theodore Cornell of US Army until its surrender in May 1942 upon orders of General Sharp commander of Visayas-Mindanao Force.
81st Field Artillery Regiment is a reserve unit of Philippine Commonwealth Army activated in August 1941 as part of 81st Infantry Division. It was organized and inducted in Cebu out of reserve soldiers and officers.