The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia
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U.S. troops on the Sayre Highway near Kabacan.
U.S. Army. Via iblbio.org
Kabacan (124.817E 7.117N) is a road junction on the island of Mindanao, joining Route 3 to Route 1. It was a crucial position in both Mindanao campaigns.
During the first Mindanao campaign, Kabacan was the objective of Kawaguchi Detachment following its landing on the west coast of Mindanao on 29 April 1942. The Japanese raced to capture the junction and cut off Allied forces retreating from Digos, southwest of Davao, but failed to reach the junction in time.
The situation was almost exactly reversed during the second Mindanao campaign. Kabacan was the objective of 24 Division (Woodruff) following its landing on the west coast of Mindanao on 17 April 1945. Forward elements of the division reached the junction on 22 April, sealing the fate of eastern Mindanao.
References
Rottman (2002)The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia © 2010 by Kent G. Budge. Index
