Battle of the Visayas
Part of World War II, Pacific theater
U.S. soldiers during landings at Talisay Beach, March 26, 1945. U.S. National Archives
Date: March 18 to July 30, 1945 Location: Visayas region, Philippines Result: Allied victory
Combatants
United States	Japan
Commanders
Robert Eichelberger (U.S. Eighth Army) Rapp Brush (U.S. 40th Division) William H. Arnold (Americal Division)	Sosaku Suzuki (35th Japanese Army) Takeo Manjome (Japanese forces in Cebu)
Strength
17,000 U.S. troops, 18,500 Filipino guerrillas	32,000 Japanese troops
Casualties
835 killed and 1,905 wounded	14,300 killed and 1,230 wounded

The Battle of the Visayas fought by U.S. liberation forces and allied Filipino guerrillas against the Japanese from March 18 to July 30, 1945, in a series of actions officially designated as Operations VICTOR I and II, and part of the campaign for the liberation of the Philippines during World War II , was waged to complete the recapture of the central portions south of the archipelago and secure them from remaining enemy forces. Combatants Allies: Soviet Union United States United Kingdom and others Axis Powers: Germany Japan Italy and others Commanders Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Harry S. Truman Winston Churchill Adolf Hitler Hideki Tojo Benito Mussolini Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000,000 Total dead: 50,000,000 Military... US landings in the Pacific, 1942–1945 The Pacific War was the part of World War II that occurred in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, 1937 to 1945. ... March 18 is the 77th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (78th in leap years). ... July 30 is the 211th day (212th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 154 days remaining. ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ... Map of the Philippines showing Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao Visayas is one of the three island groupings in the Philippines along with Luzon and Mindanao. ... aaaaaaaaaaa ... The Battle of Leyte in the Pacific campaign of World War II was the invasion and conquest of Leyte in the Philippines by Allied forces under the command of General Douglas MacArthur between October 20 and December 31, 1944. ... Combatants United States, Australia Empire of Japan Commanders William Halsey, Jr Jisaburo Ozawa Strength 17 aircraft carriers 18 escort carriers 12 battleships 24 cruisers 141 destroyers and destroyer escorts Many PT boats, submarines and fleet auxiliaries About 1,500 planes 4 aircraft carriers 9 battleships 19 cruisers 34 destroyers About... The Battle of Ormoc Bay was a series of air-sea battles between Imperial Japan and the United States in the Camotes Sea in the Philippines between 11 November 1944 and 21 December 1944, part of the Battle of Leyte in the Pacific campaign of World War II. The battles... Combatants United States Japan Commanders George M. Jones (503rd PRCT) Roscoe B. Woodruff (24th Infantry Division) Rikichi Tsukada (Kembu Group, Japanese Army) Strength 10,000 U.S. troops 1,200 Japanese troops Casualties 148 killed and 271 wounded 200 killed and 375 wounded The Battle of Mindoro presaged the main... Combatants United States Empire of Japan Commanders Walter Krueger Tadamichi Kuribayashi Strength 68,000 unknown Casualties none none The Invasion of Lingayen Gulf was an American amphibious operation of WWII carried out in the Phillipines. ... Luzon, home to the Filipino capital Manila, saw the showdown between Japanese commander Tomoyuki Yamashita and General Douglas MacArthur on December 15, 1944. ... Combatants United States Japan Commanders Henry Mucci (6th Ranger Battalion) Robert Prince (C and F Companies, 6th Ranger Battalion) Juan Pajota (USAFFE guerrillas) unknown Strength 127 U.S. troops, 200 Filipino guerrillas estimated 8,000 Japanese troops around the camp and about 700 in the camp Casualties 4 killed and... The Battle for the Recapture of Bataan from January 31 to February 8, 1945 by U.S. Forces from the Japanese, part of the campaign for the liberation of the Philippines was waged to secure the western shore of Manila Bay to enable the use of its harbor and open... Combatants United States Japan Commanders Robert S. Beightler (37th Infantry Division) Verne D. Mudge (1st Cavalry Division) Oscar W. Griswold (U.S. XIV Corps) Joseph M. Swing (11th Airborne Division) Iwabuchi Sanji (Manila Naval Defense Forces) Strength 35,000 US troops 16,000 Japanese sailors, marines, and Army troops Casualties... Combatants United States Japan Commanders George M. Jones Edward M. Postlethwait Rikichi Tsukada Strength 7,000 U.S. troops 6,650 Japanese troops Casualties 207 killed 684 wounded 6,600 killed 50 wounded 19 prisoners The Battle for the Recapture of Corregidor , from February 16 to 26, 1945 , on the... Los Banos was a Japanese-run Interment and Prisoner of War (POW) camp in the Phillippines. ... The Invasion of Palawan was part of the final phases of the liberetion of the Philippines from occupation by the Imperial Japanese Army. ... Combatants United States Japan Commanders Strength Casualties The Battle of Mindanao was fought on March 10, 1945 between the United States and Japan. ... March 18 is the 77th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (78th in leap years). ... July 30 is the 211th day (212th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 154 days remaining. ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ... Combatants Allies: Soviet Union United States United Kingdom and others Axis Powers: Germany Japan Italy and others Commanders Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Harry S. Truman Winston Churchill Adolf Hitler Hideki Tojo Benito Mussolini Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000,000 Total dead: 50,000,000 Military...

The Central Archipelago

Within two weeks of ordering the seizure of Palawan and the Zamboanga peninsula, General Douglas MacArthur directed the capture of the now- isolated Visayan islands of Panay, Negros, Cebu and Bohol in the central Philippines. Combatants United States Japan Commanders Strength Casualties The Battle of Mindanao was fought on March 10, 1945 between the United States and Japan. ... Douglas MacArthur (January 26, 1880 – April 5, 1964) was an American general and Medal of Honor recipient, who was Supreme Commander of Allied forces in the South West Pacific Area during World War II. He led the defense of Australia, and the recapture of New Guinea, the Philippines and Borneo. ... Map of the Philippines showing Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao Visayas is one of the three island groupings in the Philippines along with Luzon and Mindanao. ... Panay is an island in the Philippines located in the Visayas. ... Negros is an island of the Philippines located in the Visayas. ... REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES Province of Cebu Region: Central Visayas (Region VII) Capital: Cebu City Founded: April 7, 1521 and April 27, 1565 Population: 2000 census—3,356,137 (largest) Density—660 per km² (6th highest) Area: 5,088. ... Bohol is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region. ...

Map of U.S. operations in Southern Philippines, 1945

With Filipino guerrillas controlling most of the countryside in these islands, some thirty thousand Japanese troops held the vital coastal towns including Cebu City and Iloilo City in Panay, among the largest cities in the Philippines. Aside from fulfilling his desire and promise to clear the enemy 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. Cebu City is the provincial capital of Cebu in the Philippines and is the second most important metropolitan center in the country. ... Iloilo City, also referred to simply as Iloilo, is the capital city of the Philippine province of Iloilo. ...

Operation VICTOR I

Two areas of operations were suggested to divide the entire region, given the mountainous terrain of 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. Richard Eichelberger, the Eighth Army commander, appointed the 40th Division, a California National Guard formation and veterans of the recent fighting in Luzon under Maj. Gen. Rapp Brush, with the 503rd Airborne Regimental Combat Team in reserve. It has been suggested that National Guard Bureau be merged into this article or section. ... Luzon, home to the Filipino capital Manila, saw the showdown between Japanese commander Tomoyuki Yamashita and General Douglas MacArthur on December 15, 1944. ...

Panay Island was the first objective. On March 18, 1945, within two weeks of aerial bombardment on Japanese positions, the 185th Infantry Regiment landed unopposed at Santa Barbara district, several miles west of Iloilo, where a 23,000 strong 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". The Japanese were holed up in Iloilo City, and the 40th Division easily swept these enemy 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 enemy troops surrendered. March 18 is the 77th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (78th in leap years). ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ... Santa Barbara is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Iloilo, Philippines. ...

Japanese troops surrender to 40th Division, September 1945

Guimaras and Inampulagan islands, which separated Panay from Negros, were seized on the same day Iloilo fell, March 20, 1945 and the next day, respectively with no opposition. Guimaras is an island province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. ... March 20 is the 79th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (80th in Leap years). ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ...

Seizure of Negros

On March 29, 1945, a reinforced platoon from Company F, 185th Infantry under 1Lt. Aaron H. Hanson slipped ashore ahead of the main landings to be staged near Bacolod City, seized the 650-foot steel truss Bago River bridge, which separated Pandan Point and 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. March 29 is the 88th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (89th in Leap years). ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ... Bacolod City is a city in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. ...

U.S. artillery in action on Negros island, April 1945

The sudden seizure of Bago bridge easily allowed the Americans to advance rapidly, seize seven more bridges in turn, and finally capture Bacolod City the next day March 30, and mostly in part that the Japanese did not contest the beach landings where they could have inflicted numerous casualties. The enemy forces tried to disrupt the Americans with delaying actions, but the 40th Division simply overwhelmed these and by early April, the coastal plain of Negros was in Allied hands. March 30 is the 89th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (90th in leap years). ...

On April 9, 1945, 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 conducting harassing attacks at night. 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 enemy positions. On May 23, Medal of Honor awardee, Staff Sgt. John C. Sjogren of Company I, 160th Infantry, led one such attack on an enemy ridgetop entrenchment, and despite being wounded by enemy gunfire, had accounted for some forty-three enemy casualties, destroyed nine pillboxes, as he cleared the way for his comrades to follow. April 9 is the 99th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (100th in leap years). ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ... May 23 is the 143rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (144th in leap years). ...

By June 4, 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 scattering the rest of the enemy into the jungle. June 4 is the 155th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (156th in leap years), with 210 days remaining. ...

Operation VICTOR II

About a week into the Panay and northwestern Negros operations, Operation VICTOR II, the seizure of Cebu, Bohol, and southeastern Negros, was underway. The Americal Division under Maj. Gen. William H. Arnold was tasked by Gen. Eichelberger for the operation. Some 14,500 Japanese troops held Cebu, but 2,000 enemy soldiers under Maj. Gen. Takeo Manjome, were contained in northern Cebu by about 8,500 guerrillas under Lt. Col. James Cushing. A third of the enemy forces in Cebu were combat-ready, with an extensive network of formidable defensive positions around the city itself.

Cebu City residents greet U.S. troops

On March 26, 1945, at 0828 on Talisay Beach, four miles west of Cebu City, the 182nd Infantry and 132nd Infantry landed on the west and east, respectively, after an hour-long naval bombardment. Japanese resistance was little, but enemy mines destroyed ten of the first fifteen landing tracked vehicles that moved ashore, effectively stopping the advance. Subsequent landing waves stacked up behind the first that created a large traffic jam, but the Japanese did not exploit this easy target. Some two hours later, the traffic lessened as troops cautiously picked their way through the dense minefield, and pontoons were later used to circumvent the mine barriers. March 26 is the 85th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (86th in leap years). ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ... Talisay City is a 3rd class city in the province of Cebu, Philippines. ...

The next day, March 27, the Americal Division moved into already devastated Cebu City, as the Americans began a rapid advance. On March 28, Lahug airfield, two miles northeast of Cebu was seized, as Arnold's troops began to confront two heavily defended enemy positions in the outpost line, capturing one on the same day. The 182nd Infantry continued its attack the following day, then the Japanese detonated an ammunition dump on the second hill, with one 182nd company sustaining fifty killed or wounded in the explosion. In the succeeding days, savage resistance continued in the Japanese lines around the city, and as the Americal Division grimly assaulted individual positions with tank-infantry teams and with crucial fire support from offshore Seventh Fleet destroyers, the enemy slowly gave ground. March 27 is the 86th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (87th in leap years). ... March 28 is the 87th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (88th in leap years). ...

On April 13, previously with a plan to envelop the Japanese right flank, Gen. Arnold secretly sent his returning regiment, the 164th Infantry, into night marches twenty-five miles to the west, well behind the enemy lines, and with all three regiments, the 182nd and 132nd in front and the 164th from the rear attacking simultaneously, the Japanese were forced to withdraw. With the continued presence of air and artillery fire, Gen. Manjome realized that his entire force would surely be annihilated and he ordered a retreat into the mountainous northern reaches of Cebu on April 16. Pursuit operations began on April 20, and together with Cushing's guerrillas, killed any Japanese who turned to fight. Some 8,500 enemy troops remained holed up in northern Cebu until the end of the war. April 13 is the 103rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (104th in leap years). ... April 16 is the 106th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (107th in leap years). ... April 20 is the 110th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (111th in leap years). ...

Japanese weapons collected, 1945

Capture of Bohol and Southeastern Negros

On April 11, 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 City on Bohol's western coast. And with the assistance of local guerrilla forces, the battalion pushed inland, located the enemy defenders and cleared the island of enemy resistance by the end of the month, at a cost of seven men killed. April 11 is the 101st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (102nd in leap years). ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ... Tagbilaran City is a 3rd class city in the province of Bohol, Philippines. ...

On April 26, remnants of the 164th went ashore at Sibulan, some five miles north of Dumaguete, rendezvoused with a Reconnaisance Troop of the 40th Division, and in two days, attacked the 1,300 strong enemy force entrenched in forbidding hill positions surrounding Dumaguete. Major combat operations continued until May 28, 1945, when the enemy positions fell and Filipino guerrillas assumed responsibility for mopping up operations. The 164th Infantry suffered thirty five men killed and 180 wounded in southeastern Negros, while the enemy lost 350 men and fifteen were captured. April 26 is the 116th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (117th in leap years). ... Sibulan is a 4th class municipality in the province of Negros Oriental, Philippines. ... Dumaguete City is a city in the Philippine province of Negros Oriental. ... May 28 is the 148th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (149th in leap years). ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ...

Aftermath

Overall, the Visayas operations of the U.S. Eighth Army suffered relatively light casualties in comparison to enemy 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 Americal Division at Cebu and Bohol suffered 417 killed and 1,700 wounded, with the enemy sustaining 5,750 KIA and 500 WIA.

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 April 21, 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." April 21 is the 111th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (112th in leap years). ...

See Also

• Military History of the Philippines during World War II
• Military history of the United States
• Military history of Japan
• History of the Philippines

In September of 1940, Germany, Italy, and Japan had allied under the Tripartite Pact. ... The military history of the United States spans a period of less than two and a half centuries. ... The military history of Japan is characterized by a long period of feudal wars, followed by domestic stability, and then foreign conquest. ... The first humans arrived in the Philippines by land bridges at least 30,000 years ago, while the history of the Philippines as recorded by Europeans began with the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan in 1521. ...

Reference Links

• U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor