19 December 1943
The Liangan attack was a serious threat directed against the Headquarters of the 108th Division which at the time was located at Liangan, Kolambugan, Lanao (now Lanao del Norte) about four kilometers from the coast of Iligan Bay.
It began on 19 Dec 1943-at midnight. The guerrilla troops at this time were disposed as follows: At the southwest of Liangan, the Combat Co covered the Tugar-Dalikanan-Kauswagan area; “F” Co guarded Kawit and the. Lisdon Creek; “K” Co, the Tacub-Dalikanan area at the Northeast of Liangan, “L” Co covered the Samburan-Laparan-Lapayan area; “L” Co, the Agus-Timoga-Buru-un-Linamon area; and other units scattered all over the Agus-Liangan area.
Adjacent units protected the rear of Liangan, namely: the 120th Infantry Regiment (Inf Regt) covered the right flank, the 2nd Battalion of the 108th Inf Regt and the Commando Battalion, 108th Division, the left flank, while the 126th and 128th Maranao (Moro) Militia Forces protected the rear.
ENEMY LANDS IN FORCE
At midnight, 19 Dec 1943, enemy forces estimated at 600 landed with the use of modern landing barges and launches at Sigapog and Maigo, Southwest of Idangan. ““F” Co force could offer but slight resistance against a superior enemy. One guerrilla soldier was killed here.
Two types of armored barges used by the Japanese to transport their troops (Lone Sentry Collection/Ozatwar)
About 2:00 AM, another force landed at Dalikanan Creek with the use of two launches; another at Lisdon Creek with the use of one launch. Both forces proceeded to Kauswagan, twelve kilometers Southwest of Liangan. The Combat Co of the Hq Battalion, 108th Infantry Regt contacted the enemy at Tugar Creek. After thirty minutes of sporadic firing, the guerrillas withdrew.
The enemy occupied Kauswagan at daybreak. At 10:00 o’clock that same morning, the guerrillas came back on the enemy with mortar fire, BARs and rifles. In the encounter which lasted about an hour, twenty Japs were killed, and one of the guerrilla side.
At 6:30 AM, three Australian Imperial Force (AIF) officers, two Americans, six guerrilla officers, and a number of guerrilla soldiers proceeded to Maigo to check up the report that a contingent of the enemy had reached the west side of Maigo River. It was found out later that forty Japs had crossed the Maigo River about 3:00 o’clock dawn and had proceeded to the interior.
ONE LAUNCH DRIVEN OFF
At 11:00 AM, another launch attempted to land at a point east of Liangan Bridge. Here, Lt (later Capt) FRANCISCO DONOZO with five men attacked and drove them off in a brisk contact.
At 1:30 PM, a Jap soldier was observed signaling from the beach 00 meters west of the mouth of Liangan River. Immediately, the combined units of Capt P. AGUAM, Capt (later Maj) LAZARO SILVA, Capt FRANCISCO DONOZO, three AIF officers, fifteen other guerrilla officers and men together with a small force of fifty Japs located at the place where the Jap soldiers was observed relaying Moros under Lt DICAMPONG GOMO, attacked the enemy force of fifty Japs located at the place where the Jap ‘soldier was observed relaying a signal. The encounter was bitter, with the enemy driven back to Parongison Creek; eighteen Japs were killed. Two wounded on the guerrilla side.
AIF LT KILLED
The Japanese troops walked into Liangen about 3:00 AM, 24 Dec 1943, unopposed by our troops which had withdrawn across the Tonob Creek earlier in the night.
At dawn, “G” Co opened fire on the Japs on Liangan from the east side of the Liangan River. Exchange of fire lasted for several hours. At the same time, the three AIF officers sniped at the Japs in Liangan from across the Tonob Creek. During this action, Lt CHARLES ARTHUR WAGNER, AIF was shot through the head and killed instantly. The Japs crossed Liangan River at 10:00 AM and occupied the school building. During their stay here, they were continuously harassed by guerrilla snipers.
Before the Japs occupied Liangan, the supplies, arms and ammunition stored at the Division Headquarters were distributed to the men right after shooting was heard from the direction of Maigo on 20 Dec 1943. Those that could not be distributed were thrown into the bushes at the back of the house occupied by Col HEDGES, the then Division Commander.
A message was received at Hq from the reconnaissance patrol that one group of Japs had followed the trail across Maigo River leading to the location of the Division Headquarters.
Sgt(later Lieut) ROBERT K. McCLAREN was dispatched with a patrol of eight men to contact the enemy. Enroute, he met a civilian who stated that there were Japanese soldiers occupying a house about two kilometers away, with more but 200 yards from Col HEDGES quarters.
DIVISION HEADQUARTERS VACATED
Capt (later Maj) RAY E. STEELE, AIF, joined in the defense of the Headquarters with the use of mortar fire. The fight that ensued was a heroic but futile stand against an overwhelming number of well-armed Japanese soldiers who emerged from all directions.
At 5:00 PM, the enemy was in complete control of the Division Headquarters. The guerrilla forces withdrew in disorder to the hills in the vicinity to harass the enemy all night long.
On 22 Dec 1943, at 4:00 AM, the Japs landed at three more points – at Agus, Timoga and Buru-un. Lt. LEONARDO ABADIANO with fifteen men from “L” Co of the 3rd Battalion, engaged the enemy at Agus; Lt ANTONIO PICARDAL with eight men from “L” Co engaged the enemy at Timoga; and Lt ANDRES ANTONIO, CO of “L” Co with eleven men engaged the enemy at Buru-un. These encounters lasted no more than thirty minutes after which the guerrillas withdrew to prepared positions. The enemy suffered twenty casualties, dead. On the guerrilla side, one dead.
JAPS WITHDRAW
On 23 Dec 1943, the Japs withdrew from Buru-un through the Ditucalan outpost. On 2nd Dec 1943, all the Japanese troops withdrew from all other areas using barges. All points occupied by them were immediately re-occupied by the guerrilla troops afterwards.
Source: History of the Mindanao Guerrillas by the American Guerrillas of Mindanao (AGOM) Unpublished Manuscript
Annex 1 Charles Arthur Wagner, DCM MID (NX29683)
Wagner was born in Sydney in 1916 and enlisted in Paddington in the 8th Division in June 1940. At the time, he was working in the boot trade. His battalion left Australia for Singapore on 1 February 1941, with Wagner serving as an Intelligence Sergeant and Intelligence Officer until the fall of Singapore. On 15 February 1942 he became a Japanese Prisoner of War (POW). As a POW he was taken to Borneo with 500 other Australians in March 1943, where he escaped from an Imperial Japanese Army concentration camp in Berhala Island, with seven other Australian in June 1943. Successfully evading recapture, he joined up with the US 125 Infantry Regiment by July 1943, where he was recommended for distinguished service by the CO 125 Infantry Regiment for successfully leading an ambush on 2 August 1943. He went from Tawi Tawi to Mindanao in October 1943. A US forces in the Philippines file says he was shot by a Japanese sniper on 21 December 1943 at 8am during a Japanese attack which started on 19 December. His death certificate was signed by US Forces in the Philippines – 108 Division.
He was awarded a Distinguished Conduct Medal for bravery in the field in Malaya and was also mentioned in Dispatches.
Source: Virtual War Memorial Australia
