The stay-behind-force of Japanese marines and Korean conscripts massacred more than 300,000 residents of south Manila and destroyed the city. The Filipinos had won triumphantly the merciless Battle for the Clouds, the bloodshed Battle of Bessang Pass. Feature: By Imelda Castro-Rivero, PIA 1 Ilocos Sur VIGAN CITY – The only battle where Filipino soldiers won over foreign invaders in the Philippines is the Battle of Bessang Pass. The Japanese forces withdrew from Manila and other areas of Luzon after sacking and destroying Manila with a pogrom of atrocities. 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. 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. The latter included Col. Russell Volckman, its commanding officer.
The gun battle was then called "Battle of Bessang Pass" where the Filipino soldiers defeated the Japanese troop led by Gen. Yamashita. During the three long years of Japanese occupation, almost all of the forces of this command served as guerillas. The Battle of Bessang Pass was thus a sweet revenge for the Filipinos and Americans who participated in the three long years of war of resistance against the Japanese occupation forces. This was a three-month uphill battle between the guerrilla forces under Col. Russell Volckman in the … By March, the harder part of the battle commenced. The units of the USAFP-NL that fought at the battle were the 121st, 15th, 66th and the Provisional Infantry Regiments.
If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. He was the commanding general of the Japanese imperial forces in the Philippines.
Their advance was steady, gradual and costly.
Two of these books available to readers at the Gregoria M. Rivera Memorial Library in this city are the “Victory at Bessang Pass” by Ben Call and “Victory in Northern Luzon” by Cesar P. Pobre.Also in 2015, some World War II veterans from La Union, Pangasinan, and Ilocos Sur climbed up Cervantes town to join fellow veterans in the annual celebration of the Battle of Bessang Pass in barangay Malaya where the monument of the battle is enshrined.In 2016, a sculpture of the triumph of Filipinos over the Japanese army in this part of the country was built at the Bessang Pass Natural Monument. The troops bore the brunt of the fighting, sustaining over 2,000 casualties, including 600 men killed. The area was fenced and improved, signifying how valuable the place is to the history of the country and to the lives of Filipinos.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.Bessang Pass is the last stronghold of the Japanese Imperial Army in the country.#VIGAN CITY – The only battle where Filipino soldiers won over foreign invaders in the Philippines is the Battle of Bessang Pass. 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. The Japanese forces fortified the hills and the ridges to stop any American offensive on their way to Baguio City and the Cordillera stronghold of Yamashita.
This battle which took place on June 1945 ended the Japanese hold on the country after three years.Mario Subagan, president of the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) in Ilocos Sur, said that Filipinos must value this battle and that if the Battle of Bataan is celebrated by the whole nation on May 9 each year, it must also do the same and give more focus on the Battle of Bessang Pass.We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Weekly news, literature and information from the Ilocos RegionToday, celebrations show how fighters in Ilocos fought for the country’s freedom that led to the surrender of General Tomoyuki Yamashita, the Japanese Army Officer who defended the last stronghold of his army in Cervantes town.During the 2015 celebration of Bessang Pass Day, Lt. Gen. Ernesto G. Carolina, AFP (ret), Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) administrator, said this victory is only known by a few with only three books written about it. Manila became the most devastated city after Warsaw, gaining the moniker “The Warsaw of Asia.” 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. After liberating San Fernando, La Union, on March 29, the USAFP-NL forces started the all-out assault for Bessang Pass.