Japanese invasion of Cebu

Japanese Invasion of Cebu
Date	April 16, 1942 – May 12, 1942
Location	Cebu Island, Visayas, Philippines
Result	Japanese victory
Territorial; changes	Cebu captured by the Japanese
Belligerents
Empire of Japan	United States of America Commonwealth of the Philippines;
Commanders and leaders
Kawaguchi Kiyotake	Bradford Chynoweth ; Irvine Scudder; Howard Edmands; Rufus Rogers; Arthur Grimes; Cornelius Byrd; John D. Cook; Emigdio DavidContents Background ; Disposition of Cebu Brigade ; Japanese Invasion ; Landing in West Coast ; Landings in East Coast ; Visayan Force Headquarters Evacuation ; Aftermath ; References ; See also ; External links ; Fortunato Borbon
Units involved
Ground units: ; Japanese Fourteenth Army Kawaguchi detachment 35th Infantry Brigade; 124th Infantry Regiment; Armored Detachment; Artillery Batteries; ; 10th Independent Garrison;	"Ground units": ; USFIP – Visayan Force Cebu Brigade Cebu Military Police Regiment; ; US Army Transport Service; Philippine Commonwealth Army 82nd Infantry Regiment; 83rd Infantry Regiment; ; Philippine Constabulary Cebu PC Battalion;
Strength
4,500	6,500
Casualties and losses
500	1,000

Last updated August 23, 2024

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]

Background

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]

Disposition of Cebu Brigade

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.

Japanese Invasion

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]

Landing in West Coast

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]

Landings in East Coast

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]

Visayan Force Headquarters Evacuation

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]

Aftermath

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]

Related Research Articles

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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.

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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.

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References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Tarkington, Hiram (November 1, 1941 – May 12, 1942). There Were Others (PDF). pp. 264–296.
1 2 3 Segura, Manuel (1975). Tabunan (1st ed.). Cebu City, Cebu: M.F. Segura Publications (published April 20, 2020). pp. 12–56. ISBN 9786218106000.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Morton, Louis (1953). The Fall of the Philippine, November 1, 1941 – May 1942 (1st ed.). Washington, D.C.: US Government Printing Office (published June 27, 1953). pp. 503–505.

External links

There were others, Unpublished papers of Colonel Hiram Tarkington, CO 61st Field Artillery
Tabunan, Colonel Manuel F. Segura, PC (Ret.), former S1 & Adjutant 82nd Infantry Regiment

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[:0-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Tarkington, Hiram (November 1, 1941 – May 12, 1942). There Were Others (PDF). pp. 264–296.

[:1-2] 1 2 3 Segura, Manuel (1975). Tabunan (1st ed.). Cebu City, Cebu: M.F. Segura Publications (published April 20, 2020). pp. 12–56. ISBN 9786218106000.

[:2-3] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Morton, Louis (1953). The Fall of the Philippine, November 1, 1941 – May 1942 (1st ed.). Washington, D.C.: US Government Printing Office (published June 27, 1953). pp. 503–505.

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