Accessibility Help. Although the Battle at Bessang Pass was the biggest victory scored by Filipino guerrillas during World War II, its annual celebration is lot simpler than the fall of Bataan and Corregidor where Filipino and American defenders suffered crushing defeats. The battle lasted four months, with protracted, fierce, relentless and bloody hand to hand combat with a suicidal enemy. A place in history Bessang Pass is located in Cervantes, Ilocos Sur, a province more than 260 kms north of Manila. 294 by then President Manuel Quezon. Battle of Bessang Pass: June 1, 1945 June 15, 1945 Ilocos Sur, Philippines Philippines campaign (1944–45) 339 (119 killed and 220 wounded) Allied victory Japan Ended in entrapment of Japanese forces under General Tomoyuki Yamashita's command; Battle of Iwo Jima: February 19, 1945 March 26, 1945 Iwo Jima, Japan: Volcano and Ryukyu Islands campaign: 26,038 (6,821 killed and 19,217 … The first objective in clearing the road to Cervantes was the capture of Japanese-held at Suyo. The Battle of Bessang Pass. However, COVID-19 intervened and disrupted its printing. According to our written history, Bessang Pass was the last stronghold of the Japanese imperial forces under Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita, known as the “Tiger of Malaya” and conqueror of Singapore. The one and only guerilla regiment, the 121st Infantry battled an undeniably formidable and combative enemy. The battle was the crowning glory of the battle exploits of the all-Filipino USAFP-NL forces. Ceasing the fire of the murderous war was given on its highest peaks, victoriously waving flags and shirts. Its fall on the hands of the United States Armed Forces in the Philippines (USAFP-NL) on June 14, 1945 paved the way to the entrapment of Yamashita’s forces in the Cordillera until the general’s surrender in September 1945. Bessang Pass is located in Cervantes, Ilocos Sur, a province more than 260 kms north of Manila. We have heroes in the name of Lapu-Lapu, Dr. Jose Rizal, Apolinario Mabini etc. The next day, the 121st Infantry penetrated Buccual Ridge. The Battle of Bessang Pass (Filipino: Labanan sa Pasong Bessang Ilocano: Gubat ti Paso Bessang) was a major battle during the Philippines Campaign of World War II. Reinforced by gritty bolo men from Abra, they assaulted Bessang Pass in the rugged mountains of North Luzon. The area is very historic and significant part of Philippine history as it is the site where 3, 400 people perished. Without air support at first, they attacked persistently armed only with rifles, submachine guns and their sheer guts until the first week of April when air and artillery support became available. It was fought from 9 January through 15 June 1945 in Cervantes, a municipality in the province of Ilocos Sur, located 382 kilometres (237 mi) north of Manila. 4 in the resistance of sweeping enemies in the tunnels and pillboxes. They finished the outnumbered remaining Japanese forces and drove across Abra River. He was then alerted by the radio to keep off the Bessang Pass as an air strike would shortly be taking place. The USAFP-NL was composed of five infantry regiments and a field artillery battalion of 20,000 officers who were all Filipinos except for five American officers. Log In. No end was in sight for the gruesome battle. Ten days later, they attacked and captured the Japanese garrison at Cervantes and burnt 60 Japanese in to a total crisp. Col. There were about 3,400 men who were either killed or wounded in that epic battle for freedom and peace that ended on June 14, 1945. A week later, the 11th and 66th Infantry arrived to reinforce the Nacise’s Company “L” – L for “last company standing”. The book was supposed to have come out on or before August 15, 2020, the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in the Pacific. But the undaunted Narcise’s men hit their nerves and counterattacked Cervantes. When the said backbone wrecked and the ray of the sun enters within the treetops and cleared the heavy and thick smoke of the bloody battle, it was the time for history to reign over. On June 14, the units of 121st launched a final assault on Buccual Ridge and planted a symbolic flag made from a dirty green face towel. They worked their way through the ravines and precipices to get down to the river with only two pieces of artillery they got. The Battle of Bessang Pass (Filipino: Labanan sa Pasong Bessang Ilocano: Gubat ti Paso Bessang) was a major battle during the Philippines Campaign of World War II. But the exigencies of war intervened. After the struggle when Narcise and his men indeed needed help, the 1st Battalion moved first followed by the 2nd and the 3rd Battalions. Incidentally, this very same mountain pass was initially a part of the Tirad Pass National Park as declared in 1938 through Proclamation No. Please improve this article by adding a reference. 30 • all news 30 all news 30 • world news 24 • top stories 3 • national 2 • pinoy abroad 1 • features From the night of June 13, wee hours of June 14, artillery pounded and fired and launched the peak of Buccual which was said “the backbone of the Bessang defenses”. But let me share you a story, a story that was dear to us, as story that makes as who we are today, the story known as the battle for the clouds. Talk:Battle of Bessang Pass. On March 13, they recaptured the town after a 5-hour fight. The Battle of Bessang Pass consisted of a series of battles fought over almost 6 months. For information about how to add references, see, Equipment of the Republic of Singapore Air Force, Philippines articles missing geocoordinate data, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, Battles and operations of World War II involving the Philippines, Military history of the Philippines during World War II, South West Pacific theatre of World War II, http://bulatlat.com/news/5-19/5-19-bessang.htm, http://www.enotes.com/topic/Battle_of_Bessang_Pass, http://la.indymedia.org/news/2011/06/246423.php, https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Bessang_Pass?oldid=2482236, 15th Infantry Regiment, Philippine Commonwealth Army (USAFIP-NL). On June 15, the guerrillas touched down the town of Cervantes. According to our written history, Bessang Pass was the last stronghold of the Japanese imperial forces under Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita, known as the “Tiger of Malaya” … They were pinned down and trapped. Lt. Ambrosio Pena, a survivor of Bessang delineated the June 10 battlefield as a “sizzling inferno”. The Battle of Bessang Pass (Filipino: Labanan sa Pasong Bessang Ilocano: Gubat ti Paso Bessang) was a major battle during the Philippines Campaign of World War II. Brought with him a deadline set by the Corps commander that Bessang had to be captured on June 15. The area serves as a gateway to the Cordillera mountains and the city of Baguio. We found one dictionary with English definitions that includes the word battle of bessang pass: Click on the first link on a line below to go directly to a page where "battle of bessang pass" is defined. This was the victorious Battle of Bessang Pass. Press alt + / to open this menu. The area serves as a gateway to the Cordillera mountains and the city of Baguio. The backbone mountain defenses of the retreating Japanese forces with General Tomoyuki Yamashita at Bessang, was finally defeated, broken open in their final surrender and the end of Japanese occupation in the Philippines. The victory in Bessang Pass is considered as one of the greatest victories in Philippine history. 515 of President Carlos P. Garcia in 1958. We are familiar with how Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita surrendered to American forces. This article does not contain any citations or references. For information about how to add references, see Template:Citation. For the Battle of Bessang Pass was truly the culmination of the war in our country, the moment which signified the victory of our arms in battle. The Japanese forces withdrew from Manila and other areas of Luzon after sacking and destroying Manila with a pogrom of atrocities. Peping Baclig, SGSI Board of Director said in his opening remarks: “ The Battle of Bessang Pass is considered the greatest military victory of Filipinos against the Japanese Imperial Army, it avenged the defeat in Bataan and Corregidor and the surrender of the U.S forces to the Japanese in 1942” The Battle of Bessang Pass Commanded by Major George M. Barnett AUS, and later by Major Eulogio Bulao, the 121st Infantry was committed to the Bessang area on March 27, 1945. great caution as there were enemy outpost guards at every bend of the road leading to Bessang Pass. The day was designated to impress upon all Filipinos, particularly the young, … 62nd Victory at the Battle of Bessang Pass Romeo Borje, a journalist in Los Angeles and the son of the late Col. Eduardo Borje of USIFNL, who was one of the heroes of Bessang Pass, explained about the significance of the Battle of Bessang Pass in Northern Luzon on June 14, 1945. The company “L” led by Lt. Emilio N. Narcise hit the pass. The battle led to the end of over three years of Japanese occupation. On February 10, in the midst of arrival into the town, two platoons of the company “L” engrossed the Japanese for 38 hours near Bessang. This memorial commemorates the victory on June 14, 1945 by Filipino soldiers serving the United States Army Forces in the Philippines Northern Luzon over the Imperial Japanese Army in the Battle of Bessang Pass which led to Japan's eventual surrender and end to … The Filipinos had won triumphantly the merciless Battle for the Clouds, the bloodshed Battle of Bessang Pass. The area serves as a gateway to the Cordillera mountains and the city of Baguio. See more of Michael M. Casacop (Photography) on Facebook. It was fought from 9 January through 15 June 1945 in Cervantes, a municipality in the province of Ilocos Sur, located 260 km north of Manila. Leeches sucked blood of the dead bodies of both friend and foe numerously scatted in the woods along Bessang. A short readable summary of how Filipino forces around the country helped won the war is Ignacio “Toting” R. Bunye’s recently released book, From Leyte to Bessang Pass. April 5 was a day that proved to be difficult for the guerrillas. On record, in the middle of the Battle of Bessang Pass, which lasted from January 8, 1945 to June 14, 1945, Marcos wanted a transfer to Manila. They came into running battle up and down the hills. The initial battle was fought in Bitalac, Tagudin on January 8, 1945 while the last was waged on June 14, 1945 at Nangyatan Hill. It was the 3rd battalion of the 121st Infantry who sieged the garrison at Bitalag then afterwards attacked the Suyo that yielded three days of fighting. The highway itself was made of gravel that turned out to be muddy and slushy during rainy season. On April 11, the Japanese shelled Butac wherein the 121st stashed ammunition, guns, and clothing went belching in fire. It was part of the triangular defense of General Yamashita in the north, namely the Balete Pass, Villaverde Trail and Bessang Pass, guarding the Ifugao-Benguet-Vizcaya borders. It was nearly a glorious victory when the Japanese fell upon Cervantes far away from the town proximity, overran it, and then aggressively reinforce their troops at Bessang Pass. The Battle of Bessang Pass Began with the assault on the Japanese Line at Bitalag, Tagudin, Ilocos Sur, by the United States Army Forces in the Philippines, North Luzon (USAFIP,NL), 8 January 1945, followed by the seizure of enemy strongholds along highway 4 and the defeat of the Japanese defenders of the pass, 14 June 1945. 62nd Victory at the Battle of Bessang Pass Romeo Borje, a journalist in Los Angeles and the son of the late Col. Eduardo Borje of USIFNL, who was one of the heroes of Bessang Pass, explained about the significance of the Battle of Bessang Pass in Northern Luzon on June 14, 1945. It was fought from 9 January through 15 June 1945 in Cervantes, a municipality in the province of Ilocos Sur, located 382 kilometres (237 mi) north of Manila. Bessang Pass was the last stronghold of the Japanese imperial forces under Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita, known as the “Tiger of Malaya” and conqueror of Singapore. The gun battle was then called "Battle of Bessang Pass" where the Filipino soldiers defeated the Japanese troop led by Gen. Yamashita. For the Battle of Bessang Pass was truly the culmination of the war in our country, the moment which signified the victory of our arms in battle. Maybe you have heard the Battle of Bessang Pass? But in reality, he had already been defeated by the guerrilla fighters of Northern Luzon, but he did not want to surrender to the Filipinos. While the guerrillas consolidated their forced in Cervantes, the enemy positioned at the outskirts of the town with employed mountain artillery and mortar to bombard the Filipinos. Filipinos at Lower Magoon and Mt. Ozaki sent one more battalion of his 76th Infantry and recaptured Butac and slayed Filipino forces in Bessang. This year, the Battle of Bessang Pass, the fallen and surviving World War II veterans will once more be honored by local government officials and national government employees led by the PVAO at the Bessang Pass Natural Monument with a set of activities. : Map 2,88,99 The pass was the only access between Central Luzon and the Cagayan Valley, and was the scene of much bloody fighting in the Battle of Luzon, during the final stages of World War II. In between, bloody see-saw battles were fought in Lower Cadsu Ridge, Upper Cadsu Ridge, Lamagan Ridge, Laguiatan Hill, Magun Hill and Baracbac Point. The latter included Col. Russell Volckman, its commanding officer. Before Narcise be able to know it, the Japanese 73rd Infantry Regiment of the Tora (Tiger) Division commanded by Lt. Gen. Yoshiharu Ozaki thundered them with full prowess. Manila became the most devastated city after Warsaw, gaining the moniker “The Warsaw of Asia.”. Buccual and pummelled the Filipinos. The tragedy of it all is that the battle of Bessang Pass is just a faint memory in the annals of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. apr 01, 2021; sections . THE BATTLE OF BESSANG PASS... Jump to. Filipinos got butchered and retreated at Lamagan Ridge. The 3rd battalion was suddenly ordered to pull out and reinforce the 121st Infantry’s 1st battalion which was in the midst of huge and brutal struggles over San Fernando, La Union. In relation to the 74th anniversary of the “Battle of Bessang Pass,” General Carolina led the formal opening and blessing of the newly-constructed administration building of PVAO inside the shrine of the United States Armed Forces in the Philippines North Luzon (USAFIP-NL) National Military Shrine at Camp Spencer, Barangay Darigayos, Luna, La Union. Sign Up. • The decisive Battle of Bessang Pass started in this municipality , at Bitalag . Five (5) Infantry Regiments of the USAFIP-NL composed of the 121st, 15th, 66th, 11th, and 14th worked together to recapture Besang Pass from the hands of continue reading : #OnThisDay The stay-behind-force of Japanese marines and Korean conscripts massacred more than 300,000 residents of south Manila and destroyed the city. Lower Cadsu, and more. After liberating San Fernando, La Union, on March 29, the USAFP-NL forces started the all-out assault for Bessang Pass. The Battle of Bessang Pass was fought from 9 January through 15 June 1945 in Cervantes, a municipality in the province of Ilocos Sur, located 260 km north of Manila. It was fought from 9 January through 15 June 1945 in Cervantes, a municipality in the province of Ilocos Sur Great explosion brought out an obnoxious smell rained down from Mt.