WW2 Chapter 58 - Mopping Up

News Report, December 26

Once the village of Ormoc had been secured, units of the 77th Division made another amphibious landing at Palompon to the north, successfully capturing the enemy's last important stronghold on the island.

AP Report, Dec. 26: “A Christmas morning surprise for Japan in the form of an amphibious invasion of Palompon harbor brought the bloody 67-day Leyte-Samar campaign to an end except for mopping-up operations, and Gen. Douglas MacArthur today hailed ‘perhaps the greatest defeat in the military annals of the Japanese army.’ Some of Nippon’s best troops were committed to the defense of Leyte, which Tokyo considered ‘the decisive battle for our homeland.’”

Despite this announcement, General MacArthur was often known for announcing victories well before they had actually been achieved, either out of military strategy or ego. At that time, the term "mopping up" could be very discouraging to the troops who were still involved in one of the most difficult and dangerous phases of the battle, and the troops resented MacArthur for using this term.

After the capture of Ormoc and Palompon, Franklin's 7th Division was charged with mopping up enemy soldiers in the surrounding areas. The remaining Japanese, however, continued to put up fierce resistance, often from well hidden, fortified positions.

Most Japanese soldiers would fight to the death rather than surrender, knowing that if they surrendered for any reason, they would never be allowed to return home. During this time, there were reports of Japanese soldiers dressing in U.S. uniforms or dressing as women, hoping to get close enough to kill American troops before being killed themselves.

As late as January 22, there were still reports of large bands of Japanese soldiers in northern Leyte, and the mopping up operations had to be continued into early February.