Wednesday, February 28
The Next Domino Falls
The wreck that was the Legislature Building - US National Archives
The fall of the Legislature Building and San Luis Terrace yesterday allowed the Americans to push on the Finance and Agriculture Buildings, now the last serious Japanese positions in the city. Other Japanese holdouts still existed, however, as small individual holdouts continued to harass the civilians and American forces throughout the city along with small pockets, but these are by now being rapidly reduced.
Filipino Guerillas engage a Japanese sniper in Paso - US National Archives
Today the last Japanese holdouts in the basements of the destroyed Legislature Building were destroyed, and the Americans moved their focus to the Agriculture Building. This began with a bombardment for three hours, running from 0800 to 1100, concentrating on the first floor to prevent hitting friendly troops attacking the Finance Building nearby. The intensity of the barrage caused the first floor to cave in, as well as collapsing the entire north east corner of the building. The cavalrymen who then entered the building unopposed believed that the Japanese must have all been killed, but this was proven false when they encountered fanatical resistance in the far corners of the structure. A flamethrower tank was brought up to engage the southeast corner, as other tanks circled the building firing point blank into Japanese strongpoints. While this took place the cavalrymen pushed through each of the crumbling rooms one by one with flamethrowers and grenades, even using bazookas in the open courtyard of the building, and by nightfall had killed 115 MNDF troops and forced the rest into the basement.
GIs pull a wounded Japanese soldier from the remains of the Agriculture Building - US National Archives
The end of February did not mean the end of a battle MacArthur had declared over three weeks ago, but it was within in sight. The Japanese had now been pushed into the Finance Building and now prepared to make their final stand, as the Americans closed in from all sides.
US Flags - Represent US and Filipino positions, division emblems added as needed.
IJN Flags - Represent known Major Japanese positions
Black “X” - Represent major war crimes committed today
Medal of Honor - Approximate location of CMH action