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m Wikihansa moved page Battle of the Visayas to Battle of Visayas: Visayas does not have "the", so does Mindanao and Luzon. |
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{{Short description|1945 battle in Visayas}}
{{Infobox military conflict
|conflict=Battle of
| image= Talisay Beach landing.jpg
| image_size = 250
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|combatant2={{flagcountry|Empire of Japan}}
*{{flag|Second Philippine Republic}}
|commander1={{nowrap|{{flagicon|United States|1912}} [[Robert L. Eichelberger]]}}<br />{{flagicon|United States|1912}} [[Rapp Brush]]<br />{{flagicon|United States|1912}} [[William Howard Arnold (general)|William H. Arnold]]<br />{{flagicon|United States|1912}} [[James M. Cushing]]<br />{{flagicon|Philippine Commonwealth}} [[Macario
|commander2={{flagicon|Empire of Japan|army}} [[Sōsaku Suzuki]]{{KIA}}<br />{{flagicon|Empire of Japan|army}} [[Takeo Manjome]]
|strength1=17,000 U.S. troops<br />18,500 Filipino guerrillas
|strength2=32,000 Japanese troops
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{{Campaignbox South West Pacific theatre}}
[[image:Southern Philippines operations 1945.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Map of U.S. operations in Southern Philippines, 1945]]
[[image:Japanese surrender to 40th.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Japanese troops surrender to the 40th Division, September 1945]]
The '''Battle of
==Background==
Within two weeks of ordering the seizure of [[Palawan]] and the [[Battle of Mindanao|Zamboanga]] peninsula, General [[Douglas MacArthur]] directed the capture of the isolated [[Visayas|Visayan]] islands of [[Panay]], [[Negros Island|Negros]], [[Cebu]] and [[Bohol]] in the central Philippines.
With Filipino guerrillas controlling most of the countryside in these islands, some thirty thousand Japanese troops held the vital coastal towns including [[Cebu City]] on Cebu island and [[Iloilo City]] on [[Panay]], among the largest cities in the Philippines. Aside from fulfilling his desire and promise to clear the Japanese from the islands, Gen. MacArthur wanted these two port cities as vital staging points for the expected large numbers of troops scheduled for the invasion of the Japanese mainland. Earlier, the United States Armed Forces Joint Chiefs of Staff had told him to be prepared to stage twenty-two divisions for the mainland operation at bases across the Philippines by November 1945, with another eleven to follow by February 1946.<ref>{{Citation|title=Operation Victor. The liberation of Negros Island, 1945 Part 1.|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkPAAyPxfRY|language=en|access-date=2021-11-09}}</ref>
==Battle==
===Operation VICTOR I===
Two areas of operations were suggested to divide the entire region, given the mountainous terrain of [[Negros Island|Negros]], a dominant terrain feature that ran north to south of the island, and the planners chose to seize the western portion, including Northwestern Negros and Panay island, which was named VICTOR I. Lt. Gen. [[Robert L. Eichelberger]], the Eighth Army commander, appointed the [[40th Infantry Division (United States)|40th Infantry Division]], a [[California National Guard]] formation and veterans of the recent [[Battle of Luzon|fighting in Luzon]] under Maj. Gen. [[Rapp Brush]], with the [[503rd Infantry Regiment (United States)|503rd Parachute Regimental Combat Team]] in reserve.
Panay Island was the first objective. On 18 March 1945, within two weeks of aerial bombardment on Japanese positions, the 40th Infantry Division, spearheaded by the [[185th Infantry Regiment (United States)|185th Infantry Regiment]] landed unopposed at [[Tigbauan, Iloilo|Tigbauan]] district, several miles south of Iloilo City, where a 23,000 strong [[guerilla warfare|guerrilla]] force had secured most of Panay, under Col. [[Macario Peralta]]. Recalled Gen. Eichelberger: "Filipino guerrillas stood stiff, resplendent in starched khaki uniforms and ornaments and decked in battle gear".
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The regiment proceeded to seize the airfield at Barrio Tiring, [[Cabatuan, Iloilo]].<ref name="tlf">{{cite web |title= Tiring Landing Field, located in Cabatuan, Iloilo |publisher=Cabatuan.com Center for Cabatuan Studies, IloiloAirport.com | url=http://www.cabatuan.com/iloiloairport.html#history }}</ref>{{efn|1= This airfield was called the Tiring Landing Field by the Free Panay Civil Government of Governor Thomas Confesor and the Panay guerillas of Col. Peralta, the Cabatuan Airfield by the Japanese Forces, and the Tiring Airfield by the American Forces.<ref name=tlf /> By mistake, the Americans also called it the Santa Barbara Airfield even though it is not located in Santa Barbara. The Americans were apparently cognizant of the error that they usually write "(Tiring)" next to the name. It is worth noting that there is no Barrio Tiring in the neighboring town of Santa Barbara, only in Cabatuan. Other writers who do not know the geography of the place may have added to the error by simply assuming that an airfield mistakenly called Santa Barbara is located in a place called Santa Barbara, even though it is actually located in [[Cabatuan, Iloilo]].<ref name=tlf />}} The [[Iloilo International Airport]]<ref name="iloiloairport">{{cite web |title= Iloilo International Airport |publisher=IloiloAirport.com | url=http://www.iloiloairport.com }}</ref> is currently located on the same area in [[Cabatuan, Iloilo]].<ref name="iloiloairport"/>
The regiment also proceeded to seize the [[Mandurriao Airport|airfield at Mandurriao]] district. The Japanese were holed up in Iloilo City, and the 40th Division easily swept these Japanese outposts in two days. Mopping up operations by the guerrillas and 2nd Battalion of the 160th Infantry Regiment continued, and at war's end, some 1,500 Japanese troops surrendered.
[[Guimaras]] and Inampulagan islands, between Panay and Negros, were seized on the same day Iloilo fell, 20 March and the next day, respectively with no opposition.
===Seizure of Negros===
On 29 March, a reinforced platoon from Company F, 185th Infantry under 1st Lt. Aaron H. Hanson slipped ashore ahead of the main landings to be staged near [[Bacolod]], seized the 650-foot steel truss Bago River bridge, which separated Pandan Point from the city itself, a vital link in supporting movement of heavy weapons and equipment. The Japanese guards were surprised, and the bridge was secured for several hours before reinforcements arrived.<ref>{{Citation|title=From Green Beach to Silay. Pt.2, the first landings on Negros island.|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TksW3f_O3lo|language=en|access-date=2021-11-09}}</ref>
[[File:Artillery on Negros Island.jpg|thumb|left|200px|U.S. artillery in action on Negros island, April 1945]]
The sudden seizure of the Bago river bridge easily allowed the 185th Infantry Regiment to land at [[Pulupandan, Negros Occidental|Pulupandan]] unopposed, then they advanced rapidly, seizing seven more bridges in turn, and finally captured [[Bacolod]] the next day 30 March, mostly because the Japanese did not contest the beach landings; with the use of artillery, they could have inflicted numerous casualties. The 40th Division pushed farther inland and toward [[Talisay City, Negros Occidental|Talisay]], where Japanese forces tried to disrupt its advance with delaying actions, but the Americans simply overwhelmed these, and on 2 April, the coastal plain of Negros was in Allied hands.
On 9 April, all three regiments of the 40th Division pushed east into the rugged, mountainous interior of the island. The Japanese resisted stubbornly, aided by booby-trapped terrain, defended their fortified positions by day, and conducted harassing attacks at night.<ref>{{Citation|title=Retracing the Tokaido Road. Pt.3|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74SbmVGfFoc|language=en|access-date=2021-11-09}}</ref> Soon, the 40th Division started using small infiltrating units to creep past tank traps and minefields, then scrambled uphill across open fields of fire to attack Japanese positions. On 23 May, at Hacienda San Jose, [[San Carlos, Negros Occidental|San Carlos]], Medal of Honor awardee, Staff Sgt. [[John C. Sjogren]] of Company I, 160th Infantry, led one such attack on a ridgetop entrenchment, and despite being wounded by gunfire, had accounted for some forty-three Japanese casualties, destroyed nine pillboxes, as he cleared the way for his comrades to follow. Sjorgen's unit, Company I, subsequently received a Presidential Unit Citation for its heroic action.<ref>{{Citation|title=From Murcia to Fabrica, Pt.4|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMQagdRz0i4|language=en|access-date=2021-11-09}}</ref>
By 4 June, the Japanese began a general withdrawal, retreating further into the unexplored mountains of Negros. Eight weeks later, the 40th Division overcame these final defenses and scattered the rest of the Japanese into the jungle.
===Operation VICTOR II===
About a week into the [[Panay]] and northwestern [[Negros Oriental|Negros]] operations, Operation VICTOR II, the [[Battle for Cebu City|seizure of Cebu]], Bohol, and southeastern Negros, was underway. The [[Americal Division]] under Maj. Gen. [[William Howard Arnold (general)|William Howard Arnold]] was tasked by Gen. Eichelberger for the operation. Some 14,500 Japanese troops held Cebu, but 2,000 Japanese soldiers under Maj. Gen. [[Takeo Manjome]] were contained in northern Cebu by about 8,500 guerrillas under Lt. Col. [[James M. Cushing]]. One-third of the Japanese forces in Cebu were combat-ready, with an extensive network of formidable defensive positions around the city.
[[image:Cebu entry.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Cebu City residents greet U.S. troops]]
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===Capture of Bohol and Southeastern Negros===
[[image:Japanese weapons collected, 1945.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Japanese weapons collected, 1945]]
On 11 April 1945, well before the fighting in Cebu subsided, the Americal Division went to action elsewhere, as Bohol island and southeastern Negros became the next targets, when a battalion of the 164th Infantry landed on [[Tagbilaran
On 26 April, remnants of the 164th went ashore at [[Sibulan, Negros Oriental|Sibulan]], some five miles (8 km) north of [[
==Aftermath==
Overall, the Visayas operations of the U.S. Eighth Army suffered relatively light casualties in comparison to Japanese figures. The 40th Division in Panay and northeastern Negros suffered 390 killed and 1,025 wounded with the Japanese sustaining 4,080 killed with another 3,300 succumbed to disease and starvation. The
Though some Japanese units had survived deep in the mountains, Gen. Eichelberger's units had clearly liberated the entire Visayas. Gen. MacArthur was particularly pleased with his subordinate's fast-moving and decisive operations against the slow, methodical fighting of the Sixth Army in Luzon. On 21 April 1945, he termed Eichelberger's Visayas operations on the congratulatory cable were a ''"model of what a light but aggressive campaign can accomplish in rapid exploitation."''
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==Further reading==
*{{cite book| url = http://www.history.army.mil/brochures/southphil/southphils.htm
==External links==
*[http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/wwII-m-s.html World War II Medal of Honor Recipients M-S] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080430113840/http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/wwII-m-s.html |date=30 April 2008 }}, [[United States Army Center of Military History]]
{{coord missing|Philippines}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Visayas}}
[[Category:
[[Category:South West Pacific theatre of World War II|Visayas]]
[[Category:Philippine resistance against Japan|Visayas]]
[[Category:1945 in the Philippines]]
[[Category:March 1945 events in Asia]]
[[Category:April 1945 events in Asia]]
[[Category:May 1945 events in Asia]]
[[Category:June 1945 events in Asia]]
[[Category:July 1945 events in Asia]]
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