klisemfg Chapter 231 Annihilation of the 16rd Division
Chapter 231 Annihilation of the 16rd Division
The naval battle off the coast of the Philippines became known as the "Battle of the Philippine Sea." Along with the Battle of Leyte Gulf, it became the final decisive engagement between the US Navy and the Japanese Navy. The Japanese failed to achieve the miracle of the Battle of Leyte Gulf. The carrier battle group sank the Unryū and the Tensei were severely damaged. Vice Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa fulfilled his promise and sank with the Unryū. Vice Admiral Shoji Nishimura's Southern Fleet was virtually annihilated, with over 5000 Japanese soldiers, including Nishimura, killed. Musashi Tazawa's submarine division was also completely decimated. The worst casualties were the 16th Air Group's Sakura suicide planes. None of the 256 aircraft pilots survived, and their achievements were limited to sinking three large transports, seven destroyers, and severely damaging two battleships and an escort carrier. By this point, the Japanese main battleships were nearly depleted, and the Japanese Navy no longer had a chance to threaten the US Pacific Fleet.
A day later, fierce fighting suddenly erupted in Palo, south of Tacloban, Leyte. After receiving supplies from the sea, the US X Corps launched a surprise attack on Palo. Simultaneously, to the southwest of Palo, Chinese and American forces, having broken out of the encirclement, also emerged, dealing a devastating blow to the Japanese defenders in Palo. Under attack from both sides, the defenders, already numbering less than a regiment, were forced to abandon their positions and retreat deeper into Leyte. The two Allied forces reunited, and over 10 trapped American troops were finally rescued.
At this time, Suzuki Sosaku had already understood the enemy's intentions. After losing support from the sea, he knew very well that the troops guarding the coast could only withdraw inland and use strong fortifications to block the actions of the Sino-US coalition forces.
Three days later, a large number of US military aircraft arrived at Samar Island. When a large number of US Army fighter jets appeared on the front lines of Leyte Island and Samar Island, the Japanese Filipino high-ranking officials, including Yamashita Tomoyuki, realized the US military's intention to capture the virgin forest belt in the southern part of Samar Island. Their first goal was not to attack northward along the southern part through the virgin forest belt, but to use the plains in the belt to establish a temporary airport to support their ground combat.
中国远征军第一方面军的两个集团军也正式加入了进攻莱特岛和萨马岛的行动。第3集团军廖耀湘率领 14 师、 50 师以及第1集团军的113师，沿萨马岛南段开辟通道，向北进攻。第1集团军杨洪率领112、201师以及第3集团军的47师加入了莱特岛方向的战斗。第一方面两个集团军的其余四个师：第1集团军的205、206师，第3集团军的165、166师则作为预备队，正在从新几内亚乘船过来，他们将与美军第6集团军一起，准备直接发起对吕宋岛的登陆作战。
By this time, the combined Chinese and American forces on Leyte had reached seven divisions, nearly 7 men, outnumbering the Japanese 10st, 1th, and 16th Divisions, each with less than 26 men. Coupled with the Chinese and American superiority in equipment and firepower, the Japanese had lost most of Leyte in less than a week and were forced to shift north and south. Suzuki Sosaku had no choice but to order the 6st Division to sneak across the strait again at night and transfer to Samar Island. Part of the 1th Division retreated south of Leyte to Bohol Island across the sea. Only the 26th Division remained on Leyte.
Yang Hong and Major General Franklin Seibert, commander of the US 10th Army, who were also advancing north, reached an agreement: no matter what, the Japanese 16th Division must not be allowed to escape from Leyte. Yang Hong's intention was to persecute the Nanjing Massacre, while Seibert's was to avenge the siege of his own 24th Division. The 24th Division, the main force of the 10th Army, had been surrounded by the 16th Division almost a month earlier, resulting in a staggering 4000 casualties.
The Chinese and American armies launched a two-pronged pincer attack, denying the Japanese 16th Division any respite. They successively breached several of its key positions, captured the major city of Olmok on Leyte, and reduced the 16th Division to a narrow peninsula in the northeastern part of the island. The US Air Force bombed the only port town, Hubai, effectively severing the 16th Division's supply and retreat routes. By this time, the division commander, Lieutenant General Shiro Makino, realized his situation was hopeless and ordered his regiments to fight to the death. For a time, the Japanese resistance intensified, with even squadron-level suicide attacks.
However, by this time, the US and Chinese Expeditionary Forces were accustomed to this. They both adhered to the principle that only dead Japanese were good Japanese. Firepower was the only way forward. The Chinese and American forces prepared a large number of flamethrowers, including flamethrower tanks modified from M3 tanks, which inflicted fatal damage on the Japanese. Lower-level officers in the Chinese Expeditionary Force had already quietly ordered that no one be spared. The US military, aware of this allusion, turned a blind eye, and even some junior officers participated in the extermination of the 16th Division.
The first unit of the 16th Division to be destroyed was the 33rd. By then, the regimental headquarters had been separated from the other battalions and squadrons. As the sound of gunfire approached, the regimental commander ordered the burning of the regimental flag, pledging to a decisive battle. Suddenly, a group of camouflaged enemy troops, all armed with American-made automatic weapons, appeared around them. Before the 33rd's headquarters could react, the entire Japanese 33rd, including the commander, was annihilated, and the regimental flag was captured. The assault on the 33rd's headquarters was carried out by the 1st Army's Special Forces Company, commanded by Major Ma Hong.
Yang Hong was not very excited when he received the news that Ma Hong had captured the flag of the 16rd Regiment of the 33th Division. The purpose of his sending out the special forces company was to capture Makino Shiro alive, seize the flag of the 16th Division, and trample one of the murderers of the Nanjing Massacre under his feet. Unexpectedly, Makino Shiro was also very smart and used the 33rd Regiment as bait to avoid the Chinese army's hunt for him.
The 9th Regiment, through a desperate assault by its squadrons, unexpectedly broke through the encirclement of the 31th Infantry Regiment of the 19st Division and attempted to escape southward into the deep forests of central Leyte. Upon receiving this news, Sebert was furious and immediately dismissed the commander of the 19th Infantry Regiment. He then ordered the remaining two regiments of the 31st Division to advance, determined to annihilate the 9th Regiment at the edge of the forest.
Under the full pursuit of the U.S. military, the remnants of the 9th Regiment, which had lost its edge, ultimately failed to escape. The regiment commander committed suicide by seppuku after burning the team flag!
Shiro Makino had been forced to a cliff on the coastline of Carigara. After sending a farewell message to Yamashita Tomoyuki and Suzuki Sosaku, he was about to commit suicide by seppuku, but was shot dead by the American Sergeant Sanchez Powell who arrived.