US AIRBORNE

The origins of the 503rd RCT date back to August 21, 1941, at Fort Benning, Georgia, as the 503rd Parachute Infantry Battalion. This battalion was one of the four original battalions formed (501st, 502nd, and 504th).

On March 2, 1941, the battalion became the core for the creation of the new 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment. It was the first of several regiments formed that year. The regiment was sent to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in March 1942.

On October 20, 1942, the regiment departed from San Francisco, heading for the Panama Canal Zone. There, it joined the 501st PIB. The latter merged with the 503rd PIR to form the second battalion, replacing the original 2nd Battalion, which had been sent to England to join the 509th PIR. The regiment arrived in Australia on December 2, 1942, after a journey of 43 days and 42 nights.

Later, the regiment's strength was increased with the addition of a paratrooper artillery battalion, the 462nd, on March 29, 1944, and an engineer company, the 161st, on September 13, 1944. At this point, the 503rd became an RCT, or Regimental Combat Team.

In August 1943, General MacArthur and his staff planned a return to Manila. However, they were well aware that this would require gradually pushing back the Japanese forces, island by island. Most Allied attacks in the region had failed, as the Japanese fiercely defended their positions. Most of the attacks came from Australia, the most threatened by Japanese occupation in this area. The tide began to turn in favor of the Allies in December 1942 when the Australians recaptured Buna. Despite Allied numerical superiority, the Japanese clung to their positions, fighting to hold every square inch of land. In January 1943, the Americans joined the Australians in their assaults on Sanananda, with over 7,000 Japanese casualties. It was their first defeat on land.

In August 1943, the 503rd PIR was ordered to leave their training camp in Australia for Port Moresby and prepare for combat. The ultimate objective of MacArthur was Lae, the main coastal city of New Guinea.

MacArthur's strategy was to advance northeast through New Guinea with his largely Australian force, under General Blamey, and capture and occupy a sector containing the towns of Salamaua, Lae, Finchhafen, and Madang. Lae was his primary objective, and its capture would open a vital passage through the Huon Peninsula. The attack would begin on September 4, 1943, with an amphibious assault launched by the 9th Australian Division on Lae. Simultaneously, the 7th Australian Division would be airlifted into the Markham Valley. The success of this second assault relied on the 503rd PIR, which was tasked with capturing and holding an unused airstrip at Nadzab.

On September 1, 1943, Colonel Kenneth H. Kinsler gathered his commanders and gave them instructions for their mission, the first airborne operation in the Pacific. Lieutenant Colonel John Britten would jump with his 1st Battalion directly onto the airstrip to eliminate any enemy resistance. Lieutenant Colonel George Jones would lead his 2nd Battalion north of the airfield to protect the flank. Lieutenant Colonel Jack Tolson's 3rd Battalion would jump east of the airfield to secure the nearby village of Gabmatzung. In 1943, the 503rd did not yet have a "Field Artillery" component, so 31 non-paratrooper Australian volunteers were attached and had to learn the basics of a combat jump. By September 5, they were ready.

On September 4, 1943, the 9th Australian Division, under Major General G.P. Wooten, landed 40 km east of Lae near the Bula River and began advancing toward Lae. On September 5, 1943, at dawn, poor weather and fog grounded the planes. The operation, initially scheduled for 5:30 am, was nearly canceled. However, by 7:30 am, the fog cleared, and by 8:25 am, the first 79 C-47s of the 54th Troop Carrier Wing, under Colonel Paul Prentiss, took off.

Due to the proximity of Japanese defenses, a massive air armada took off that day. The 5th Air Force, under Lieutenant General George Kenney, launched 100 planes to protect the C-47s. Six squadrons of B-25s, armed with .50 caliber machine guns and carrying 120 fragmentation bombs, preceded the drop by a few minutes. Then, six A-20s followed to drop smoke on the DZ (Drop Zone) and prevent snipers from targeting isolated paratroopers. Finally, three B-17s and six P-47s were ready to intercept any enemy aircraft.

The paratroopers jumped at 10:22 am on September 5, 1943. Once on the ground, they encountered little opposition. However, what caused them more difficulty were the humidity and the "Kunai" grass, sharp and fine like a razor blade. The 503rd PIR quickly secured its objective, and Australian engineers immediately began improving the airstrip. In the following days, the first elements of the 7th Australian Division began to arrive. On September 10, the Australian troops relieved the 503rd PIR from its protective duties. Only the 3rd Battalion remained behind to protect the exposed rear.

On September 14, 1943, Lieutenant Colonel Tolson led his 3rd Battalion into the Markham Valley near the village of Jalu, halfway between Lae and Nadzab, where he established his headquarters. He intercepted small groups of Japanese coming from Lae. The next day, Company I encountered a large group of Japanese soldiers, and fierce fighting ensued, prompting Tolson to send additional companies in support.

On September 16, 1943, Lae fell into Australian hands. The 3rd Battalion of the 503rd PIR was relieved of its protective duties on the 17th and returned to Port Moresby, joining the 1st Battalion (which had arrived on the 14th) and the 2nd Battalion (which arrived on the 17th). The drop was a great success, executed "like in training." The 503rd PIR lost three men in the jump and counted 33 wounded. In the skirmishes that followed, they lost another eight men and had 12 more wounded.

In a telegram to Lieutenant Colonel Kinsler, General MacArthur wrote:

"Now that the fall of Lae is a fact, I wish to record the brilliant and important contribution of the 503rd PIR under your competent leadership. Your officers and men have demonstrated exemplary combat effectiveness. Please convey my satisfaction and great pride to all ranks."

The successful use of paratroopers in the Markham Valley helped preserve the concept of airborne assault and jumping into strategic points.

After the success at Lae, as well as those at Bougainville, Tarawa, and Makin, the Allies pushed the Japanese onto the defensive. In New Guinea, the capture of Lae signaled other objectives: Wewak, Hollandia, and Wakde.

George M Jones

In October 1943, Lieutenant Colonel George M. Jones, "The Warden," took command, replacing Colonel Kenneth H. Kinsler.

After returning to Port Moresby, the 503rd PIR went back to Australia. The 503rd integrated new recruits and trained for upcoming battles. They were stationed at Camp Cable, just south of Brisbane.

On April 8, the 503rd left Australia aboard the SS Van der Lijn. After a brief stop in Milne Bay, New Guinea, the ship continued its journey to Oro Bay, where they awaited their deployment.

On April 22, the 41st Infantry Division and the 24th began Operation Reckless. This operation targeted the 11,000 Japanese troops occupying Hollandia and the Humboldt Bay area. The capture of Hollandia would provide several landing strips for the Allies from which they could launch bombers to support the push into the Philippines. On June 2, 1944, the 503rd boarded C-47s for Dobodura, heading for the newly captured Cyclops Field airstrip. Their mission there was to defend the headquarters of Lieutenant General Walter Krueger, commander of the 6th Army.

Meanwhile, on May 27, 1944, the 41st Infantry Division had invaded Biak Island near Bosnek, located in the northwest of New Guinea. The Japanese resistance was fierce, and they were still receiving supplies from Noemfoor Island. While fighting for Biak raged, MacArthur decided to make Noemfoor Island his next objective to cut off Japanese supply lines. Noemfoor is a 24km by 19km island located about 120km west of Biak. The island had three airfields: Kornasoren, Kamiri, and Namber. Kamiri was the most developed airfield, while Namber was still under construction.

The plan was to proceed as follows:

14 days before the invasion, bombers attacked the island, focusing mainly on the airfields. Three days before the invasion, an armada consisting of 3 cruisers, 23 destroyers, and 3 LCI rocket ships bombarded the beaches near Kamiri and Namber.

A quarter-hour before the assault, 33 A-20s would strafe enemy positions on the southern part of the island. The invasion itself would be led by the 158th RCT, with the 503rd PIR kept in reserve.

The attack began on July 2, 1944, at 5:00 AM, with 40 LCMs carrying the 158th RCT, protected by 21 Australian and American warships.

At 6:40 AM, the final barrage was fired from the ships. At 7:45 AM, fire shifted to the flanks, signaling the arrival of 33 B-24 Liberators, which dropped 108 tons of bombs of all types behind the landing zone. At 7:47 AM, the LCMs began shuttle runs to the beaches. Meanwhile, the B-24s bombed the Kamiri airfield area, and the A-20s strafed the landing beaches. By 8:00 AM, troops began landing. They encountered only minimal resistance, as the Japanese had retreated into coral caves south of Kamiri. At 9:00 AM, reconnaissance troops were sent out to assess the condition of the Japanese defenses while bulldozers worked on repairing the first airfield. Captured Japanese soldiers revealed that they had received reinforcements of 3,000 men. Brigadier General Edwin Patrick, commanding forces on the island, decided it was time to deploy paratroopers to reinforce his troops. Late on the evening of July 2, 1944, Colonel Jones received orders to join Noemfoor Island.

Fortunately, the 503rd PIR was prepared for this eventuality, and at 3:00 AM on July 3, trucks arrived to transport the 1st Battalion. Due to a shortage of aircraft, the battalions had to jump one after the other. At 5:05 AM, the 1st Battalion was ready for takeoff, and at 6:30 AM, the first C-47 took off for Noemfoor. At 10:00 AM, the lead plane gave the green light for the first stick to jump. Due to a pilot error, which resulted in not recalibrating the altimeter, the first stick jumped at 175 feet instead of 300-400 feet. Fortunately, the other pilots corrected in time. As a result, 72 of the 739 men in the 1st Battalion were injured. Further casualties were added when the first two sticks landed on bulldozers, trucks, and other engineering equipment that were repairing the airstrip. 19 men were injured, 9 severely. Among the unlucky ones was Colonel Jones himself.

The 3rd Battalion jumped at 9:55 AM, and the equipment was cleared from the DZ, with planes flying at "standard" altitude. Despite this, the rough terrain resulted in 56 accidents, which was unacceptable for a "normal" jump. It was decided that the 2nd Battalion would be transported by boat via Biak Island's airstrips.

Once on the ground, the 1st and 2nd Battalions secured Kamiri. On the night of July 4, the 157th faced a fierce counterattack from the Japanese. On July 6, the 2nd Battalion of the 158th landed on the southwest coast of the island, while a detachment from the 2nd Battalion of the 503rd PIR went to Namin Island, 5km away, to establish a radar station. The goal was to push the Japanese inland.

On July 11, the 503rd PIR was ordered to defend the southern sector of Noemfoor, the island's toughest area, covered by thick jungle and punctuated by high ridges—bad terrain for lightly armed soldiers. To compensate, they were supported by the 147th Field Artillery Battalion. While the 1st and 3rd Battalions headed south, the newly arrived 2nd Battalion moved to the village of Inasi on the eastern coast of the island.

On July 13, the 1st Battalion of the 503rd PIR, now commanded by Major Robert Woods, reached the base of Hill 670, in the center of the western part of the island. They expected it to be a Japanese stronghold. Company C was sent to locate enemy forces. The force they encountered led Captain John Rucker to estimate the enemy strength at 400 men, but it turned out there were almost 1,200 Japanese troops. After fighting for a quarter of an hour, Captain Rucker decided to take cover. Woods sent Companies A and B in support. He also sent patrols to more accurately locate the enemy in order to target them with artillery.

The next day, at 7:00 AM, Battery A of the 147th fired in front of Companies B and C. They were able to climb up to the ridge of the hill and send patrols to locate the bulk of the Japanese forces. The 503rd PIR was now fully aware of the difficulties of jungle warfare, and their experience was largely gained through trial and error, sometimes bitterly. Roads were nonexistent, and every meter had to be cleared with axes or machetes. A mere 300 meters felt like kilometers, and doctors struggled to attend to the wounded and evacuate the worst cases. Communication was difficult, making operational information hard to come by. Supplies of food, water, and ammunition were delivered by small planes, but the payload was limited. These factors, coupled with diseases like malaria, typhus, and dysentery, and the occasional contact with the Japanese, made jungle life far from pleasant.

On July 23, 1944, a patrol from the 2nd Battalion located the majority of the Japanese forces. During the exchange of fire, a platoon from D Company was cut off from the rest of the company. To relieve pressure from the Japanese, Sergeant Ray E. Eubanks, armed with a Browning, charged an enemy machine gun nest. He was wounded in the process but managed to reach the nest and kill four Japanese soldiers before being killed himself. For his courage, Sergeant Ray E. Eubanks was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. Distracted by this individual attack, the Japanese redirected their fire, allowing the platoon to rejoin the rest of the company. They then advanced towards the Japanese, but they were no longer there… Later, the 2nd Battalion returned to base for resupply. It would take another two weeks to locate the remaining forces.

On August 10, 1944, a patrol from the 3rd Battalion located a trail 3km southwest of Inasi. Major Erickson sent Company G to locate the enemy. They were found on Hill 380, 5km south of Inasi. As usual, the Japanese were entrenched. Company G engaged in combat throughout the afternoon before retreating, leaving the B-25s to bomb the positions. Then, five companies from the 1st and 3rd Battalions advanced to the summit of the hill. Apart from finding corpses, the majority of the Japanese had taken advantage of the darkness to flee.

At 5:30 PM on August 14, Company A came into contact with what appeared to be the main Japanese force. They were pushed back to the 17th near the town of Pakiri on the southern shores of Noemfoor. The 1st and 3rd Battalions cornered the Japanese. Despite this, 20 men, including the commander, managed to escape by boat. Colonel Jones, armed with a Thompson submachine gun and grenades, boarded a Cub aircraft to search for survivors. At 4:45 PM, he received the green light to attack with his machine gun.

In 1945, the Allies pushed the Japanese back island by island. But the fortress of Corregidor remained like a thorn in the Allies’ side, as well as a psychological barrier for General MacArthur. It’s true that the Corregidor garrison could not inflict any real damage on the Allied expedition, and that the island could be isolated and starved, but General MacArthur still decided, on February 5, 1945, to approve the plan for its invasion. The plan was set for February 12, 1945. The 503rd RCT would be the airborne vanguard, while the 34th Infantry Division would land on the beaches. The plan involved a combination of parachute drops and amphibious landings, preceded by an intense air and naval bombardment. The garrison was estimated to consist of 850 Japanese troops, who were expected to offer little or no resistance.

However, Lieutenant Colonel George Jones, commander of the 503rd RCT, who flew over the area in search of a drop zone, was dismayed by the damage caused by the bombardments. In 25 days, the ground was churned up, pockmarked, trees felled, rocks blasted, and debris scattered everywhere. During this period, more than 3,125 tons of bombs were dropped over an area of one square kilometer. He eventually identified two zones: a 300m by 140m corridor and another of 330m by 150m. The edges of these zones ended in ravines and were bordered by steep, rocky cliffs.

The plan was to proceed in several phases:

• Lieutenant Colonel John Erickson and his 3rd Battalion, the HQ Company of the RCT, Company C of the 161st Engineer Battalion, and Battery A of the 462nd Parachute Field Artillery were to jump at 8:30 AM on February 16, 1945, with the mission of securing the two zones.
• The 3rd Battalion of the 34th Infantry Division, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Edward Postlethwait, would land on Black Beach at 10:30 AM.
• The 2nd Battalion, led by Major L.B. Caskey, along with Company B of the 462nd, would drop at 12:30 PM over the zone secured by Lieutenant Colonel Erickson.
• The 1st Battalion, under Major “Pug” Woods, and Company C of the 462nd would jump into the same two zones and provide support for the invasion force.

It was also decided, given the strength of the winds in the gorge, to have the planes drop troops one by one. The men had 6 seconds to jump, so only 8 men could jump at a time. Colonel Jones, who was in the last plane to supervise the situation, would determine if any adjustments were needed.

On February 16, at dawn, a fleet of 14 destroyers, eight cruisers, and 36 B-24s bombarded Corregidor. Just before the arrival of the C-47s, 31 A-20s strafed enemy positions.

Unfortunately, this bombardment had little effect on the Japanese, who took refuge in deep underground bunkers.

At 8:33 AM, Colonel Erickson ordered the first stick of 8 men to jump. Given the conditions, Lieutenant Colonel Jones had the C-47s descend to 400 feet (instead of 600) and had the men jump in groups of 6. The operation took 1 hour and 45 minutes, resulting in 25% accidents. However, considering the difficulty, the jump was deemed a success. During the jump, an incident occurred: 25 paratroopers from Company I were blown off course by the wind and ended up near a group of 9 Japanese soldiers who were observing Geary Point and the amphibious landing. They quickly neutralized the group, which included Captain Itagaki of the Imperial Navy, commander of the Japanese forces on the island. After assessing the losses due to the jump, Lieutenant Colonel Jones considered it better to land the rest of the 503rd RCT by boat. But uncertain of the enemy’s position, he gave the go-ahead for a second jump at 12:40 PM. However, the Japanese had time to position themselves defensively and fired on the parachutes.

The second jump was more precise, with 2,050 paratroopers now on the ground to secure the northern part. They even managed to isolate the island’s defenders by taking their communications center, cutting off their radio transmissions. Meanwhile, the 2nd Battalion of the 503rd began clearing the southern half.

By the evening of February 16, Lieutenant Colonel Jones decided to cancel the remaining jumps and have the 1st Battalion land on airstrips near Subic Bay and then move to Black Beach. It soon became clear that the enemy forces had been underestimated, and the impact of the bombardment had had no effect on the Japanese. The Japanese were determined to defend their positions, launching occasional suicide attacks.

Lloyd McCarter

On February 19, at 5:00 AM, 600 Japanese charged the positions of the 2nd Battalion’s paratroopers. They renewed their attacks several times. By the end, nearly 500 Japanese soldiers had been killed in front of the paratroopers’ positions. The paratroopers, fighting with courage and strength, held their ground. It was during these battles that Pvt. Lloyd McCarter of Company F, 2nd Battalion, received the Medal of Honor, the only one awarded during the Battle of Corregidor. Over the next two days, the paratroopers hunted down the surviving Japanese soldiers.

On February 24, 1945, Lieutenant Colonel Jones decided to clear the rear of the island. Major Woods and his battalion, supported by tanks from the 34th Infantry Division, were tasked with cleaning the area.

By the end of the day, they had eliminated nearly 100 enemies and had dug their foxholes for the night. At that point, the Japanese launched a counterattack. A brutal hand-to-hand battle ensued. The Americans emerged victorious, but they lost Major “Pug” Woods. The 1st Battalion continued its advance eastward, and by the morning of February 26, they had reached Monkey Point, a small hill overlooking Kindley Field. What they didn’t know was that an old communication tunnel ran beneath their feet, which was filled with explosives.

At noon, Company A was blown up by the explosion. The force of the blast flipped 35-ton Sherman tanks and killed 52 Americans. Lieutenant Colonel Jones ordered the 3rd Battalion to move toward the 1st and continue the advance toward the airstrips. By February 27, 1945, all resistance at the far end of the island had ceased, and the rest of the island soon followed. A final analysis showed that the estimate of 850 defenders was completely incorrect. There were 6,000 Japanese troops on the island, and only 20 prisoners were taken! The total American losses amounted to 1,003 GIs, with 210 killed, 450 severely wounded, 340 other wounded, and 3 missing.

On March 2, 1945, at 10:00 AM, as was his custom, General MacArthur returned to Corregidor. He said, “There are moments of drama and romance in every life, and my first visit to a recaptured Corregidor was one of these.”

In his memoirs, General MacArthur wrote:

"I took four PT boats from the Navy and gathered everyone who had accompanied me when we left Corregidor. We returned to the Rock in the same way we had left. We had departed in the darkness of a dark night. We returned in the light of a new day. In the background, the shredded remains of our parachutes hung from the scarred tree stumps, the ruins of the old white barracks of Topside watched us, and a well-drilled honor guard presented us with the salute. I was greeted by Lieutenant Colonel George Jones, the young man who had commanded the troops that had recently taken the island so gallantly. I congratulated him and awarded him decorations. 'I see the old flagpole is still there,' I told him. 'Make sure your men raise the colors to the top and that no enemy ever lowers them.'"

After their jump on Corregidor, the 503rd Regimental Combat Team returned to the Mindoro base. Shortly after, the regiment was reviewed by General MacArthur. Almost immediately after, it was put on alert to be ready to support the 40th Infantry Division, which was bogged down on the island of Negros against Japanese forces. Here, the historical information slightly differs.

According to the 503rd RCT’s operational report, the regiment was put on alert on March 25, 1945, to likely jump onto the Alicante airstrip on the island of Negros, take and secure the city of Saravia at the northwestern tip of the island, and join the 185th RCT (belonging to the 40th Division) near the bridge crossing the Imbang River. The 1st Battalion was scheduled to jump at 9:00 AM, and the 2nd Battalion at 12:00 PM. This report was published after the F.O. #10 report, which was released on April 5, 1945.

According to this report, the jump was canceled on March 25 because the enemy was not defending the coastal areas. The RCT, minus the 1st Battalion of the 503rd PIR and Battery C and elements of Battery D from the 462nd PFAB (which remained on Mindoro as a reserve), joined the city of Iloilo on the island of Panay (west of Negros) and then moved to the Pulupanadan Strait on Negros Island by LCI. The RCT came under the command of Major General Brush, who commanded the 40th Infantry Division. Regardless, the original plan aimed for a jump to capture a large wooden mill and a bridge located at the northern tip of the island. However, the Japanese set fire to the mill and blew up the bridge. The plan was abandoned, and the RCT landed by boat.

The 503rd RCT fought for more than 5 months in the mountains, engaging in fierce combat against Japanese resistance. Convinced that only a few weakly armed troops remained, the 40th Infantry Division was sent to Mindanao, leaving the 503rd RCT alone. As the 503rd advanced, they encountered true “fortifications,” as the Japanese were well entrenched. Furthermore, they encountered other types of fighters, such as "gung-ho banzai" troops, similar to those encountered on Corregidor. As a result, progress was very slow, and casualties were as high as those of the Japanese.

By May 1945, the Japanese forces had been pushed back into the jungle. Another type of combat began, fighting an invisible enemy that could surprise and vanish as quickly as it appeared. By the end of the war in August 1945, the 503rd RCT had experienced the toughest fighting in its history. They captured nearly 7,500 Japanese soldiers. Official sources from the U.S. War Department estimated that the 503rd RCT inflicted 10,000 Japanese casualties. The losses were heavy, and the names of 392 men were identified.

At the beginning of November 1945, the 503rd Parachute Regimental Combat Team ceased to be operational. All men who had served long enough were sent back to the United States. The most recent recruits were incorporated into the 11th Airborne Division and sent as occupation troops to Japan.

The regiment was disbanded at Camp Anza in California on December 24, 1945.