Burauen Zip Code

[Martta]

BackgroundAfter the U.S. Army landings on eastern Leyte in the Philippines the Japanese planned to push American forces off the island. On October 25, 1944 Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) 14th Area Army Headquarters under the command of General Tomoyuki Yamashita ordered a counterattack. The Japanese planned an airborne assault code named "Operation Te" by the paratroopers with an objective of capturing three airfields: Buri Airfield, Bayug Airfield and San Pablo Airfield. Meanwhile, a ground offensive code named "Operation WA" would be conducted by the Japanese 35th Army under the command of Lt. General Sosaku Susuki including elements of the 26th Infantry Division and 16th Infantry Division that would attack from the hills to the west.

The paratrooper assault would be conducted by the Japanese Army's 2nd Raiding Brigade including the 3rd Raiding Regiment (3rd Parachute Regiment) under the command of Major Tsuneharu Shirai plus the 4th Raiding Regiment (4th Parachute Regiment) under the command of Major Chisaku Saida. On October 30, 1944 at Sasebo the 3rd Raiding Regiment was embarked aboard Junyo bound for Manila arriving November 11, 1944. The same day, the Headquarters, 2nd Raiding Brigade was flown to Luzon. Meanwhile, on November 3, 1944 the 4th Raiding Regiment under the command of Major Chisaku Saida embarked aboard Akagisan Maru and by the end of the month reached San Fernando. By early December 1944 the entire 2nd Raiding Brigade was assembled at Clark Field on Luzon while their aircraft remained on Formosa (Taiwan) to avoid U.S. air raids or observation until the start of the operation.

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