Every bend of the road was lined with ... foxholes dug into the banks of the road and spider holes dug underneath the roots of trees and under logs on the hillsides. It was bitter, close hand to hand fighting and because of the steepness of the terrain, the denseness of the tree growth, the inaccuracy of maps and nearness of adjoining units, artillery and mortar fire could not be used to its full advantage in reducing these positions.[45]
The main Japanese defensive line had been reached. By 14 December the 32d Division had advanced more than two miles south of Limon. The 77th Division had crushed the Cogon defenses and was in a position to drive north and make juncture with elements of the X Corps. The northern and southern entrances to Ormoc Valley were denied to the Japanese. The jaws of the Sixth Army trap were starting to close.
[1] Maj Charles V. McLaughlin, Operations of the XXIV Corps in the Invasion of Leyte Island, pp. 29–30. Advanced Infantry Officers’ Course, 1947–48, Infantry School, Ft. Benning, Ga. [↑]
[2] 35th Army Opns, p. 86. [↑]
[3] Tomochika, True Facts of Leyte Opn, p. 25; 14th Area Army Opns Leyte, p. 13. [↑]
[4] Tomochika, True Facts of Leyte Opn, p. 25. [↑]
[5] General Tomochika was unqualified in his praise of the commander of the Imahori Detachment. He said, “Colonel Imahori had good personality and was a good leader. His subordinates were willing to join the suicide squads when the American forces increased in number. We did not have any worries about the attacking Americans on this detachment’s front because the suicide squads brought good results ...” Ibid., pp. 19–20. [↑]