Japanese invasion of Malabang

Japanese Invasion of Malabang
Part of Invasion of Mindanao, the Pacific Theater of World War II
Date April 29, 1942 – May 3, 1942 Location Malabang, Lanao Result Japanese successfully made the landing and moved northward towards Dansalan.
Belligerents
United States of America Commonwealth of the Philippines	Empire of Japan
Commanders and leaders
William F. Sharp Guy O. Fort Eugene T. Mitchell Robert H. Vessey Jay Navin Calixto Duque Busnan Kalaw Mamalinta Lao	Kawaguchi Kiyotake
Units involved
Ground units: Philippine Commonwealth Army 81st Division (Philippines) 61st Infantry Regiment (PA) 73rd Infantry Regiment (PA) 1st Battalion, 84th Infantry Artillery Detachment (2 Guns)	Ground units: 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 Japanese landings in western coast of Mindanao started on April 29, 1942, Kawaguchi Detachment landed in three important points in west coast of Mindanao including Malabang in then undivided Lanao Province. 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. 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 alerted his troops for the imminent invasion from his command post at Camp Kiethley.

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

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.

The Japanese landed in Banago southeast of Malabang and used the dock to land their tanks. They moved forward and aimed to quickly capture the Mataling River Bridge.

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

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.

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. 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.

Moro Battalions

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 units under Lieutenant Muhammad Ali Dimaporo and Captain Busran Kalaw harassed continuously the Japanese.

Reinforcement

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

Japanese advance resumed on May 3 towards Bacolod with motorized column with four tanks spearheading at the 73rd Infantry's position. A direct fire from Captain Price's detachment caught the leading tank and putting it out of commission, giving confusion to the Japanese column. However, the Japanese got air support from Zamboanga made 73rd Infantry successive withdrawals. In Dansalan, 73rd Infantry with remnants of 61st Infantry established another line to deprived Japanese of Route 1 and link with 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.

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

Aftermath

The troops in Lanao sector was still fighting when orders from General Sharp reached General Fort to surrender on May 10, 1942. Guy question the order as his unit is capable of fighting the Japanese. His troops Americans and Filipinos both Christians and Moros were still giving a good fight. However, Sharp warned any American who disobeyed his order would be court martialed. Fort surrendered on May 12, 1942 and combat operations cease in Lanao Sector.

Death March and Fort's execution

After surrender of troops in Lanao Sector by its commander General Fort in May 12, 1942 Japanese forced the Filipino American troops to walked without water and food from Iligan to Dansalan. Sick, wounded, hungry, and tired POWs walked from Iligan to Camp Keithley some executed on the road. This event was known as Mindanao Death March.

After General Fort's surrender he was shipped north on the small freighter Maru San alongside other captive generals, including his direct commander Sharp plus Joseph P. Vachon and Manuel Roxas. After the war Roxas would become the first president of the Philippines. Fort was then escorted by the Kempeitai to Manila, 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. Fort was brought from Manila back to Marawi (then known as Dansalan) on Mindanao to tell the Moro to surrender. However, Fort refused to cooperate and was executed.

References

See Also

• Mindanao Force
• 61st Infantry Regiment
• 81st Infantry Division
• Guy O. Fort
• Moros during World War II

External links

• There were others, Unpublished Papers of Colonel Hiram Tarkington, CO 61st Field Artillery