Visayan Force

Last updated
Visayan Force
Lakas ng Islang Bisaya
Philippine Armed Forces Emblem 1935-1946 Gold.svg
Visayas Forces
ActiveMarch 17, 1942 – April 19, 1942
DisbandedMay 11, 1942
CountriesFlag of the United States.svg United States of America
Flag of the Philippines (1946-1998).svg Philippine Commonwealth
AllegianceFlag of the United States Army.svg United States Army
Philippine Commonwealth Army Flag.png Philippine Commonwealth Army
BranchArmy, Navy, Army Air Corps
TypeInfantry, Quartermaster
RoleTerritorial Defense
Size30,000
Part of United States Forces in the Philippines
Garrison/HQCamp X, Cantabaco, Cebu
Motto(s)Baus Au (Get it back)
EquipmentM1917 Engfield .30 Caliber Bolt Action Rifles, M1923 Thompson .45 ACP Submachineguns, M2 Browning .30 Caliber Heavy Machineguns
Engagements Japanese invasion of Panay

Japanese Invasion of Cebu

Operation Baus Au
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Brigadier General Bradford G. Chynoweth, USA

The Visayan Force was a short-lived US military organization formed during the Philippines Campaign (1941-1942) of World War II. It was created chiefly from elements of the Visayas-Mindanao Force that were located on the Visayan Islands in the central Philippines and was activated on March 17, 1942, when General Douglas MacArthur departed for Australia. Its mission was to resist Japanese landings on the islands and prepare for ongoing guerilla warfare, but it suffered from a shortage of rifles and ammunition and from a complete lack of artillery. The Japanese invaded Cebu, the location of the Force's headquarters, on April 16 to 19, 1942. The headquarters lost contact with the other islands and General Wainwright ordered the Mindanao Force to take command of them. [1] Eventually all forces in the Visayas were ordered to surrender on May 11, 1942, though some units evaded surrender and carried on as guerrillas.

Contents

Background

On March 4, 1942, General Bradford G. Chynoweth, commander of the 61st Infantry Division in Panay, was told that the Visayas-Mindanao Force was to split into two separate commands and that he would command the Visayan Force with headquarters in Cebu. [2] He was ordered to transfer to Cebu Island and take over the command of all garrisons in the Visayas Islands. He boarded a vessel for Negros accompanied by his aide Lieutenant Gordon Benson and by Major Dwight Deter, a medical officer. In Negros they took motor transport provided by Colonel Roger Hilsman, the commander on the island, which took them to board a small ferry that crossed the Tañon Strait and landed in Toledo, Cebu. They had just gotten off the ferry and were only a few meters away when a Japanese destroyer appeared and bombarded both Toledo and the port of San Carlos on Negros. [3]

Brigadier General Bradford G. Chynoweth, the only commander of the Visayan Force from its creation to its surrender. Bradford G. Chynoweth (2).jpg
Brigadier General Bradford G. Chynoweth, the only commander of the Visayan Force from its creation to its surrender.

Headquarters and Staff

General Chynoweth set up his headquarters at Camp X in a Bureau of Forestry compound in Cantabaco, along the highway crossing central Cebu. He was promised officers from Luzon to fill his staff, but due to intensified Japanese naval and air activities in the Visayas Sea none arrived. He brought with him Major Dwight Deter, who was the 61st Division surgeon. Later Captain Thomas Powell Jr arrived after finishing construction of an airfield at Iloilo on Panay. Major James Cushing, a mining engineer before the war, became the engineering officer. Major Ernest V. Jordan, who had been the operations officer (S3) for the Cebu Brigade, took the same role on the Force staff. Captain Floyd Hawks, a medical officer, set up a field hospital in Camp X. In April General Bradford ordered Colonel Roger Hilsman Sr, the commander on Negros, to move to Cebu to act as his chief of staff.

Organization and units

Panay Force

The 61st Infantry Division in Panay, BG Chynoweth's former unit, was under the command of Brigadier General Albert F. Christie. Only the 63rd Infantry Regiment was left after the division's three other regiments had been moved to Mindanao. Consequently, two new infantry regiments were organized, the 64th and 65th, later renamed to 61st Provisional and 62nd Provisional, taking the numbers of the 61st and 62nd in Mindanao. The Panay Force had about 8,000 men.

Negros Force

When 71st Infantry Division was ordered to Luzon in September 1, 1941, only 73rd Infantry was left to defend the island. In January 73rd was ordered to transfer to Mindanao leaving no combat units in the island which consist of two provinces (Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental). Lieutenant Colonel Gabriel Gador commander of the 7th Military District took the initiative to organized two infantry regiments 74th Infantry Regiment which Major Sam Jones was left behind by 73rd to commandthe new unit. Later on 75th Infantry Regiment was formed under Major Tiburcio Ballesteros but it could not complete a 3rd battalion due to lack of weapons. VMF HQ sent former Davao Force commander Colonel Roger Hilsman to command. In April, Chynoweth ordered Hilsman to transfer to Cebu to take a new role as Visayan Force Chief of Staff so he can rest and recuperate with his illness. He ordered Colonel Carter McClennan from Panay to transfer to Negros to take command. The two infantry regiments 74th and 75th, it has reached 2,500 men and deployed and assigned sector to defend.

Cebu Force

Cebu force under Colonel Irvine Schudder, had 808th Military Police Regiment under Lieutenant Colonel Howard Edmands, 82nd Infantry Regiment (less 2nd Battalion) under Colonel Emigdio David in Argao and 83rd Infantry Regiment (less 1st Battalion) under Colonel Fortunato Borbon later Lieutenant Colonel Rufus Rogers. These units comprised the Cebu Brigade. Small Navy Detachment under LCdmr. Slimmons, USN based in Mactan Island. The defense of Cebu island is very crucial not just the Visayan Force HQ is located, but also it also host Army Transport Service and its facilities under Colonel John D. Cook in the island which is under the direct command of USFIP in Corregidor. Cebu has 6,500 from Army, Air Forces, and Navy.

Bohol Force

Bohol under Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Grimes who has 1st Battalion 83rd Infantry, Bohol PC Company under Captain Ingiñero, and volunteers. In April, Ingiñero took over the command of Bohol as Colonel Grimes was ordered by Chynoweth to transfer to Cebu to bolster defense of Cantabaco from east coast.

Leyte-Samar Force

Leyte and Samar Islands under Colonel Theodore Cornell, with Samar Brigade gone to Mindanao to bolster its defense, he organized Leyte Provisional Regiment under Lieutenant Colonel Juan Causing. Lack of rifles and ammunitions, no artillery pieces in the entire islands was the most pressing problem with all these garrisons. [1] The garrison consist of 2,500 officers and men.

Operation Baus Au (Get it Back/Revenge)

While Chynoweth was commander of 61st Division, he started the Operation Baus Au derived by local language for get back or revenge. It was hoarding weapons, ammunitions, food, and supplies to the mountains so his men can long guerilla campaign. When he arrived in Cebu he found the defenses were not adequate and wanted to implement Operation Baus Au to all garrisons in the Visayas Islands. He directed Colonel John D. Cook to move all the food and other supplies up into the mountains.

Combat narratives

After the capitulation of Luzon Force in Bataan, 14th Imperial Japanese Army under Lieutenant General Homma Masaharu now trained their sight on the tiny island of Corregidor and able to spare units for Visayas and Mindanao. Kawamura detachment under Major General Kawamura was to take Panay and Kawaguchi detachment to invade Cebu. As soon as Kawamura and Kawaguchi detachments secure Panay and Cebu islands, 10th Independent Garrison will take over and will make both detachments available for invasion of Mindanao. [1]

Cebu landings

In April 9, Kawaguchi Detachment landed in southern parts of Cebu island, Pinamungajan in the west coast, Sibonga and Talisay in east coast. They moved towards the central part of the island where Camp X is located. 82nd Infantry Regiment (less 2nd Battalion) under Colonel Emigdio David who is located in Argao town fought the Japanese on both coasts. [4] 1st Battalion 83rd Infantry under Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Grimes who was moved from Bohol few days ago to cover Talisay to prevent Japanese drive to Cantabaco, they were tasked to repulse any attempt of the Japanese but the battalion was not able to get on their post as ordered and the Colonel Grimes was killed on the ambush while reconnoitering the area. After realizing the island defense plan was not working and Japanese will reach Camp X in few hours, and 83rd Infantry Regiment under Lieutenant Colonel Rufus Rogers posted in the northern town of Liloan failed to send reinforcements to Cantabaco on time. [5] Chynoweth ordered the withdrawal to the mountains of Cebu Sierra Madre. In this Chynoweth lost contact to all units in other islands so General Wainwright on April 19, 1942, ordered General Sharp in Mindanao to reconstitute the Visayas-Mindanao Force to command the other garrisons in the Visayas. [6]

Panay landings

Kawamura detachment left Lingayen, Pangasinan and landed in Panay island in three different points on April 16, 1942. [7] General Christie did not put up a fight on the beaches due to lack of coast battery guns and ammunitions. The 61st Division has a very well stacked in their mountain retreat and can operate for there. His troops resorted ambuscades and nightly raids in Iloilo City, San Jose town in Antique, and Capiz town in Capiz. 10th Independent Garrison replaced the detachment for them to prepare for Mindanao. With the seizure of Panay and Cebu the combat operations in the Visayas is practically over. [8]

Surrender

On May 10, 1942 orders from Visayas-Mindanao Force headquarters in Bukidnon was received by all garrison commanders of Panay, Negros, Cebu, Bohol, and Leyte-Samar. Colonel Christie was skeptics of the order as Sharp has no authority in the Visayas Forces. Some Filipino unit commanders questioned the order as General Wainwright is now technically a POW and he ordered it under duress. General Sharp sent Colonel Allen Thayer to Panay and Lieutenant Colonel Jessie Traywick to Negros to confer his order will be followed. In May 12, all units and garrisons of Visayas islands had cease their operations. However, not all units surrendered. Lieutenant Colonel Macario Peralta led guerilla forces in Panay, Majors Salvador Abcede and Ernesto Mata led guerilla warfare in Negros. Lieutenant Colonel James Cushing led Guerilla movement in Cebu. Lieutenant Colonel Ruperto Kangleon who escaped prison in Mindanao and travelled back to Leyte to start guerilla warfare. All the American soldiers who surrendered were moved to Palawan and in Luzon. Healthy ones were transferred to Japan and the sickly prisoners where incarcerated in POW camp in Cabanatuan.

Post-War

Philippine Army did not reactivated the Visayas Force, however Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) activated Visayas command in 1980s to command Army, Navy, and Air Forces units in Visayas Islands with Headquarters in Camp Lapulapu, Cebu. It was renamed to Central Command in 2000 but returned to Visayas Command (Viscom) in 2021 which is led by a three star officer. [9]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Morton, Louis (March 4 – May 12, 1942). The Fall of the Philippines (1st ed.). Washington, D.C.: US Government Printing Press (published July 26, 1953). pp. 501–502.
  2. ↑ Tarkington, Hiram. There were others (PDF). pp. 204–205.
  3. ↑ Tarkington, Hiram. There were others (PDF). pp. 206–207.
  4. ↑ Morton, Louis (June 26, 1942). The Fall of the Philippines. Washington, D.C.: US Government Printing Press (published July 26, 1953). pp. 504–505.
  5. ↑ Tarkington, Hiram. There were others (PDF). pp. 265–281.
  6. ↑ Segura, Manuel (1975). Tabunan (1st ed.). Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines: MF Segura Publications. pp. 1–354.
  7. ↑ Morton, Louis (April 16–26, 1942). The Fall of the Philippines (1st ed.). Washington, D.C.: US Government Printing Press (published June 26, 1953). pp. 505–506.
  8. ↑ Chynoweth, Bradford, Visayan Force Report, p. 17
  9. ↑ https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1694199/new-afp-viscom-chief-vows-to-weaken-insurgency-in-visayas

See also

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