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BICYCLE-MOUNTED
JAPANESE TROOPS |
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The Kanno Detachment jumped off
from Talevera, north of Cabanatuan, at 0100 on 30 December. Preceded by
bicycle-mounted infantry, the unit cleared Cabanatuan, already in
Japanese hands, shortly after and pushed on along the Cabanatuan-Tarlac
road, disregarding security measures. At 0315 an alert tanker of the
192d Tank Battalion observed a large number of cyclists in column
approaching Zaragoza. When the Japanese reached the American position
they were greeted by point-blank fire from the alerted tanks. At the
mercy of the tanks, the cyclists lost an estimated eighty-two men before
they could make their escape.
It was still dark when the action ended.
The tank commander, fearing infiltration by enemy infantry, withdrew his
platoon across the Zaragoza bridge, then insisted that the bridge be
blown though the 11th Infantry troops were still on the other side. The
commander of the engineer detachment had no choice but to comply and lit
the time fuses. So surprised was the troop commander when the bridge was
blown that he ordered an investigation immediately and incorrectly
concluded . . .
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that the engineer lieutenant
had left the destruction of the bridge to his platoon
sergeant and departed for the rear. The platoon sergeant
detailed a private and departed with the rest of the men.
The private, not to be outdone, had found a civilian,
instructed him how to light the dynamite, paid him one peso
and then left to join his platoon. The civilian, after
hearing the shooting, became excited and blew the bridge.
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The premature destruction of the bridge
took the tanks out of the action and left the infantry, still on the far
side of the shallow river, without the support of the armor.
