The 11th Airborne Division entered combat in the Philippines during the Leyte campaign in November 1944, landing by sea and moving into the rugged interior. Its regiments fought in the Burauen sector and, in December, helped defeat a Japanese airborne attack against American airfields.
On 31 January 1945, the division landed at Nasugbu on Luzon and advanced rapidly inland. On 3 February, the 511th Parachute Infantry conducted a combat drop on Tagaytay Ridge, accelerating the advance toward Manila. The division then fought north and east against the city’s southern defenses, including Nichols Field and Fort McKinley, in some of the most intense fighting of the Luzon campaign.
On 23 February, the division carried out the raid on Los Baños, combining airborne, amphibious, and ground elements in a coordinated assault that freed over 2,000 civilian internees. It continued operations in southern Luzon through the spring and summer.
After Japan’s surrender, the division became the first American formation to land in Japan, arriving at Atsugi on 30 August 1945.
(A) = attached
Sources and notes can be found on the Sources page.
View sources →