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IT was in Dulag where Lt. Gen. Makino had expected the Americans to make their beachhead. Hence, the area was better defended and fighting here was the fiercest, exacting heavy casualties on both Japanese and American troops. The greater part of the Japanese 16th Division positioned themselves here, and most the 20th Inf. Regiment were around Dulag itself.
The bulk of the 9th Infantry were farther north, guarding the approaches to Catmon Hill. Its 1,400 feet of steep and grassy terrain hovered threateningly to the northwest, dominating the entire beachhead. Although most of the artillery of the 16th Division had been knocked out in the pre-assault bombardment, one was left to back up the defenders. Half of the XXIV Corps had positioned themselves to the north of Dulag. This was the responsibility of the 96th Inf. Division under Maj. Gen. James L. Bradley. The troops were going into battle for the first time and were a bit more apprehensive than the troops in other divisions. Pleasantly surprised, they found no Japanese opposition when they hit the shore, except for that single artillery left in Catmon Hill. With a few casualties, they dashed across the Orange and Blue Beaches, that portion between Calbasag and Liberanan Rivers, into the woods beyond. Hill 120, a small rise on the Division left, was captured by the 3rd Blt of the 382nd Infantry after a brief firefight. First Lieutenant Clifford W. Mills raised the American flag here which later became a target for Japanese bombardment. The 7th Division on the other hand was assigned the Violet and Yellow Beaches. This was the part between Calbasag and Daguitan Rivers. Veterans of of Attu and Kwajalein, its troops encountered the heaviest fighting of the day. Most of the fighting occurred in the zone of the 32nd Infantry Regiment. The 184th Infantry, landing south of the 32nd, encountered very little resistance on the shore or inland. By noontime, one of its battalions had seized Dulag and by evening, its regimental objective of capturing the Dulag airstrip was about to be accomplished. The 32nd Infantry was not so lucky. Even before it could land ashore, Japanese artillery had killed more than a dozen men. Then, as its troops crossed the beach, they encountered the soldiers of the Japanese 20th Infantry holed in the cemetery. A hour passed before the Japanese could be overcome. In the meantime nearby, American troops uncovered a series of pillboxes, machinegune emplacements, trenches and foxholes supported by a single 75-mm field piece. These remained hidden until the Americans were almost on top of them. Then the Japanese defenders suddenly let go of their firepower, mowing down the exposed American troops and pinning down two companies under heavy fire. |
only after three hours of heavy fighting with severe losses on both sides. But the American troops of the 7th Division were barely able to advance a kilometer inland from the shore.
Fighting continued at night time with the Japanese attacking the Americans with medium-sized tanks and a handful of men from the 20th Infantry. Although some of these tanks managed to push through, almost all were destroyed as they tried to return inland. On the evening of the 20th, Gen. Krueger's Sixth Army had driven its stakes on Leyte's beaches from the outskirts of Tacloban as far south as Dulag. A gap of about 22 kilometers separated Gen. Sibert's X Corps from Gen. Hodge's XXIV Corps. Japanese resistance was generally weak, and so the American commanders had little reason to fear that the beachhead would be split for long. In Sibert's hands were the Tacloban airstrip in Cataisan and the important Hill 522, while Hodge was already in a position to take the Dulag airstrip. About 150 kilometers away, in Sogod Bay, the 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Division, had secured entrance, providing safe passage for American PT boats to enter the Mindanao Sea. All had had been accomplished at the cost of 250 casualties, mostly wounded. But future gains would not be that easy as the Japanese were determined to hold on to their position. To Gen. Douglas MacArthur who had in the meantime landed with his staff and officials of the exiled Philippine government, the day's accomplishments had been good enough. He had been appraised of the situation and he looked forward to driving the Japanese off the island of Leyte in less than a month's time. But he was expecting them to launch a counterattack. The next few days would be bloodier for both American and Japanese troops. But with superior firepower and civilian support, he was optimistic his troops would be victorious in the end. Indeed, in three days time, MacArthur would be delivering his restoration speech at the Tacloban municipal building, in the presence of President Sergio Osmeņa and other high ranking American officials, to formally return the Philippine government to power. MacArthur declared: "On behalf of my government, I restore to you a constitutional administration by countrymen of your confidence and your choice and as our forces advance, I shall in like manner restore other Philippine cities and provinces until throughout the entire land you may walk down life's years erect and unafraid, each free to toil and to worship according to his own conscience with your children's laughter again brightening homes long darkened by the grim tragedy of conquest." The same speech would be broadcast all over the country, including his pledge to liberate the entire archipelago from the Japanese occupation.* |
