Battle of Maguindanao

Battle of Maguindanao
Date January to September 1945 Location Maguindanao Result Filipino victory
Belligerents
Commonwealth of the Philippines	Empire of Japan Second Philippine Republic
Commanders and leaders
Paulino Santos Gumbay Piang Salipada K. Pendatun	Tomoyuki Yamashita Akira Muto Jiro Harada Gyosaku Morozumi
Units involved
Philippine Commonwealth military 6th Infantry Division 10th Infantry Division 101st Infantry Division 102nd Infantry Division 104th Infantry Division 106th Infantry Division 10th Infantry Regiment Recognized Guerrilla Unit Maguindanao Guerrilla Forces Maguindanao Bolo Battalion Bukidnon-Cotabato Force 10th Military District, Mindanao Guerrillas Maranao Militia force	Japanese 35th Area Army
Strength
56,200 Filipino troops 5,170 Maguindanaoan guerillas 740 Maguindanaoan civilian swordsmen	27,000 Imperial Japanese troops
Casualties and losses
260 killed 1,244 wounded	6,000 killed 10,200 wounded 1,000 captured

The Battle of Maguindanao or Cotabato and Maguindanao Campaign (Filipino: Labanan sa Maguindanao or Kampanya sa Cotabato at Maguindanao) was one of the final battles of the Philippines Campaign of World War II, when Filipino forces of the 6th, 10th, 101st, 102nd, 104th and 106th Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and 10th Infantry Regiment of the Philippine Constabulary liberated the provinces of Cotabato and Maguindanao

Philippine Commonwealth troops, local guerrillas of the Maguindanao Guerrilla Forces, Maguindanao Bolo Battalion and the Bukidnon-Cotabato Force, 10th Military District of the Mindanao Guerrillas, Maranao Militia force and Maguindanaoan civilian sword and spearsmen fought against Imperial Japanese Army troops. The battle was fought chiefly by Filipino military units. Although inferior in training and in weapons, the Filipinos heavily outnumbered their opponents, and suffered far fewer casualties.

Since early March 1945, the 108th Division, part of Colonel Wendell Fertig's 10th Military District guerrilla force, had been attacking the Japanese garrison at Malabang, and by late March Stinson L-5 Sentinel liaison planes could use the Malabang strip, and U S Marine Corps aircraft on 5 April. By 11 April, the Japanese had fled toward Parang, "and the guerrillas had completed the occupation of the entire Malabang region." On 13 April, "the Japanese had probably evacuated the Cotabato areas as well." American forces landed in the area on 17 April.

See also

• Battle of Mindanao
• List of American guerrillas in the Philippines