30 October 1944
Misamis was considered the most strongly fortified garrison of the enemy in the province of Misamis Occidental. Since their wide-scale invasion on Northern Misamis Occidental and Zamboanga on 26 June 1943, they had entrenched themselves and found security in a four hundred year old moss covered Spanish fort situated on a promontory by the sea, appearing like an impregnable landmark that guards the gateway of the town from the Panguil Bay.
Historically known es the COTTA this fort is about five meters thick and five meters high of solid brick and encloses a ground area of one hundred meters square. Records of old say that the Spanish conquerors constructed this stronghold with the use of slave labor, and when finished served as an effective structure of resistance against frequent and daring Moro attacks and depredations.
For two and a half years, the Japanese invaders held this fort until on 10 December 1944 they were attacked by seven US planes in coordination with guerrilla ground troops.
43 DAY SIEGE
Before the arrival of the planes, the siege on Misamis by the guerrilla forces started on 30 October 1944 and continued for a period of forty-three days.
The entire command of the 106th Infantry Regiment participated except the lst Battalion. The following officers coordinated in their respective assignments, namely: Maj MARCELO BONILLA, CO, 106th Infantry Regiment, Capt DONALD WILLS, personal representative of the CO, “A” Corps, Lt T. SINCLAIR, USNR, Capt S. JULIGANGA, Acting CO, 2nd Bn, 106th Inf, and lst Lt PEDRO YLAGAN, CO, 3rd Bn, 106th Infantry Regiment.
The strength of the enemy which garrisoned Misamis town proper on the initial day of the attack was estimated to be ninety Japs, all a part of the MoriButai and Takayama Chutai, and armed with two stock mortars, two .30 caliber machine guns, grenades, automatic rifles, and rifles.
On 30 October, the following guerrilla units were disposed according to plans before the attack, as follows: The Combat Co of the Ha Bn on the West; four companies of the 2nd Battalion at the Northwest; and three companies of the 3rd Battalion at the Southwest, in such a manner that the entire town block was covered at the East direction is the sea.
Initial contact with the enemy was made at exactly 5:30 AM with the use of two new US mortars emplaced at Bucagan Hill which had been easily captured by the guerrilla that morning. The attacking force moved slowly forward towards Misamis and by nightfall dug in rather than run unnecessary risk of advancing through open terrain.
PLATOONS WELL PLACED
The next day 30 October, the slow moving but well-planned advance resumed. “F” Co made initial contact with Jap outpost No. 2 stationed at the Misamis Institute Building; “E” Co reached a group of banana plants just two hundred yards from Jap outpost No. 1, with its first platoon some five hundred yards northeast of Jap outpost No. 1, and the second platoon occupying both sides of the Clarin-Misamis Road with Jap outpost No. 1 only a few yards away, and the third platoon about seven hundred yards away from Jap-held Misamis Institute. The soldiers of “H” Co, 2nd Bn Reserve were deployed at the swamp area North of the Cotta.
At 3:30 PM, “I” Co, of the 3rd Bn, watching the southwestern sector, assaulted the enemy guarding Bueszon Hill driving them to town. “L” Co reached Jap outpost No. near a chapel by the road to Tangub town. “K” Co occupied a line on the left of “L” Co and was only a few yards away from the Jap-held Misamis Institute Building.
The guerrilla troops crept slowly through the marshes for it faced direct fire that varied from moderate to intense, as well as fire from enemy snipers.
At dawn of 1 November, the attack raged in earnest. The Combat Co and “G” Co stormed the Misamis Institute Building; “K” and “L” Cos moved in towards Jap outpost No. 4. The Combat outfit of the 3rd Bn and “L” Co dislodged Jap outpost No. 5, while Jap outpost No. 3 was silenced. Along the road to Clarin, Jap outpost No. 1 was set on fire by men of “E” and “F” Cos.
The guerrillas in perfect order pressed the retreating enemy taking quantities of valuable supplies left behind. The attacking force advanced to the premises of the convent, right inside the town, with the Cotta only about half a kilometer away.
At 11:00 AM, an officers’ conference was hurriedly called by Maj BONILLA who was authorized to take the necessary measures in demanding surrender of the enemy who by that time were all inside the Cotta.
OFFER SURRENDER TERMS TO JAPS
Terms of surrender were sent to the Japanese Commander but were denied. So, the besiegers built up a line two hundred meters from the Cotta in the form of an arc extending from the concrete wharf to Catadman beach, thus making the Japs inside virtual prisoners. During lulls, the device of scaling the slippery walls of the Cotta with bamboo ladders was tried but was finally given up as futile.
When the planes left, the ground troops intensified the siege. The enemy answered with their machine guns and automatic rifles. Lt DOMINGO ABUAN was wounded and two soldiers of “I” Co instantly killed. Dusk came and with it heavier mortar shell fire and rifle fire from the enemy as if making one final desperate effort to fight back. The guerrillas held their front line. Exchange firing lasted until 11:00 PM.
JAPS ESCAPE
Shortly after daybreak, 11 December 1944, the guerrillas fired several times at the Cotta and receiving no reply, rushed inside only to discover that the Japs who withstood the grueling fire succeeded in escaping somehow out of the Cotta under cover of darkness. Only eight dead bodies, one dying soldier, eighty-six burnt rifles, six boxes of ammunition, and ten cavans of corn were all that remained.
Investigations showed that after the enemy had fired their last mortar shell they escaped through the ladders left by the guerrilla themselves when they attempted to scale the wails.
In their flight, they followed the shoreline back of the Cotta passing Maningeol, Clarin, Sinacaban and on towards Sinonoc, twenty-two kilometers away from Misamis and nearer Jimenez.
SEVEN JAPS SURRENDER
Lt SCFRONIO AVANCENA, CO “E’ Coy upon learning that the escaping Japs had passed his sector (Clarin), led a patrol of fifteen men in pursuit. They overtook the enemy at Sinonoc beach who were pulling off in three bancas.
AVANCENA’S men and those of “I” Co, 107th Inf Regt under Lt Re PENARANDA fired at them. One banca was badly hit and sinking. The Japs in it tried to swim towards the other bancas only to serve as targets to the men on the beach. The second banca, with a load of about twenty seven men, next received the brunt of concentrated fire. In the meantime, Capt HAMID ARACID with ten men grabbed another banca and hurried in pursuit of the fleeing bancas. The third banca with fifteen men was well under way and could not be caught. Seven Japs who could not get into the two fleeing bancas waved a white piece of cloth and were captured by the HAMID group.
Total number of Jap casualties were ten killed and seven captured. On the guerrilla side, two killed, and one wounded.
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