81st Division (Philippines)

81st Division
81st Philippine Division Emblem 1941-42
Active	1941 - 10 May 1942
Country	Commonwealth of the Philippines
Branch	Philippine Army
Type	Infantry Division
Size	Division
Part of	Visayan-Mindanao Force
Engagements	World War II Philippines Campaign (1941-1942)
Commanders
Notable commanders	Col. (later BGen.) Guy O. Fort

The 81st Infantry Division was a division of the Philippine Army under the United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE).

History

It was active from 1941 to 10 May 1942, whereupon it surrendered after Corregidor fell. It was active in Mindanao. Colonel (later Brigadier General) Guy O. Fort (PA) was the division's commander, and was later tortured and executed by the Japanese, apparently because he would not comply with their frustrated attempts to use him for propaganda in Mindanao.

Combat Narrative

After the Japanese invasion of the Philippines in December 1941, it formed part of Visayan-Mindanao Force under Brigadier General (later Major General) William F. Sharp, HQ originally at Cebu City.

Order of Battle

• 81st Infantry Regiment (PA) (transf. to 8th Division (PA))
• 82nd Infantry Regiment (PA) (transf. to 8th Division (PA))
• 83rd Infantry Regiment (PA) (transf. to 8th Division (PA))
• 84th Provisional Infantry Regiment (PA) (transf. to 8th Division (PA))
• 81st Field Artillery Regiment (PA) (LCol. Joh P. Woodbridge) (81st F.A. transf. to 102nd Division until transf. to 8th Division)
  • 81st FA Regt HQ Company (PA) (transf. to 8th Division (PA))
  • 1st Bn/81st FA Regt (PA) (75mm guns, 8x) (guns & ammo never arrived; sunk on the SS Corregidor, 17 Dec 41) (transf. to 8th Division (PA))
  • 2nd Bn/81st FA Regt (PA) (3-inch guns, 6x) (guns & ammo never arrived; sunk on the SS Corregidor, 17 Dec 41) (transf. to 8th Division (PA))
  • 3rd Bn/81st FA Regt (PA) (transf. to 8th Division (PA))
• 81st Engineer Battalion (PA) (transf. to 8th Division (PA))
• 81st Division Units (PA) (transf. to 8th Division (PA))
  • 81st Division Headquarters & HQ Company (PA) (transf. to 8th Division (PA))
  • 81st Medical Battalion (PA) (transf. to 8th Division (PA))
  • 81st Signal Company (PA) (transf. to 8th Division (PA))
  • 81st Quartermaster Company (Motorized) (PA) (transf. to 8th Division (PA))
  • 81st QM Transport Company (Truck) (PA) (transf. to 8th Division (PA))

Sources

• Morton, Louis (1953). United States Army in World War II, The War in the Pacific: The Fall of the Philippines. Washington, D.C.: Center of Military History, United States Army. 
• Whitman, John W. (1990). Bataan: Our Last Ditch : The Bataan Campaign, 1942. Hippocrene Books. ISBN 0-87052-877-7. 

Bibliography

• Morton, Louis. The Fall of the Philippines (Publication 5-2). Retrieved on 14 Feb 2017.  This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

References