‘Without these prior United Nations operations, the liberation of Taguig and Los Baños would have been more difficult.’
ONE full year before Filipino guerrillas and their American allies liberated the town of Taguig and the Japanese prisoner of war camp in Los Baños, the situation was bleak for the parts of the Philippine archipelago under belligerent occupation: “The worries, distress and school problems, aggravated by lack of food, have drained my strength, and I had to go to Laguna to recover some vigor from the fresh breeze and nourishment offered by this province. These towns northeast of Makiling are the most peaceful in the archipelago. The guerrillas had already taken refuge in the mountains several months ago, or had returned to their homes, reconciled but not appeased, waiting for further developments. The more zealous groups have settled in the mountains at the opposite coast of Makiling, from where they descend and prey upon the lowland towns, though infrequently, ambushing trucks and destroying army trains. The bandits of Cavite are the only ones showing signs of happenings all throughout the country. They steal domestic animals, crops, farm equipment, rails and rail ties, electric wires, laundry clothes and even the clothes on persons’ backs. The Commander of the Constabulary of Calamba called up the El Real Plantation where I was vacationing asking for a truck to transport a contingent to the nearby town of Santa Rosa where the bandits were attacking an outpost. When the driver returned, he was pale and frightened, recounting the fierce battle he witnessed. We did not know what happened and what the casualties were. I have noted two things in the south. First, that laborers do not want to work in the fields or in factories. They say that their wages would not suffice even if it were doubled, what with rice costing 12.00 a ganta and sugar about that much per kilo. Unless they are given these commodities, they will not work… Another noteworthy development is the intensity of preparations for defense which the Japanese are making around Manila. From Muntinlupa to Caloocan are being constructed a chain of airfields and a small Maginot line from north to south through the towns surrounding the city. It is evident that they are taking the invasion threat very seriously.” [Diary of Juan Labrador, O.P., Feb. 15-29, 1944]
Elsewhere, the United Nations was winning. In Operation Catchpole, the U.S. 22nd Marine and 106th Infantry Regiments annihilated Japanese Imperial Army Major-General Nishida Yoshimi’s forces at Eniwetok Atoll. “This makes the Marshall Islands the first Japanese prewar territories to fall to the Allies.” [George O. Hyland III. War in the Pacific: A Chronology January 1, 1941 through September 30, 1945. p. 879; https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc283775/]
The 6 Medium Regiment of the Royal Artillery, the Twelve Mile Snipers, the 2/West Yorkshire Regiment, Indian 24th Mountain Artillery Regiment, the 25th Dragoons, the 8th (Belfast) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, and Major General F. W. Messervy’s Indian 7th Division, among others, defeated the Sakurai Force and Kubo Force at the Battle of Admin Box/Ngakyedauk/Sinzweya on the Southern Front of the Burma Campaign in the Southeast Asian Theatre of World War II. [The Battle of Ngakyedauk, Pacific Front Untold, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLOuPVC-TTQ]
In Operation Director, the Allied Task Force bested Lt. Gen. Hidemitsu Nakano’s 51st Division and Lt. Gen. Yasushi Sakai’s 17th Division at Arawe of New Britain in the Pacific. [Attack! The Battle for New Britain (Full War Documentary) Leo Genn, Burgess Meredith, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNhpIJfAN4E]
In Eastern Europe: “Troops of the 1st Byelorussian Front… broke through powerful German defenses on a front of 50 kilometers, advanced 20-25 km in three days offensive fighting, and today, February 24, captured by storm, the town and large railway station of Rogachev, an important strongpoint in the German defences in the Bobruisk direction.” [Marshal of the Soviet Union J.V. Stalin, Order of the Day, Feb. 24, 1944, addressed to Army General Rokossovsky] “Troops of the 2nd Baltic Front, directly assisted by troops of the Leningrad Front, developing their offensive in difficult conditions of forest and swamp areas, today, February 24, as a result of a vigorous attack, captured the town and important railway junction of Dno, a powerful strongpoint of German defences in the Pskov direction.” [Marshal of the Soviet Union J.V. Stalin, Order of the Day, February 24, 1944, addressed to Army Generals Popov and Govorov]
Without these prior United Nations operations, the liberation of Taguig and Los Baños would have been more difficult. Be that as it may, these February 1945 guerrilla operations were victories, thus, correctly listed in WW2 sources: “American and Filipino soldiers, in a joint land, sea, and air raid again behind the enemy lines, liberated 2,146 civilians, including 1,589 Americans. Colonel Robert H. Soule led 1,200 11th Airborne infantrymen and 200 guerrillas in an early-morning dash against the Los Baños camp.” [Francis Trevelyan Miller. History of World War. Philadelphia: Universal Book And Bible House, p. 895]
This was the first stage of the Los Baños Liberation: “When the first distant drone of the C-47s carrying the 11th Airborne paratroops was heard, the Hunters were just 200 meters along Pili Road past the railroad crossing. They broke into a run toward the main gate of the internment camp. They met a group of Japanese soldiers fleeing straight toward them. The Hunters started shooting and the Japanese, instead of returning fire, veered toward a fork of the road leading to Palma Bridge.” [Gustavo C. Ingles, (Colonel, Hunters Guerrillas), The Inside Story on the Liberation of Allied Internees in Los Baños] As for Taguig, the Hunters ROTC Guerillas 47th Regiment and the Trigger Unit (Sgt. Jose “Ka Peping” S. Quilatan, Sr. and his comrades) avenged the Tipas Massacre and the Tipas 300. [Pareng Partners: Centenarian and World War II veteran Jose Quilatan Sr., ABS-CBN News, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoAc90lxgyc]
The fascist Japanese on Dec. 1, 1944 had rounded up 300 men in Plaza Bonifacio, then imprisoned them in Fort Santiago, “many of them never to be seen alive by their loved ones again.” [https://www.taguigeno.com/2023/07/barangay-ligid-tipas.html]
Coincident with the Taguig-Los Baños Liberation, the first U.S. Marine patrol reached the summit of Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima on Feb. 23, 1945 and raised a small American flag. “Joe Rosenthal, an AP photographer, captured the iconic moment.” [https://www.pacificwarmuseum.org/visit/exhibits/iwo-jima-exhibit]
Similarly, in Eastern Europe, as of Feb. 23, 1945 (the 27th anniversary of the Red Army), “the Red Army has completely liberated Poland and a considerable part of the territory of Czechoslovakia, occupied Budapest and put out of the war Germany’s last ally in Europe, Hungary, captured the greater part of East Prussia and German Silesia and battled its way into Brandenburg, into Pomerania, to the approaches to Berlin.” [Marshal of the Soviet Union J.V. Stalin, Order of the Day, February 23, 1945]
This was acknowledged by Allied leaders: “The Red Army celebrates its 27th anniversary amid triumphs which have won the unstinted applause of their allies and have sealed the doom of German militarism. Future generations will acknowledge their debt to the Red Army as unreservedly as do we who have lived to witness these proud achievements. I ask you, the great leader of a great army, to salute them from me today, on the threshold of final victory.” [Personal Message for Marshal Stalin from Mr. Churchill, Received on February 23, 1945]
