| Japanese invasion of Zamboanga | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Empire of Japan | |||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Contents Juan Crisologo | Yamanouchi Junnosuke | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
|
Escort Force
Air Units
| ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
1,000 Troops 200 PC | 220 Naval Infantrymen | ||||||
Japanese invasion of Zamboanga took place in March 1942 as part of Mindanao siege during Japanese campaign to invade the Philippines in December 1941 to May 1942. [1]
On December 25, 1941, after the capture of Davao City, Sakaguchi Detachment invaded Jolo, Sulu in preparation of its invasion of Borneo in Dutch East Indies. [2] Japanese did not attempt another landing in main Mindanao until April 1942 where massive reinforcement landed in Central West Coast area and Northern Mindanao. [1]
Zamboanga peninsula was initially under the command of Lieutenant Colonel William F. Dalton and Provisional Battalion, 43rd US Infantry under Major Allen Peck and a PC Company was the only combat unit it has. Their main mission is to guard the Wolfe Air Field until its expansion is completed as US Far East Air Force considered as one of B17 Heavy Bomber based. [2]
In November 1941 1st Battalion, 102nd Infantry (PA) arrived from Davao for the refresher training course. In March when Mindanao Force was established, General Sharp the force commander ordered Colonel Dalton and Major Peck's Philippine Scout Battalion to transfer to Lake Pinamaloy in Bukidnon to established an Infantry and Artillery school which Philippine Scouts of Major Peck will serve as instructors. [2]
Colonel Wilson took over the command of the sector and Mindanao Force headquarters sent Major Lawrence Prichard to serve as his executive. [3] Preparation was intensified and in January 1942 a provisional battalion composed of school boys was organized under the command of Major Jose D. Garcia of the Philippine Army. [2] A PC Company under Major Juan Crisologo guard the interior of the city and also in charge of the Japanese internees.
On February 26, 1942, Japanese Reconnaissance Seaplanes from Davao base started to do reconnaissance in Zamboanga, bombed defending troops position. On the following day February 27, a report reached Colonel Wilson's headquarters in Zamboanga City of Task forces converging to the city from Davao, Jolo, and from the North. Demolition charges was laid to the bridges and destruction of Petitt Barracks was executed by Major R.D Winne to avoid capture of them by the Japanese. [4] Colonel Wilson ordered the two battalions to their battle positions. At 0240 hours invasion force arrived off Zamboanga, and the land combat units were landed. [5]
Overall command of the invasion force was under Vice Admiral Fugiyama Rokuzo commander of 3rd Southern Expeditionary Fleet [4] . Landing force is under Rear Admiral Irifune Naosaburo but handed it over to Lieutenant (Navy) Yamada after a week and left for Davao. With no means of stopping the Japanese from landing, General Sharp ordered Colonel Wilson to the hills and fight as guerilla. [4] On March 2, 1942, Colonel Wilson's troops counterattacked but with Naval and seaplanes they were repulsed. 1st Battalion, 102nd Infantry who came from Davao whose training was cut short and officers lack of leadership quality who has been not so keen in fighting and dying in Zamboanga. [3] In contrast the Provisional Battalion, 106th Infantry under Major Jose D. Garcia who came mostly from Zamboanga had a good conduct of themselves being more loyal and tenacious among both officers and men being Zamboangans. [3]
Major Juan Crisologo commander of PC units and Major Tremain the Force Surgeon raided the city for supplies and medicines. [3] Which caught the Japanese by surprised and made them confused. [3] The Filipinos attacked them frontal with rifles and Thompson submachineguns, machinegun nests are knockout with grenades before they were stopped by well placed machinegun nest. Major Crisologo and Tremaine decided to withdraw at dawn as Japanese alertness waned.
The Japanese gained in control of the waterfront of Zamboanga City and Wolfe Field. Japanese objective is just to secure Zamboanga City and not to chase the Fil-American force eastward to the peninsula. [6] Japanese able to free their interned citizens in Zamboanga and choke up the western coast of any transports from and to Luzon dooming the Luzon Force in Bataan.
The 61st Division of the Philippine Army was an infantry division from the 1941 to 1942.
The Japanese Invasion of Davao and on Jolo in the Sulu Archipelago on 19 December 1941 was one in a series of advance landings made by Imperial Japanese forces as first step in their invasion of the Philippines. The purpose was to cut off the possibility of reinforcements reaching Luzon from the south and to complete the encirclement of American forces there, with the secondary purpose of establishing a base from which the IJA 16th Army could launch an invasion of British North Borneo and the Netherlands Indies. The first invasion of the Philippines was at Batan Island on 8 December 1941. This was followed by Vigan, Aparri, Legaspi, Davao, and Jolo over the next few days
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.
The 102nd Infantry Division was a division of the Philippine Army under the United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE).
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.
61st Infantry Regiment is a military unit and formation of the Philippine Commonwealth Army, activated in August 1941 in Panay Island. It is under the command of 61st Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army. The regiment collapsed in May 1942 with its commanding officer captured by the Japanese Army in Lanao.
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.
81st Infantry Regiment is a military unit and formation of the Philippine Commonwealth Army
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
103rd Infantry Regiment is a unit activated by the Philippine Army during World War II. I was organized in Mindanao in November 1941 which was not yet ready to fight when the war broke out.
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.
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.
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 Cotabato is one of the three landings made by Japanese Army during their
74th Infantry Regiment is a provisional unit activated and organized in Negros during World War II after all units of 71st Infantry Division was transferred to Luzon and Mindanao. It was comprised mostly of reserve out of ROTC cadets and recruits within Negros Island. It was activated after Headquarters, Philippine Army authorized in December 1941.
61st Field Artillery Regiment was a reserve unit of Philippine Army activated in August 1941 as part of 61st Infantry Division based in Panay Island. It fought as infantry as the SS Corregidor, the ship transporting their guns, was sunk when it hit a landmine in Manila Bay.
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.
