Japanese invasion of Malabang

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Japanese Invasion of Malabang
Part of Invasion of Mindanao, the Pacific Theater of World War II
DateApril 29, 1942 – May 3, 1942
Location
Malabang, Lanao
Result Japanese victory
Belligerents

Flag of the United States.svg United States of America

Merchant flag of Japan (1870).svg Empire of Japan
Commanders and leaders

Flag of the United States.svg William F. Sharp
Flag of the United States.svg Guy O. Fort
Flag of the United States.svg Eugene T. Mitchell
Flag of the United States.svg Robert H. Vessey
Flag of the United States.svg Jay Navin
Flag of the Philippines (1946-1998).svg Calixto Duque
Flag of the Philippines (1946-1998).svg Busnan Kalaw

Contents

Flag of the Philippines (1946-1998).svg Mamalinta Lao		 Merchant flag of Japan (1870).svg Kawaguchi Kiyotake
Units involved

Ground units:
Coat of arms of the Commonwealth of the Philippines.svg Philippine Commonwealth Army

Insignia of the Philippine Constabulary.svg Philippine Constabulary

  • Lanao PC Battalion

Ground units:
War flag of the Imperial Japanese Army.svg Japanese Fourteenth Army

  • Kawaguchi Detachment
    • 35th Infantry Brigade
    • 124th Infantry Regiment
    • Armored Detachment
    • Artillery Battery
Strength

6,500 Filipino-American Troops

2x QF 2.95inch Mountain Guns		 4,852 Troops
Casualties and losses
4,000 400

Japanese Invasion of Malabang was part of the Japanese landings on the western coast of Mindanao that began on April 29, 1942. Kawaguchi Detachment landed in three important points in west coast of Mindanao including Malabang in then undivided Lanao Province. [1] [2] Defending forces of Filipino and American troops resisted but due to lack of artillery pieces and Japanese Naval and Air support they were overwhelmed and forced to retreat most of the time.

Background

After securing Panay Island, General Homma ordered General Kawaguchi to Mindanao. He was to land in Lanao sector of Mindanao Force which was under the command of Brigadier General Guy O. Fort. [1] Kawaguchi's naval convoy was soon spotted in the Zamboanga sector and reported to Mindanao Force HQ on April 27, 1942, at which time Fort warned his troops of the imminent invasion from his command post at Camp Kiethley. [2]

Kawaguchi arrived and landed in Malabang on April 29, 1942. Opposing them was the 61st Infantry Regiment under Colonel Eugene T. Mitchell. Attached to the 61st was a 2-gun battery of QF 2.95 inch Mountain Guns commanded by Captain Albert Price and a PC Company based in Momungan. [1]

Combat Narratives

The 3rd Battalion, 61st Infantry under Major Ernest E. McLish was deployed north of Malabang Air Field astride to Ganassi Road while the 2nd Battalion 61st Infantry under Captain Clyde Childress was posted astride the Maladig River. The 1st Battalion under Major Moran was held in reserve near Lake Dapao. [1]

The Japanese landed in Banago southeast of Malabang and used the docks to land their tanks. They moved forward in an effort to quickly capture the Mataling River Bridge. [1]

Regimental headquarters moved from Ganassi to left side of the reserve Battalion. [2] Mitchell requested to blow up the bridge but Fort declined as the bridge was needed to give the 2nd Infantry Regiment under Lieutenant Colonel Calixto Duque a way to retreat from Parang. [1]

Mitchell reported to General Fort that a convoy of more than 20 trucks full of Japanese soldiers with tanks and scout cars left from Parang, Cotabato to Malabang. [1]

Retreat to Dansalan

Mitchell rounded up men to establish a holiday position. General Fort informed him of giving him 1st Battalion, 84th Infantry under Major Jay Navin. Again rained down on the Filipino on this position with mortars, artilleries, and machine gun fire. [2] Mitchell established another line but before they could finish their earth works the Japanese struck again which scattered his exhausted, tired, dispirited men. This time Colonel Mitchell was captured, 61st Infantry was routed and capture of its commander gave Japanese full control of Route 1 towards Lake Lanao. [2]

Moro Battalions

Brigadier General Guy O. Fort, Commander of 81st Infantry Division and Lanao Sector. Guy O. Fort.jpg
Brigadier General Guy O. Fort, Commander of 81st Infantry Division and Lanao Sector.

General Fort's confidence with Moro Battalions was justified when they ambushed a battalion size Japanese force travelling from Ganassi to Lumbatan. Led by Captain Mamalinta Lao, they annihilated the Japanese with only two Moros lost. Another Moro unit under Lieutenant Muhammad Ali Dimaporo and Captain Busran Kalaw continuously harassed the Japanese.[ citation needed ]

Reinforcement

Fort ordered Lieutenant Colonel Robert H. Vessey to move down one of his battalions in Bacolod to support Mitchell. Upon reaching Ganassi, Vessey with his executive officer Tisdale and Private Childress moved farther to do reconnaissance but were met by a tank who fired at their vehicle. [1] Vessey was able to returned to Gannasi and appointed Commander Robert Strong, USN as his executive officer thinking Tisdale and his driver were killed during the ambush. It was later known that Tisdale died in the jungle trying to reach 73rd Infantry Line. [1] Lieutenant Colonel Naidas of Philippine Constabulary was ordered by Fort to establish a line from Tamparan to Taloan Hill using whatever troops he could find and deny entry to the Japanese into the east coast of the lake. [1]

Japanese advance resumed on May 3 towards Bacolod with motorized column with four tanks spearheading at the 73rd Infantry's position. Direct fire from Captain Price's detachment caught the leading tank and putting it out of commission, confusing the Japanese column. [1] However, the Japanese got air support from Zamboanga forcing the 73rd Infantry into successive withdrawals. [2] In Dansalan, the 73rd Infantry with remnants of the 61st Infantry established another line to deprive the Japanese of Route 1 and link with the Kawamura Detachment.

Execution of Jose Abad Santos

Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos, Japanese considered him as Acting President and executed him for refusing to collaborate. Swearing of Jose Abad Santos (cropped).jpg
Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos, Japanese considered him as Acting President and executed him for refusing to collaborate.

Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos of the Philippine Commonwealth was captured in Barangay Tubod, Barili, Cebu, while riding in an automobile with his son, Jose Jr (Pepito), and his aide, Lieutenant Colonel Benito Valeriano. [3] He was brought to a Japanese Camp in Basak San Nicolas, Cebu City, where the Japanese attempted to persuade him to collaborate with them. However, when he was brought to Lanao by Kawaguchi on May 1, 1942, he was informed of his execution order. He was executed in May 1, 1942 and was hastily buried. Markings were allowed on his grave. [3]

Aftermath

The troops in Lanao sector was still fighting when orders from General Sharp reached General Fort to surrender on May 10, 1942. Many questioned the order as his unit was still successful in fighting the Japanese. His troops, who were both Americans and Filipinos, were still giving a good fight. However, Sharp warned that any American who disobeyed his order would be court martialed. [4] Fort surrendered on May 12, 1942 and combat operations ceased in Lanao Sector. [4]

Death March and Fort's execution

After surrender of troops in Lanao Sector by its commander General Fort in May 12, 1942, the Japanese forced the Filipino American troops to walk without water and food from Dansalan to Iligan. [4] POWs in very poor condition walked 136km from Camp Keithley in Dansalan to Camp Overton in Iligan. Americans were tied by four per column and Filipinos, although not bound, were made to walk barefoot, and some were executed on the road. This event was known as the Mindanao Death March. [4]

After General Fort's surrender, he was shipped north on the small freighter Maru San alongside other captive generals, including his commander Sharp plus Joseph P. Vachon and Manuel Roxas. After the war, Roxas would become the first president of the Philippines. [5] Fort was then escorted by the Kempeitai to Manila, [6] where he remained for several months. In November 1942 the Japanese sought Fort's help in talking to the Moro people, who were still fighting the Japanese. Specifically, Fort was supposed to tell the Moro that since the U.S. Army had surrendered they must also surrender. [7] Fort was brought from Manila back to Marawi (then known as Dansalan) on Mindanao [6] to tell the Moro to surrender. However, Fort refused to cooperate and was executed. [8] [7]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Tarkington, Hiram (November 1, 1941 – May 12, 1942). There were others. pp. 321–340.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Morton, Louis (1953). The Fall of the Philippines, November 1, 1941 – May 12, 1942 (1st ed.). Washington, D.C: US Government Printing Office (published June 27, 1953). pp. 511–515.
  3. 1 2 https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/about/gov/judiciary/sc/cj/jose-abad-santos/the-execution-of-jose-abad-santos/
  4. 1 2 3 4 "The Mindanao Death March: Establishing a Historical Fact through Online Research" by Robert John A. Donesaa, International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change volume 11, issue 7, 2020, page 771.
  5. ↑ Death on the Hellships by Gregory Michno, Naval Institute Press, 2016, page 34.
  6. 1 2 "United States of America Vs. Yoshinari Tanaka," Headquarters Eight Army, United States Army, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, Yokohama, Japan, November 22, 1948, page 3.
  7. 1 2 "The Philippines Never Surrendered" by Edward M. Kuder and Pete Martin, The Saturday Evening Post , March 10, 1945, Vol. 217, Issue 37, page 20.
  8. ↑ Fallen in Battle: American General Officer Combat Fatalities from 1775 by Russell K. Brown, Greenwood Press, 1988, pages 40–41.

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