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LUZON B COMPANY ACTIVITIES WITH THE 3D BATTALION 27TH INFANTRY 27 APRIL – 10 MAY 1945 On 27 April, B Company passed to Division control, with the mission of patrolling the "Sawmill Road" from Lone Tree Hill on Balete Pass. On the 28th, however, the orders were cancelled, and the company was attached to the 3d Battalion of the 27th Infantry, which was then pushing southeast toward Kapintalan to meet the 35th infantry pushing up. After checking in at the 27th Infantry CP on the 28th, B Company headed for the 3d Battalion CP on Lone Tree Hill. After breaking up a Jap trail block and killing six Japs, the company joined the battalion that night, and formed part of the perimeter. Throughout the night their sector was attacked by a large group of Japs, using LMGs and knee mortars. B Company fought off the attack, killing twenty eight Japs that night. K/27th jumped off down the ridge that morning and took a small hill about two hundred yards to the southwest. At 1700, B Company passed through K/27th’s positions with the mission of taking another small hill four hundred yards farther down the ridge. Digging in for the night about two hundred yards out, the company was again attacked all through the night, receiving hand grenades as well as knee mortars, machine gun, and rifle fire. Several casualties were suffered and eight Japs were killed. On the morning of the 30th, they found that the Japs had set up a block, so they withdrew to K Company’s position, and went down the left side of the ridge. After preparatory fire by mortars and M-7s, the company attacked the enemy’s left flank, but was driven back by continuous fire from knee mortars and three heavy machine guns. That afternoon, the company again went back to K/27s positions, and went down the right side of the ridge. Descending into the dense growth of the ravine, they managed to work their way unnoticed to within a few yards of the Jap defenders of the hill, who were under the impression they were still on the other flank. Just before dark, B Company pulled a Banzai in reverse, storming the hill with bayonets. The Japs were caught away from their machine guns, and could not put up an effective defense. Fifteen were killed, and the rest escaped into the ravine. That night B Company dug in on the hill hey had just taken, under heavy machine gun and knee mortar fire from the main Japanese strongpoint in this area, which lay across this ravine, about one hundred yards distant. On the morning of the 31st, they jumped off to attack across the ravine. They ha almost reached the objective along a steep hogback, when they were stopped by heavy fire from caves. After several attempts to flank the strongpoint, they withdrew to their former position. It was later found that this hogback was defended from more then one hundred caves. For three days, B Company sat on its hill, exchanging fire with the Japs across the way. On the 4th of May, K/27 passed through them to attack the hill, but were driven back. On the 5th, B Company went back to Lone Tree Hill, leaving one platoon with K Company. Here they remained until the 11th, when E/27 and K/35 made contact. On the 12th they rejoined their battalion. Back to History Index The 3d Battalion with the 27th Infantry
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