LUZON

THE FIRST BATTALION AT PUTLAN

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On 6 March, all 35^th Infantry troops in the Puncan-Digdig area of Highway #5 were relieved by the 27^th Infantry. The 2d Battalion returned to Carranglan, while the 3^rd set up a bivouac near the Old Spanish Trail as a base camp for strong patrols up the trail and up the Degrung river.

Back at Carranglan, Anti-Tank Company sent out a patrol to investigate a civilian report of two Japs seen six hunded yards south of town. For once, the natives reported too little, rather then too much; they ran into a sizeable group of Japs, equiped ith knee mortars. The patrol surrounded and held firm until 81mm mortars could be brought up. In liquidation of the trapped Japs, we had two men killed and three wounded, but eighteen of the enemy were counted dead when the area was cleared.

Upon being relieved at Puncan and Digdig by the 27^th Infantry, the regiment was assigned a variety of missions. We were to reconnoiter in force up the Old Spanish trail and on the trails to the north and northeast of Carranglan, and to continue to protect the east flank of the Division. The 2d and 3d Battalions were assigned these missions. The major task, however, was t make another end-run attack on Highway #5, this time just above Putlan, about four miles up the highway from Digdig. This move would prevent evacuation or reinforcement of the Jap force in the Putlan area. The Putlan Bridge was to be captured intact. There as no information as to the strength, disposition, or composition of the enemy force we were to attack. The Bonga River and the Putlan River Valleys were to be the axis of advance. This mission fell to the 1^st Battalion.

From Carranglan, they were to make a wide sweep to the northwest, so that he objective would be approached from its northeast. Company C was designated as a screening force to move out the day before the main body of the Battalion. C Company of the 65^th Engineers was to build a bulldozer road along the route of advance, with the lead bulldozer only slightly in rear of the last elements, so that supplies could be trucked up as far as possible during the advance.

At 1315 on 6 March, Company C moved out from the assembly area 2000 yards northeast of Carranglan. The remainder of the Battalion cleared the area by 0730 the following morning. A Company was in the lead, followed by Battalion Headquarters, Company D, Company B, and the Medical Detachment.

The march to the objective was without incident. On 7 March, C Company stopped on high ground 5000 yards northeast of Putlan, awaiting the remainder of the Battalion, which arrived just after dark and set up a perimeter for the night. For the next day’s drive the order of march was rearranged; Company A led out, followed by Company B, the Battalion CP, Company D, and Company C.

The jump off was made at 0730 , 8 March, and by 1300, A Company had reached the Putlan Bridge. Only then did they begin to receive heavy fire form the high ground on both sides of the bridge. The terrain in the immediate vicinity of the bridge was flat and open, and positions there were untenable due to a hill overlooking the bridge, in a position from which they could protect it from attempts at demolition. B Company, moving up, attempted to occupy the ridge across the road from a Company, but was driven back by heavy small arms fire and hand grenades from the top of the ridge.

The situation was developing into a hotbox; the "unknown" number of Japs was proving to be a relatively large number, well dug in, well equipped and well supplied. C Company was assigned the job of occupying the ridge to the let of Company A. They accomplished the mission by 1700, against heavy rifle and mortar fire, but due to continuing of heavy fire, were not able to tie in with A Company before dark. B Company, unable to dig in on the west side of the road due to heavy rifle and mortar fire from numerous pillboxes in the area, was ordered back to set up a perimeter in the rear of the Battalion.

The situation as of dusk on the 8^th was accurately described by the battalion commander, in a message to Regimental Headquarters, on one word – "rough". The enemy force had turned out to be larger then expected; and they were fighting from well constructed and mutually supporting positions. Full advantage had been taken of the rough terrain and heavy vegetation. The enemy positions, often half cave and half pillbox, had fire lanes skillfully interlacing so that it was impossible to approach one without coming under fire from others. We were receiving sporadic artillery fire from artillery pieces somewhere back in the hills. The Battalion had suffered about thirty casualties during the day. To complete the picture, construction of the bulldozer road had been stopped by impassable terrain almost 5000 yards to the rear. The supply situation was precarious; for the present there could be no evacuation of the wounded. They had to be treated on the spot, bedded down in a safe place, and protected.

Only minor shiftings of the line occurred the next day. By mid-morning however, the complexion of things had brightened considerably. Company E was attached to the battalion to protect its supply lines and took over B Company positions in the rear. Company B then moved forward and occupied the ridge to the north of A Company without opposition. The company flanks were tie into each other.

At 0900 the 27t Infantry radioed that their advance elements had jumped off from Digdig that morning, and they were on their way to Putlan. And it was learned that Company C of the Engineers had, in their usual fashion, accomplished the impossible after a short delay: Their lead bulldozer was entering the valley, and right behind it were supplies and native carriers, litter squads and ambulances for the wounded. At 1700 a patrol from Company L of the 27^th Infantry made contact with the Battalion CP.

The 10^th was spent probing into the draws leading toward the enemy positions to the south. In the morning B Company located a Jap field piece. L Company of the 27^th Infantry placed 81mm fire on the spot, and later the 64^th Field artillery Battalion chimed in, but the results were unknown at the end of the day.

Relief of the Battalion was effected by the 27^th infantry on the morning of the 11^th. At 1430 the battalion entrucked and returned by motor to their bivouac 2000 yards northeast of Carranglan. On the 12th they moved into Carranglan and set up a perimeter around the north end of town.

There is not much to be said about the part our 1^st Battalion played at Putlan. It was exactly the sort of thing the press released dispose of with the phrase "minor action". The Battalion did not even finish the battle it had started. But its actions had been essential to the victory. Its presence above Putlan had ensured that the Japanese garrison there could not be reinforced and could not retreat – and, retreating, blow up the bridge upon which our speedy advance up Highway #5 depended.

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