The 1st Cavalry Division entered combat in the Southwest Pacific during the Admiralty Islands operation. On 29 February 1944, elements of the 5th Cavalry landed on Los Negros in what began as a reconnaissance in force and quickly developed into a sustained offensive. Under sharp Japanese counterattack, the division expanded its foothold, and additional regiments landed in March to continue the advance. By 18 May 1944, the Admiralty Islands had been secured, denying the Japanese an important base area and supporting the Allied advance toward the Philippines.
The division next took part in the return to the Philippines, landing on Leyte on 20 October 1944. It pushed inland from the eastern coast, helped secure Tacloban and nearby airfields, and then advanced north and west through difficult terrain against stubborn resistance. By early 1945, organized Japanese resistance on Leyte had been reduced to scattered pockets.
On Luzon, the division landed in Lingayen Gulf on 27 January 1945 and began a rapid drive south. On 3 February, advance elements entered Manila and freed the internees at Santo Tomas, one of the most visible actions of the campaign. The division then fought east of the city, securing key crossings and continuing operations through southern and central Luzon as the campaign expanded.
By the end of the war, the division had fought from the Admiralty Islands through the liberation of Manila and into the final clearing operations in the Philippines, covering a wide arc of the Southwest Pacific offensive.
(A) = attached
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