G-1 Report from Hunters-ROTC GHQ at Nasugbu, Sept-Nov 1944 - Batangas History, Culture and Folklore G-1 Report from Hunters-ROTC GHQ at Nasugbu, Sept-Nov 1944 - Batangas History, Culture and Folklore

G-1 Report from Hunters-ROTC GHQ at Nasugbu, Sept-Nov 1944

The Hunters/ROTC was a guerrilla group formed in 1942. Initially operating in Rizal Province, the group would also have a sizable presence in Batangas and would be instrumental in providing intelligence to the United States forces leading to the assault landing at Nasugbu on 31 January 1945.

More information about the group is available in this article → “Operations of the Hunters/ROTC Guerillas in Batangas Prior to the 1945 Nasugbu Landing in WWII.”

Guerrilla Files

In this November 1944 document1 important information is provided about the Hunters-ROTC Guerrilla group after it moved its headquarters to Cutad, Nasugbu because of its more “strategic” advantage. The document is edited her and there for grammar and spelling.

[p. 1]

UNITED STATES PHILIPPINE ISLANDS FORCES
THE HUNTERS or R. O. T. C. GUERRILLAS
GENERAL HEADQUARTERS

20 November 1944

G-1 R-E-P-O-R-T
From: 1 September 1944
To: 19 November 1944

No. 1
Maps: Southern Luzon Map

1. GENERAL HEADQUARTERS

A. Location of Camps:
1. GHQ: Cutad, Nasugbu Mts., Batangas
2. Bataan CP: Balanga, Bataan
3. Zambalaes CP: Subic, Zambales
4. Pangasinan CP: Urbiztondo, Pangasinan
5. Nueva Ecija CP: Gapan, Nueva Ecija
B. Approximate Personnel Strength (Officers and men):
1. GHQ: 80, plus 300 men in the vicinity, composing the GHQ special troops.
2. Bataan CP: 15
3. Pangasinan CP: 15
4. Nueva Ecija CP: 20

C. This GHQ has moved from Infanta, Tayabas, to Cutad, Nasugbu Mts, Batangas, which we consider more strategic. The trek took the GHQ officers and men two weeks.

2. Immediately, this GHQ took command of the Hunters Units in the adjacent towns of Ternate, Cavite and Nasugbu, Batangas, which are to be utilized as message terminals.

XXXXX

5. The Bataan, Zambales, Pangasinan and Nueva Ecija units of this Command are directly under the supervision and control of this GHQ. This GHQ supervises Rizal, Laguna and Tayabas thru the 44th Division Commander; and Manila, Cavite and Batangas through the 47th Division Commander. In view of the difficulty of communication and utter lack of finances, contacts with the Bataan, Zambales, Pangasinan and Nueva Ecija units have become quite difficult. It was thought of converting our town organizations in these areas into purely intelligence organizations. An intelligence commander for each of these four provinces has been designated to intensify intelligence operations.

6. Likewise, this Command has intelligence operatives in all the other provinces of Luzon. The lack of funds, however, is the deterring factor.

[p. 2]

7. Our intelligence school is going on satisfactorily in this GHQ. The instructors are USAFFE Majors Marcelo S. Castillo (OSP), Class 1938, United States Naval Academy, and Guillermo Monfort Inf., Intelligence officer of the 6th Military District, now attached to us. The students are our intelligence operatives in Manila, Cavite and Batangas. The District Chief of Staff and the 44th Division Commander conducts a separate school for the intelligence operatives of Rizal, Laguna and Tayabas.

2. 44th (HUNTERS) DIVISION

[This section is not transcribed because the information pertains to the provinces of Rizal, Tayabas and Laguna and, therefore, not relevant to this web site.]

[p. 4]

3. 47th (ROTC) DIVISION

A. Location of Camps:

1. 47th Div (Manila, Cavite, Batangas) CP: Alfonso, Cavite
2. 47th Reg (Manila) CP: Las Piñas, Rizal
3. 48th Reg (Cavite) CP: Carmona, Cavite
4. 49th Reg (Batangas) CP: Lian-Calatagan Mts, Batangas
5. 1st Batt, 47th Reg: Ermita, Manila
6. 2nd Batt, 47th Reg: Sta. Cruz, Manila
7. 3rd Batt, 47th Reg: Tondo, Manila
8. 4th Batt, 47th Reg (formerly 3rd Batt, 44th Reg, comprising Pasay, Parañaque, Muntinglupa, Pateros and Makati, Rizal) Taguig, Rizal
9. 1st Batt, 48th Reg: Silang Cavite
10. 2nd Batt, 48th Reg: Gen. Trias, Cavite
11. 3rd Batt, 48th Reg: Alfonso, Cavite
12. 1st Batt, 49th Reg: Calatagan, Batangas
13. 2nd Batt, 49th Reg: Batangas, Batangas
14. 3rd Batt, 49th Reg: Lipa, Batangas
B. Approximate Personnel Strength (Officers and men) in the CP:
1. 44th Div: 30, plus around 300 armed men, comprising the Division special troops.
2. 47th Reg: 25, plus around 150 armed men.

[p. 5]

3. 48th Reg: 80
4. 49th Reg: 50
5. 1st Batt, 47th Reg: 20
6. 2nd Batt, 47th Reg: 20
7. 3rd Batt, 47th Reg: 20
8. 4th Batt, 47th Reg: 50
9. 1st Batt, 48th Reg: 30
10. 2nd Batt, 48th Reg: 30
11. 3rd Batt, 48th Reg: 50
12. 1st Batt, 49th Reg: 40
13. 2nd Batt, 49th Reg: 20
14. 3rd Batt, 49th Reg: 30

C. Home Guard Units

[For this section, only information pertaining to Batangas is transcribed.]

[p. 6]

3. BATANGAS

a. Tuy
b. Lian
c. Calatagan
d. Calaca
e. Balayan
f. Talisay
g. Mabini
h. Batangas
i. Lobo
j. Sto. Tomas
k. Malvar
l. Lipa
m. Mataas-na-Kahoy
n.  San Juan
o. Nasugbu (directly under GHQ)
APPROX. PERSONNEL STRENGTH
(Officers and men)
200
300
350
250
200
250
300
300
300
400
350
600
300
400
400
After the capture of Col. Straughn, the Commander of the Fil-American Irregular Troops, came the capture of his provincial commanders. One of these was the Fil-American provincial commander for Batangas, Col. Jorge Espina, together with his staff officers. At this time, the highest ranking Fil-American officer remaining in the field had contacted this command, offering the fusion of his remaining units with this Organization. This was agreed upon. Now, in order to keep the Fil-American units in Batangas intact, they were contacted by this Command one by one. The results were encouraging. All the Fil-American units in Batangas which have been contacted have joined this organization and are now Hunters in spirit.

[p. 7]

4. THE TOWN ORGANIZATION

The town organization seems to be an organization unique to the Hunters or ROTC Guerrillas. The town organization follows one distinct pattern. Pursuant to the Field Service Regulations of this Command, a Town Commander is appointed for each town, preferably a young, responsible, intelligent, educated and energetic young man. He appoints his staff officers and all the barrio commanders for the barrios within the towns, subject to the approval of this Command. In every barrio, there are combat, sabotage and military police units, the functions of which being self-explanatory. The town organization follows the Army pattern.

These town organizations, composed mainly of the cream of [the] youth, function very secretly and yet very effectively. They do sabotage and counter-propaganda work; eliminate spies, dealers in war materials and other traitors to the cause; control the government behind the screen; maintain peace and order in towns by eliminating robbers and other criminals; see to it as much as possible the democratic way of life is preserved. There is also a Women’s Auxiliary Corps, which has been functioning very efficiently during bombings, taking care of the injured. Above all, they conduct intelligence work. Some members are designated road-spotters whose duties are to observe the number, load, direction and kinds of Jap trucks that pass by; others are appointed coast-watchers to list down the number, kind, tonnage, direction, etc. of Jap ships that sail by; still others are assigned as operatives inside Jap airfields, Jap establishments, barracks, piers wharves, etc. These town operatives are aside from the battalion, regimental, division and the GHQ operatives.

How these organizations operate under the very nose of the Japs and under so many adverse and trying conditions is incredible. A lot of them have been arrested by the Japs. Some of them have been executed, others are still languishing in prison; while the rest have been freed. Invariably, those who have been set free become more intense guerrilleros. In all cases, however, for every member of this organization arrested, two or three or even ten others take his place, and the Japs get more headaches. This is how we fight the Japs.

(Sgd.) TERRY MAGTANGGOL2
Col. Guer. Inf.
Commanding
AUTHENTIC:
ELIAS GARBIBALDI
Major, Guer. Inf.
A C of S G-1
A TRUE COPY: VLS/ yr
Notes and references:
1 Box 246, Entry 1087, Philippine Archive Collection, Record Group 407, (US) National Archives. Online at the Philippine Veterans Association Office.
2 “Magtanggol” is the nom de guerre of Eleuterio “Terry” Adevoso, Wikipedia.
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