Nasugbu Landing: D-Day 67 years ago!

             This is another historical post about Nasugbu during World War II. The following excerpt is from Success Beyond Expectation by Chris Antonette Piedad-Pugay during the 63rd Anniversary of the landing.

 "In the last few months of 1944, the Hunters ROTC Guerilla group made a final reorganization because of the increasing number of independent guerilla units overwhelming the provinces of Cavite and Batangas.  The Manila-Laguna-BatangasTayabas area was divided by an imaginary line,  areas in the east of the imaginary line were assigned to the 44th Hunters Division under the leadership of Lt. Col. Frisco Manuel while those found in the west, fell under the jurisdiction of 47^th ROTC Division under Lt. Col. Emmanuel de Ocampo.  The two infantry division reported to Col. Eleuterio Adevoso.

                In a conference held at the camp of Capt. Bernard Anderson (USPIF) attended by selected officials of both Anderson and Adevoso organization, Lt. Com. Charles parsons forwarded the  information that Gen. Douglas MacArthur showed interest in Cavite and Batangas coastal areas as potential landing areas for the Liberation Campaign.

                Keen with the said statement, Adevoso guerillas conducted a study and produced a report and took possible control of the China Sea coast of Cavite and Batangas; Secondly, Adevoso established his command post in Nasugbu.

                After the triumph of the Leyte Landing on October 20, 1944, the Liberation Force advanced to the north and by the month of December eventually established airfields in Mindoro in order to place Manila within the range of American war planes.

                Finally on January 31, 1945, after few bombardments and assaults, the troops of the 1st Battalion and the 188th Glider of the Infantry of the Airborne  Division headed by the US 8th Army took the shores of Nasugbu unopposed.  At exactly 11:15 of that morning, Lt. Gen. Eichelberg, Commander of the US 8th Army commented that the reconnaissance-in-force was “successful beyond expectation."

The American Forces in front of the Old Municipal Building

The Pre-Landing and Landing Participation of the Hunters ROTC Guerillas

 The Hunters ROTC Guerillas played a vital part in the pre-landing and landing operation at Nasugbu, Batangas.  First and foremost, the American Army Force in the last few weeks of January 1945 assigned them the task of supplying them updated information and soundings of the sea bottom of the Nasugbu Bay.  Complying with the task was Lt. Com. George Rowe of the Intelligence Penetration Team with Lt. Col. Domingo Angeles of the 1st Battalion, 49th Infantry under de Ocampo’s division.

 Moreover, two days prior to the landing, 1st Battalion Commander Maj. Calixto Gasilao ordered a full force survey to determine the depth of the water and the extent and nature of Japanese installations on shore.  The task was dutifully performed by the Hunters guerillas headed by Lt. Col. Marcelo Castillo with an American counterpart from the 11^th Airborne Division.  Afterwards, an exchange of intelligence reports took place followed by the outlining of the necessary plan of action for the January 31 landing.  The rest…is history."

And now presenting, the actual footage of the famous Nasugbu Landing.

More photos from Nasugbu.ph Facebook page.

Some Photos from History of Batangas

Video from www.criticalpast.com

Article from National Historical Commission of the Philippines