5 November 1944
The attack on Pagadian was undertaken to disperse the eighty to one hundred Japs entrenched in the heart of the town, who were heavily armed with one 50 cal machinegun, BARs, rifles, cal 25, and one stock mortar.
The attacking guerrilla mobile units had an average strength of fifty men and four officers in the nearest line of approach, and another fifty men as reserve appropriately distributed in the cordon of outposts covering the east, north and west of the town.
These mobile units occupied different houses in strategic places at varying distances from 150 to 500 meters away from the municipal plaza in such a manner that a semi-circle was formed with the enemy literally imprisoned within. Directly south of the town is the Illana Bay.
The mobile unit groups stationed in the different outposts alternated with each other in occupying the organized ground from 100 to 150 meters away around the enemy positions. The tour of duty of each mobile unit was twenty-four hours so that the Japs were kept under continuous watch by the guerrillas.
6 JAPS KILLED
On 5 Nov 1944, at 5:00 AM, “D” Co mobile unit under Capt C.I. CANTOY, Lt L. ASUELO and Lt M. CAMPO rushed unobserved to the concrete municipal building situated at the plaza. Here, the guerrillas entrenched themselves and fired on the radio station building, twenty five to thirty meters away. Three Japs standing at the doorway were easy targets.
About 6:30 AM of the same day, a Jap was observed looking out of the house of
a certain CABRALES by name of “BM” Co, He was a direct hit. A few minutes
later, two Japs bringing boards were seen at another nearby house belonging to
FLORENDO. They were fired at, one being hit.
At 8:30 of the same day, two Japs bringing a kettle were seen creeping from the radio station. They were fired at simultaneously by Corp D. RAMOS, Pfc A. ARMADA, and Pvt A MEDINA with 1 BAR and TSMGs killing them outright.
At 9:00 AM, operative BUARON detected a moving object among the bushes, apparently a Jap, but before he could fire, the Jap rushed to the radio station. A Jap peering through a small opening at the window of the station retaliated just missing BUARON’s head.
JAPS COUNTERATTACK
At 8:30 AM, the Jap counterattack began. Their .50 cal MG emplaced at DATOC’s residence about a hundred meters from the radio station riddled the municipal building with bullets, and shelled it three times.
Two were direct hits, splinters of which wounded Pvt ARTEMIO MERIDA. An order of retreat was issued to withdraw to a nearby coconut grove.
GOOD FIRE SUPPORT IN RETREAT
In the meantime, Jap riflemen had advanced to the east side of the municipal building, opened fire on the guerrillas rushing out the back door of the municipal building. But the guerrilla combat men posted north of the plaza, returned the Jap fire, thus supporting the withdrawal of their comrades.
7 November 1944: – Lt MORO LAO, Battalion Executive Officer with S-2 operatives with rifle grenades shelled the various Jap positions as did the combat men with six mortar shells.
8 November 1944: – At 4:30, Lt LAO with S-2 operatives shelled the radio station from behind hitting the roof at the western side destroying it.
About 8:00 PM, same night, Pfc ROLLEN, Pvts BUSTIDA and ACAIN, all of “D” Co approached the radio station and threw three grenades. Damage undetermined.
11 November 1944 – Early morning, rifle grenadiers led by Lt LAO, shelled the Japs sheltered in the houses of HOFILENA, DATOC and the Southern Mindanao Institute School building. The balcony of the school was hit, while the fire directed at DATOC’s hit the trench mortar.
The Combat Co also shelled the Jap garrison at 8:00 AM, 10:00 AM, and 12:00 noon with stock mortar.
12 November 1944 – In the morning, the Jap positions at CABRALES, FLORENDO and ECUIPADO were shelled by rifle grenades. At night, the guerrillas dug foxholes very close to the radio station. At the same time, the Special Mobile Unit and some enlisted men of Cos “C” and “D” under Capt CANTOY and Lt LAO, shelled the municipal building to attempt to
dislodge the Japs sheltered thereat.
13 November 1944 – By 6:00 AM, the municipal building was abandoned by the Japs and the guerrillas occupied it.
JAPS STUBBORNLY RESIST
At 7:30 AM, the Special Mobile Unit under Lt LAO, launched another attack on the radio station from newly gained positions. The building was badly battered but the Japs held to their position.
14 November 1944: – Again, Lt LAO’s men machinegunned the radio station. Grenadiers likewise did their part but the Japs resisted stubbornly.
15 November 1944: – An all-night operation was launched by Lt LAO’s Special Mobile Unit assisted by Co “A” under Lt N. BUYCO. But the Japs resisted with their stoke mortar and BARs.
16 November 19h: – The guerrillas continued the offensive with more determination. The radio station and DATOC’s house where the enemy was well-entrenched, received the brunt of concentrated fire. But no amount of firing could dislodge them.
JAPS BURN RADIO STATION
At 6:30 PM, the Japs appeared to have withdrawn from the radio station earlier in the afternoon and concentrated their own firing at the municipal building where the guerrillas had garrisoned. Then firing ceased, followed by shouts and suddenly the radio station was aflame. The house west of the Southern Mindanao Institute Building was also aflame. It was strongly believed that the Japs were cremating their dead.
17 November 1944: – At 7:30 AM, guerrillas of “BY” Co near AMOROSO’s house, killed a Jap carrying a piece of board. The rest of his companions who were inside the house scattered for cover to return fire.
18 November 1944: – At 10:00 AM, the Jap position in the town was shelled four times by the mortar squad. In the afternoon, the Japs launched a counterattack on “B” Co sector at Lumbia. The guerrillas resisted but at first with their ammunitions running low, a withdrawal seemed wise. The Japs succeeded in occupying the nearest approach of the guerrillas to the former’s position.
In the evening, “D” Co combat mobile unit and the left flank of “A” Co, advanced to about thirty yards from the Southern Mindanao Institute Building and entrenched themselves in foxholes.
19 November 1944: – The following morning, their newly entrenched positions, the guerrillas continued the attack.
From 7 to 8 AM, the Japs shelled the positions of the Combat Units of “A” and “D” Cos eight times, and that of Cos “C” and “B” three times. Pvt ATILANO CAPOL who went out of his foxhole to get drinking water was hit with shrapnel.
The men of “B” Co taking advantage of the counter offensive, launched by the Japs, re-occupied the line of nearest approach on the Lumbia side.
At 2:30 PM, the Japs taking advantage of the heavy rain crawled from their shelters at CABRALES, EQUIPADO and BALLESTEROS towards the area of Co “C” mobile unit.
SPEEDBOATS AID GUERRILLAS
25 November 1944: – At 5:30 AM, two speedboats which had been unloaded sometime before by US submarines at Tukuran Bay, armed with 20mm cannons, strafed the eastern side of the town. The maneuver was handled by Lt SINCLAIR (NOIC) assigned on duty with the “A” Corps, Western Mindanao, 10th Military District, expending a total of 180 rounds in three
drums with some incendiary and tracer bullets. The Japs retaliated with a few bursts of their .50 caliber machine gun but all their firing was overhead. The guerrillas sought in ground positions, fired also. It was a sight to see the Japs being fired at from all directions.
JAPS DISPERSE – 6 KILLED
At 7:30 AM, soon after the strafing, eight Japs were seen heading towards the east from the town. The guerrillas fired at them killing four.
About the same time, another group of Japs proceeded to FLORENDO’s neighborhood. One went up to a house while the others busied themselves cutting banana fruits. The guerrillas killed both.
The Japs burned the house of SERGIO ANGON, ANTONIO FLORENDO, VENANCIO GEMINTANO, FELIX BALLESTEROS, GREGORIO ABARRA, and CONRAD UBAS.
28 November 1944: – At 5:30 PM, a stocky Jap was seen coming from CABRERA’s
house by Corp BUANAELOR of “A” Co. He fired, felling him.
In this twenty-five day attack, the Japs suffered a total of sixteen dead, and an undetermined number of wounded. None were killed on the guerilla side with one wounded.
Source: History of the Mindanao Guerrillas by the American Guerrillas of Mindanao (AGOM) Unpublished Manuscript
