Japanese invasion of Davao

Japanese Invasion of Davao
Part of the Philippines campaign (1941–1942), Pacific Theater
Date 19–25 December 1941 Location Davao City, Davao,& Jolo, Philippines Result Japanese victory
Belligerents
Japan	United States  Philippines
Commanders and leaders
Tanaka Raizo Sakaguchi Shizuu Muira Toshio	Joseph Vachon Roger Hilsman Frank McGee Alvin T. Wilson Francisco Torres Gregorio Ferreol Nicolas Gabutina Luis Jakosalem
Units involved
Ground units: Japanese Fourteenth Army Sakaguchi detachment 146th Infantry Regiment Armored Detachment Artillery Batteries Muira detachment 1/33rd Infantry Naval units: Japanese Imperial Navy 2nd Fleet 11th Air Fleet Kure Special Naval Landing Force	Ground units: Philippine Commonwealth Army 2nd Battalion 101st Infantry 2nd Battalion 82nd Infantry Civilian Home Volunteers Philippine Constabulary Davao PC Battalion Air units: US Army Air Corps 28th US Bombardment Squadron
Strength
6,500	2,000
Casualties and losses
700	1,000 2 PBY Seaplanes

The Japanese Invasion of Davao (Filipino: Paglusob ng mga Hapones sa Davao, Jolo at Arkipelago ng Sulu, Cebuano: Pagsulong sa Hapon sa Davao, Jolo ug Kapuloan sa Sulu) and on Jolo in the Sulu Archipelago on 19 December 1941 was one in a series of advance landings made by Imperial Japanese forces as first step in their invasion of the Philippines. The purpose was to cut off the possibility of reinforcements reaching Luzon from the south and to complete the encirclement of American forces there, with the secondary purpose of establishing a base from which the IJA 16th Army could launch an invasion of British North Borneo and the Netherlands Indies . The first invasion of the Philippines was at Batan Island on 8 December 1941. This was followed by Vigan, Aparri, Legaspi, Davao, and Jolo over the next few days^[1]