Harry W. Boswell
Private First Class, U.S. Army
Entered the Service From: Ohio; Service #: 20509269
Assigned to: Company L, 3rd Infantry Battalion, 145th Infantry Regiment (Buckeye), 37th Infantry Division (a rifle company)
Death: 25 April 1945, in the taking of Mount Pacawagan (a 1,558 ft mountain), near Montalban, Rizal Province, Luzon Island, Philippines
Awards: Purple Heart
1920 United States Federal Census (24 January 1920): Roundhead Township, Hardin County, Ohio (sheet 9A, family 201) - Harry Boswell (5 Ohio)
1930 United States Federal Census (15 April 1930): Springfield, Clark County, Ohio (sheet 6A, family 109) - Harry W. Boswell (15 Ohio)
1935 - Springfield, Clark County, Ohio
1940 United States Federal Census (10 April 1940): Springfield (Ward 1), Clark County, Ohio (sheet 5B, 1785 Edwards Avenue) - Harry Boswell (25 Ohio, new worker). He had completed 6th grade.
Harry W. Boswell (Ohio) of Clark County, Ohio enlisted as a Private First Class (SN 20509269) in the U.S. Army National Guard Infantry on 15 October 1940 in Springfield, Ohio. He was single and had completed Grammar School.
He was sent to Camp Shelby, Mississippi for training. There he was assigned to Company L, Third Infantry Battalion, 145 Infantry Regiment, 37th Division, U.S. Army. The 37th Division was made up of over 18,000 "Buckeyes", men from Ohio.
He was one of four brothers that fought in WWII.
The 145th Infantry sailed for the South Pacific in May 1942. His regiment first saw combat against the Japanese during the invasion of the New Georgia islands in July 1943, then went on to Bougainville (Munda campaign) and then on to the Philippines.
On 09 January 1945, the 145th, a part of the Sixth Army Task Force, landed on the beaches of Lingayen Gulf on Luzon. Despite strong Japanese opposition, by 31 January, the 145th and 148th Infantry Regiments had taken Clark Field and Fort Stotsenburg. By 04 February, the 37th Infantry Division and the 1st Cavalry Division had encircled and begun to enter Manila from the north. The 37th Infantry Division moved south along the coast of Manila Bay, with the 1st Cavalry Division moving south to the east of the 37th. The Battle of Manila provided some of the worst urban combat of the entire Pacific theater. The fighting was furious and the heat was stifling, but by 03 March 1945, the 37th Infantry Division had secured Manila.
**************************************************************************************
Mount Pacawagan
Manila Watershed Campaign
The Manila Watershed phase of the Luzon Campaign was designed to eradicate the Japanese forces (Shimbu Line) from the foothills of the Sierre Madre Range, secure the watershed area and insure the water supply for the city of Manila.
The terrain over which the 145th Infantry operated was comprised of three principal mountains, Mount Pacawagan, Mount Binicayan, and an unnamed mountain referred to as Sugar Loaf Mountain, together with their connecting hills and intervening canyons and valleys, all located in the Marikina Watershed Reservation area some 14 miles northeast of the city of Manila.
"The attack against Mount Pacawagan began at 0200I on 21 April when the 1st Battalion moved from its assembly area, crossed the Marikina River, secured Montalban and had by 0405 advanced to the west base of the mountain, a cross-country movement of over 6000 yards executed on a pitch black night. The 3d Battalion, making the main effort of the Regiment moved from its assembly area at San Mateo at 0230 and traveling over 4000 yards cross-country in the darkness crossed the Mango River and arrived near the southwest base of Pacawagan at 0425. At a signal from the 3d Battalion an intense artillery and Cannon Company preparation blanketed the mountain. At 0503 the artillery lifted and in the dense blackness of the tropical night the Regiment surged forward and upward over the unknown terrain. Progress was slow groping hand over hand up the 55 degree slope through gullies and thickets ? ever grasping the man ahead to maintain contact......With every minute of increased visibility came increased resistance from hidden cave pillboxes in every depression and gully. Japanese artillery and heavy mortars took up the fight.
In the 3d Battalion zone Company L, spearheading the assault reached a line within 100 yards of Hill 1521, the southwest summit of Mount Pacawagan and initial objective of the Battalion, where a most intense firefight ensued. Company K swinging wide to the left of Company L through precipitous ravines and jungle thickets enveloped and struck the flank of the hostile position simultaneously with an all out frontal assault by Company L. In bitter fighting the Battalion inched forward and by 0945 had swept the enemy from the crest of Hill 1521 and began the elimination of an intricate system of tunnels and bunkers on the reverse slope and to the north of the hill. Hand to hand fighting continued throughout the day as cave after cave was sealed with demolitions until Hill 1521 was completely secured at 1512I. The Battalion then began pushing north, in the face of intense rifle and machine gun fire, to make contact with the 1st Battalion.
All efforts to consolidate the 1st Battalion position and to join with the 3d Battalion were repulsed by the enemy. The situation of the 1st Battalion was critical and losses were heavy. In the late afternoon, a final desperate assault succeeded in destroying several Japanese positions and by 1745 the 1st and 3d Battalions had gained a precarious but vital contact and had consolidated their positions running from the top of June Ridge south along the westerly slope of Pacawagan to Hill 1521.
........As darkness fell across Mount Pacawagan the 145th Infantry had accomplished in a single day what higher headquarters had estimated might easily take a week or at the very least two full days.
Continuing the attack at dawn 22 April, the 1st and 3d Battalions had advanced rapidly for a short distance when they were abruptly stopped by intense hostile fires. The entire line was continuously raked with interlocking bands of machine gun fire. At least 15 machine guns were identified firing from Minnie Ridge alone......
A dawn attack on April 23d, following a heavy 30-minute artillery preparation, was stopped in its tracks by the intense Japanese fire. Hostile artillery and the 150mm mortars of the 4th and 5th Medium Mortar Battalions literally plastered our lines. Friendly counter-battery was, in the main, ineffective. Despite the seemingly hopeless situation every squad and platoon continued the relentless firefight......Simultaneously with the break-through of the 1st Battalion, the 3d Battalion attacked and secured the reverse slopes south and southeast of Minnie Ridge but in doing so came under heavy fire from Carrie and Pete Hills at the north of the mountain. Efforts to further exploit the success to the north and northeast of Minnie Ridge and Baker Hill met with withering enemy fire from unaffected positions on Hill X and from Carrie and Pete and resulted in heavy casualties.
Continuing the attack on 24 April ....The 3d Battalion made small gains to the southeast of Minnie Ridge. In spite of heavy losses the gains for the day were measured in feet.
On 25 April under cover of a heavy bombardment by our artillery, direct fire cannon and 4.2 mortars the 3d Battalion relieved the 1st Battalion in assault preparatory to the latter's relief by the 2nd Battalion. An attack by the 3d Battalion was hurled back by the enemy defenders. Repeated attacks, each covered by intense supporting fire, all met the same fate. Casualties were heavy. Source: HISTORY OF THE 145th INFANTRY REGIMENT
Harry W. Boswell would have been one of those casualties that day.
"The gains through 30 April had cost the 145th Infantry, 55 men killed and 220 wounded--in nine days the regiment had incurred more casualties than had any regiment of the 6th Division for the entire month of April." Source: Triumph in the Philippines
He was first buried in 7747 USAF Cemetery, Manila #2, Philippine Islands – Block 1, Row 3, Grave 307 (D-D 3684). The deceased in Manila #2 (over 11,000 American soldiers) rested there until their removal to the American Graves Registration Service Manila Mausoleum in the summer of 1948. From there, according to the wishes of his next of kin (father, Mr. William Boswell), Private First Class Harry Weaver Boswell was buried in his final resting place in the 7701 Ft. McKinley Cemetery (now known as the Manila American Cemetery) – Plot D, Row 6, Grave 85.
Private First Class, U.S. Army
Entered the Service From: Ohio; Service #: 20509269
Assigned to: Company L, 3rd Infantry Battalion, 145th Infantry Regiment (Buckeye), 37th Infantry Division (a rifle company)
Death: 25 April 1945, in the taking of Mount Pacawagan (a 1,558 ft mountain), near Montalban, Rizal Province, Luzon Island, Philippines
Awards: Purple Heart
1920 United States Federal Census (24 January 1920): Roundhead Township, Hardin County, Ohio (sheet 9A, family 201) - Harry Boswell (5 Ohio)
1930 United States Federal Census (15 April 1930): Springfield, Clark County, Ohio (sheet 6A, family 109) - Harry W. Boswell (15 Ohio)
1935 - Springfield, Clark County, Ohio
1940 United States Federal Census (10 April 1940): Springfield (Ward 1), Clark County, Ohio (sheet 5B, 1785 Edwards Avenue) - Harry Boswell (25 Ohio, new worker). He had completed 6th grade.
Harry W. Boswell (Ohio) of Clark County, Ohio enlisted as a Private First Class (SN 20509269) in the U.S. Army National Guard Infantry on 15 October 1940 in Springfield, Ohio. He was single and had completed Grammar School.
He was sent to Camp Shelby, Mississippi for training. There he was assigned to Company L, Third Infantry Battalion, 145 Infantry Regiment, 37th Division, U.S. Army. The 37th Division was made up of over 18,000 "Buckeyes", men from Ohio.
He was one of four brothers that fought in WWII.
The 145th Infantry sailed for the South Pacific in May 1942. His regiment first saw combat against the Japanese during the invasion of the New Georgia islands in July 1943, then went on to Bougainville (Munda campaign) and then on to the Philippines.
On 09 January 1945, the 145th, a part of the Sixth Army Task Force, landed on the beaches of Lingayen Gulf on Luzon. Despite strong Japanese opposition, by 31 January, the 145th and 148th Infantry Regiments had taken Clark Field and Fort Stotsenburg. By 04 February, the 37th Infantry Division and the 1st Cavalry Division had encircled and begun to enter Manila from the north. The 37th Infantry Division moved south along the coast of Manila Bay, with the 1st Cavalry Division moving south to the east of the 37th. The Battle of Manila provided some of the worst urban combat of the entire Pacific theater. The fighting was furious and the heat was stifling, but by 03 March 1945, the 37th Infantry Division had secured Manila.
**************************************************************************************
Mount Pacawagan
Manila Watershed Campaign
The Manila Watershed phase of the Luzon Campaign was designed to eradicate the Japanese forces (Shimbu Line) from the foothills of the Sierre Madre Range, secure the watershed area and insure the water supply for the city of Manila.
The terrain over which the 145th Infantry operated was comprised of three principal mountains, Mount Pacawagan, Mount Binicayan, and an unnamed mountain referred to as Sugar Loaf Mountain, together with their connecting hills and intervening canyons and valleys, all located in the Marikina Watershed Reservation area some 14 miles northeast of the city of Manila.
"The attack against Mount Pacawagan began at 0200I on 21 April when the 1st Battalion moved from its assembly area, crossed the Marikina River, secured Montalban and had by 0405 advanced to the west base of the mountain, a cross-country movement of over 6000 yards executed on a pitch black night. The 3d Battalion, making the main effort of the Regiment moved from its assembly area at San Mateo at 0230 and traveling over 4000 yards cross-country in the darkness crossed the Mango River and arrived near the southwest base of Pacawagan at 0425. At a signal from the 3d Battalion an intense artillery and Cannon Company preparation blanketed the mountain. At 0503 the artillery lifted and in the dense blackness of the tropical night the Regiment surged forward and upward over the unknown terrain. Progress was slow groping hand over hand up the 55 degree slope through gullies and thickets ? ever grasping the man ahead to maintain contact......With every minute of increased visibility came increased resistance from hidden cave pillboxes in every depression and gully. Japanese artillery and heavy mortars took up the fight.
In the 3d Battalion zone Company L, spearheading the assault reached a line within 100 yards of Hill 1521, the southwest summit of Mount Pacawagan and initial objective of the Battalion, where a most intense firefight ensued. Company K swinging wide to the left of Company L through precipitous ravines and jungle thickets enveloped and struck the flank of the hostile position simultaneously with an all out frontal assault by Company L. In bitter fighting the Battalion inched forward and by 0945 had swept the enemy from the crest of Hill 1521 and began the elimination of an intricate system of tunnels and bunkers on the reverse slope and to the north of the hill. Hand to hand fighting continued throughout the day as cave after cave was sealed with demolitions until Hill 1521 was completely secured at 1512I. The Battalion then began pushing north, in the face of intense rifle and machine gun fire, to make contact with the 1st Battalion.
All efforts to consolidate the 1st Battalion position and to join with the 3d Battalion were repulsed by the enemy. The situation of the 1st Battalion was critical and losses were heavy. In the late afternoon, a final desperate assault succeeded in destroying several Japanese positions and by 1745 the 1st and 3d Battalions had gained a precarious but vital contact and had consolidated their positions running from the top of June Ridge south along the westerly slope of Pacawagan to Hill 1521.
........As darkness fell across Mount Pacawagan the 145th Infantry had accomplished in a single day what higher headquarters had estimated might easily take a week or at the very least two full days.
Continuing the attack at dawn 22 April, the 1st and 3d Battalions had advanced rapidly for a short distance when they were abruptly stopped by intense hostile fires. The entire line was continuously raked with interlocking bands of machine gun fire. At least 15 machine guns were identified firing from Minnie Ridge alone......
A dawn attack on April 23d, following a heavy 30-minute artillery preparation, was stopped in its tracks by the intense Japanese fire. Hostile artillery and the 150mm mortars of the 4th and 5th Medium Mortar Battalions literally plastered our lines. Friendly counter-battery was, in the main, ineffective. Despite the seemingly hopeless situation every squad and platoon continued the relentless firefight......Simultaneously with the break-through of the 1st Battalion, the 3d Battalion attacked and secured the reverse slopes south and southeast of Minnie Ridge but in doing so came under heavy fire from Carrie and Pete Hills at the north of the mountain. Efforts to further exploit the success to the north and northeast of Minnie Ridge and Baker Hill met with withering enemy fire from unaffected positions on Hill X and from Carrie and Pete and resulted in heavy casualties.
Continuing the attack on 24 April ....The 3d Battalion made small gains to the southeast of Minnie Ridge. In spite of heavy losses the gains for the day were measured in feet.
On 25 April under cover of a heavy bombardment by our artillery, direct fire cannon and 4.2 mortars the 3d Battalion relieved the 1st Battalion in assault preparatory to the latter's relief by the 2nd Battalion. An attack by the 3d Battalion was hurled back by the enemy defenders. Repeated attacks, each covered by intense supporting fire, all met the same fate. Casualties were heavy. Source: HISTORY OF THE 145th INFANTRY REGIMENT
Harry W. Boswell would have been one of those casualties that day.
"The gains through 30 April had cost the 145th Infantry, 55 men killed and 220 wounded--in nine days the regiment had incurred more casualties than had any regiment of the 6th Division for the entire month of April." Source: Triumph in the Philippines
He was first buried in 7747 USAF Cemetery, Manila #2, Philippine Islands – Block 1, Row 3, Grave 307 (D-D 3684). The deceased in Manila #2 (over 11,000 American soldiers) rested there until their removal to the American Graves Registration Service Manila Mausoleum in the summer of 1948. From there, according to the wishes of his next of kin (father, Mr. William Boswell), Private First Class Harry Weaver Boswell was buried in his final resting place in the 7701 Ft. McKinley Cemetery (now known as the Manila American Cemetery) – Plot D, Row 6, Grave 85.
Harry W. Boswell
Private First Class, U.S. Army
Entered the Service From: Ohio; Service #: 20509269
Assigned to: Company L, 3rd Infantry Battalion, 145th Infantry Regiment (Buckeye), 37th Infantry Division (a rifle company)
Death: 25 April 1945, in the taking of Mount Pacawagan (a 1,558 ft mountain), near Montalban, Rizal Province, Luzon Island, Philippines
Awards: Purple Heart
1920 United States Federal Census (24 January 1920): Roundhead Township, Hardin County, Ohio (sheet 9A, family 201) - Harry Boswell (5 Ohio)
1930 United States Federal Census (15 April 1930): Springfield, Clark County, Ohio (sheet 6A, family 109) - Harry W. Boswell (15 Ohio)
1935 - Springfield, Clark County, Ohio
1940 United States Federal Census (10 April 1940): Springfield (Ward 1), Clark County, Ohio (sheet 5B, 1785 Edwards Avenue) - Harry Boswell (25 Ohio, new worker). He had completed 6th grade.
Harry W. Boswell (Ohio) of Clark County, Ohio enlisted as a Private First Class (SN 20509269) in the U.S. Army National Guard Infantry on 15 October 1940 in Springfield, Ohio. He was single and had completed Grammar School.
He was sent to Camp Shelby, Mississippi for training. There he was assigned to Company L, Third Infantry Battalion, 145 Infantry Regiment, 37th Division, U.S. Army. The 37th Division was made up of over 18,000 "Buckeyes", men from Ohio.
He was one of four brothers that fought in WWII.
The 145th Infantry sailed for the South Pacific in May 1942. His regiment first saw combat against the Japanese during the invasion of the New Georgia islands in July 1943, then went on to Bougainville (Munda campaign) and then on to the Philippines.
On 09 January 1945, the 145th, a part of the Sixth Army Task Force, landed on the beaches of Lingayen Gulf on Luzon. Despite strong Japanese opposition, by 31 January, the 145th and 148th Infantry Regiments had taken Clark Field and Fort Stotsenburg. By 04 February, the 37th Infantry Division and the 1st Cavalry Division had encircled and begun to enter Manila from the north. The 37th Infantry Division moved south along the coast of Manila Bay, with the 1st Cavalry Division moving south to the east of the 37th. The Battle of Manila provided some of the worst urban combat of the entire Pacific theater. The fighting was furious and the heat was stifling, but by 03 March 1945, the 37th Infantry Division had secured Manila.
**************************************************************************************
Mount Pacawagan
Manila Watershed Campaign
The Manila Watershed phase of the Luzon Campaign was designed to eradicate the Japanese forces (Shimbu Line) from the foothills of the Sierre Madre Range, secure the watershed area and insure the water supply for the city of Manila.
The terrain over which the 145th Infantry operated was comprised of three principal mountains, Mount Pacawagan, Mount Binicayan, and an unnamed mountain referred to as Sugar Loaf Mountain, together with their connecting hills and intervening canyons and valleys, all located in the Marikina Watershed Reservation area some 14 miles northeast of the city of Manila.
"The attack against Mount Pacawagan began at 0200I on 21 April when the 1st Battalion moved from its assembly area, crossed the Marikina River, secured Montalban and had by 0405 advanced to the west base of the mountain, a cross-country movement of over 6000 yards executed on a pitch black night. The 3d Battalion, making the main effort of the Regiment moved from its assembly area at San Mateo at 0230 and traveling over 4000 yards cross-country in the darkness crossed the Mango River and arrived near the southwest base of Pacawagan at 0425. At a signal from the 3d Battalion an intense artillery and Cannon Company preparation blanketed the mountain. At 0503 the artillery lifted and in the dense blackness of the tropical night the Regiment surged forward and upward over the unknown terrain. Progress was slow groping hand over hand up the 55 degree slope through gullies and thickets ? ever grasping the man ahead to maintain contact......With every minute of increased visibility came increased resistance from hidden cave pillboxes in every depression and gully. Japanese artillery and heavy mortars took up the fight.
In the 3d Battalion zone Company L, spearheading the assault reached a line within 100 yards of Hill 1521, the southwest summit of Mount Pacawagan and initial objective of the Battalion, where a most intense firefight ensued. Company K swinging wide to the left of Company L through precipitous ravines and jungle thickets enveloped and struck the flank of the hostile position simultaneously with an all out frontal assault by Company L. In bitter fighting the Battalion inched forward and by 0945 had swept the enemy from the crest of Hill 1521 and began the elimination of an intricate system of tunnels and bunkers on the reverse slope and to the north of the hill. Hand to hand fighting continued throughout the day as cave after cave was sealed with demolitions until Hill 1521 was completely secured at 1512I. The Battalion then began pushing north, in the face of intense rifle and machine gun fire, to make contact with the 1st Battalion.
All efforts to consolidate the 1st Battalion position and to join with the 3d Battalion were repulsed by the enemy. The situation of the 1st Battalion was critical and losses were heavy. In the late afternoon, a final desperate assault succeeded in destroying several Japanese positions and by 1745 the 1st and 3d Battalions had gained a precarious but vital contact and had consolidated their positions running from the top of June Ridge south along the westerly slope of Pacawagan to Hill 1521.
........As darkness fell across Mount Pacawagan the 145th Infantry had accomplished in a single day what higher headquarters had estimated might easily take a week or at the very least two full days.
Continuing the attack at dawn 22 April, the 1st and 3d Battalions had advanced rapidly for a short distance when they were abruptly stopped by intense hostile fires. The entire line was continuously raked with interlocking bands of machine gun fire. At least 15 machine guns were identified firing from Minnie Ridge alone......
A dawn attack on April 23d, following a heavy 30-minute artillery preparation, was stopped in its tracks by the intense Japanese fire. Hostile artillery and the 150mm mortars of the 4th and 5th Medium Mortar Battalions literally plastered our lines. Friendly counter-battery was, in the main, ineffective. Despite the seemingly hopeless situation every squad and platoon continued the relentless firefight......Simultaneously with the break-through of the 1st Battalion, the 3d Battalion attacked and secured the reverse slopes south and southeast of Minnie Ridge but in doing so came under heavy fire from Carrie and Pete Hills at the north of the mountain. Efforts to further exploit the success to the north and northeast of Minnie Ridge and Baker Hill met with withering enemy fire from unaffected positions on Hill X and from Carrie and Pete and resulted in heavy casualties.
Continuing the attack on 24 April ....The 3d Battalion made small gains to the southeast of Minnie Ridge. In spite of heavy losses the gains for the day were measured in feet.
On 25 April under cover of a heavy bombardment by our artillery, direct fire cannon and 4.2 mortars the 3d Battalion relieved the 1st Battalion in assault preparatory to the latter's relief by the 2nd Battalion. An attack by the 3d Battalion was hurled back by the enemy defenders. Repeated attacks, each covered by intense supporting fire, all met the same fate. Casualties were heavy. Source: HISTORY OF THE 145th INFANTRY REGIMENT
Harry W. Boswell would have been one of those casualties that day.
"The gains through 30 April had cost the 145th Infantry, 55 men killed and 220 wounded--in nine days the regiment had incurred more casualties than had any regiment of the 6th Division for the entire month of April." Source: Triumph in the Philippines
He was first buried in 7747 USAF Cemetery, Manila #2, Philippine Islands – Block 1, Row 3, Grave 307 (D-D 3684). The deceased in Manila #2 (over 11,000 American soldiers) rested there until their removal to the American Graves Registration Service Manila Mausoleum in the summer of 1948. From there, according to the wishes of his next of kin (father, Mr. William Boswell), Private First Class Harry Weaver Boswell was buried in his final resting place in the 7701 Ft. McKinley Cemetery (now known as the Manila American Cemetery) – Plot D, Row 6, Grave 85.
Private First Class, U.S. Army
Entered the Service From: Ohio; Service #: 20509269
Assigned to: Company L, 3rd Infantry Battalion, 145th Infantry Regiment (Buckeye), 37th Infantry Division (a rifle company)
Death: 25 April 1945, in the taking of Mount Pacawagan (a 1,558 ft mountain), near Montalban, Rizal Province, Luzon Island, Philippines
Awards: Purple Heart
1920 United States Federal Census (24 January 1920): Roundhead Township, Hardin County, Ohio (sheet 9A, family 201) - Harry Boswell (5 Ohio)
1930 United States Federal Census (15 April 1930): Springfield, Clark County, Ohio (sheet 6A, family 109) - Harry W. Boswell (15 Ohio)
1935 - Springfield, Clark County, Ohio
1940 United States Federal Census (10 April 1940): Springfield (Ward 1), Clark County, Ohio (sheet 5B, 1785 Edwards Avenue) - Harry Boswell (25 Ohio, new worker). He had completed 6th grade.
Harry W. Boswell (Ohio) of Clark County, Ohio enlisted as a Private First Class (SN 20509269) in the U.S. Army National Guard Infantry on 15 October 1940 in Springfield, Ohio. He was single and had completed Grammar School.
He was sent to Camp Shelby, Mississippi for training. There he was assigned to Company L, Third Infantry Battalion, 145 Infantry Regiment, 37th Division, U.S. Army. The 37th Division was made up of over 18,000 "Buckeyes", men from Ohio.
He was one of four brothers that fought in WWII.
The 145th Infantry sailed for the South Pacific in May 1942. His regiment first saw combat against the Japanese during the invasion of the New Georgia islands in July 1943, then went on to Bougainville (Munda campaign) and then on to the Philippines.
On 09 January 1945, the 145th, a part of the Sixth Army Task Force, landed on the beaches of Lingayen Gulf on Luzon. Despite strong Japanese opposition, by 31 January, the 145th and 148th Infantry Regiments had taken Clark Field and Fort Stotsenburg. By 04 February, the 37th Infantry Division and the 1st Cavalry Division had encircled and begun to enter Manila from the north. The 37th Infantry Division moved south along the coast of Manila Bay, with the 1st Cavalry Division moving south to the east of the 37th. The Battle of Manila provided some of the worst urban combat of the entire Pacific theater. The fighting was furious and the heat was stifling, but by 03 March 1945, the 37th Infantry Division had secured Manila.
**************************************************************************************
Mount Pacawagan
Manila Watershed Campaign
The Manila Watershed phase of the Luzon Campaign was designed to eradicate the Japanese forces (Shimbu Line) from the foothills of the Sierre Madre Range, secure the watershed area and insure the water supply for the city of Manila.
The terrain over which the 145th Infantry operated was comprised of three principal mountains, Mount Pacawagan, Mount Binicayan, and an unnamed mountain referred to as Sugar Loaf Mountain, together with their connecting hills and intervening canyons and valleys, all located in the Marikina Watershed Reservation area some 14 miles northeast of the city of Manila.
"The attack against Mount Pacawagan began at 0200I on 21 April when the 1st Battalion moved from its assembly area, crossed the Marikina River, secured Montalban and had by 0405 advanced to the west base of the mountain, a cross-country movement of over 6000 yards executed on a pitch black night. The 3d Battalion, making the main effort of the Regiment moved from its assembly area at San Mateo at 0230 and traveling over 4000 yards cross-country in the darkness crossed the Mango River and arrived near the southwest base of Pacawagan at 0425. At a signal from the 3d Battalion an intense artillery and Cannon Company preparation blanketed the mountain. At 0503 the artillery lifted and in the dense blackness of the tropical night the Regiment surged forward and upward over the unknown terrain. Progress was slow groping hand over hand up the 55 degree slope through gullies and thickets ? ever grasping the man ahead to maintain contact......With every minute of increased visibility came increased resistance from hidden cave pillboxes in every depression and gully. Japanese artillery and heavy mortars took up the fight.
In the 3d Battalion zone Company L, spearheading the assault reached a line within 100 yards of Hill 1521, the southwest summit of Mount Pacawagan and initial objective of the Battalion, where a most intense firefight ensued. Company K swinging wide to the left of Company L through precipitous ravines and jungle thickets enveloped and struck the flank of the hostile position simultaneously with an all out frontal assault by Company L. In bitter fighting the Battalion inched forward and by 0945 had swept the enemy from the crest of Hill 1521 and began the elimination of an intricate system of tunnels and bunkers on the reverse slope and to the north of the hill. Hand to hand fighting continued throughout the day as cave after cave was sealed with demolitions until Hill 1521 was completely secured at 1512I. The Battalion then began pushing north, in the face of intense rifle and machine gun fire, to make contact with the 1st Battalion.
All efforts to consolidate the 1st Battalion position and to join with the 3d Battalion were repulsed by the enemy. The situation of the 1st Battalion was critical and losses were heavy. In the late afternoon, a final desperate assault succeeded in destroying several Japanese positions and by 1745 the 1st and 3d Battalions had gained a precarious but vital contact and had consolidated their positions running from the top of June Ridge south along the westerly slope of Pacawagan to Hill 1521.
........As darkness fell across Mount Pacawagan the 145th Infantry had accomplished in a single day what higher headquarters had estimated might easily take a week or at the very least two full days.
Continuing the attack at dawn 22 April, the 1st and 3d Battalions had advanced rapidly for a short distance when they were abruptly stopped by intense hostile fires. The entire line was continuously raked with interlocking bands of machine gun fire. At least 15 machine guns were identified firing from Minnie Ridge alone......
A dawn attack on April 23d, following a heavy 30-minute artillery preparation, was stopped in its tracks by the intense Japanese fire. Hostile artillery and the 150mm mortars of the 4th and 5th Medium Mortar Battalions literally plastered our lines. Friendly counter-battery was, in the main, ineffective. Despite the seemingly hopeless situation every squad and platoon continued the relentless firefight......Simultaneously with the break-through of the 1st Battalion, the 3d Battalion attacked and secured the reverse slopes south and southeast of Minnie Ridge but in doing so came under heavy fire from Carrie and Pete Hills at the north of the mountain. Efforts to further exploit the success to the north and northeast of Minnie Ridge and Baker Hill met with withering enemy fire from unaffected positions on Hill X and from Carrie and Pete and resulted in heavy casualties.
Continuing the attack on 24 April ....The 3d Battalion made small gains to the southeast of Minnie Ridge. In spite of heavy losses the gains for the day were measured in feet.
On 25 April under cover of a heavy bombardment by our artillery, direct fire cannon and 4.2 mortars the 3d Battalion relieved the 1st Battalion in assault preparatory to the latter's relief by the 2nd Battalion. An attack by the 3d Battalion was hurled back by the enemy defenders. Repeated attacks, each covered by intense supporting fire, all met the same fate. Casualties were heavy. Source: HISTORY OF THE 145th INFANTRY REGIMENT
Harry W. Boswell would have been one of those casualties that day.
"The gains through 30 April had cost the 145th Infantry, 55 men killed and 220 wounded--in nine days the regiment had incurred more casualties than had any regiment of the 6th Division for the entire month of April." Source: Triumph in the Philippines
He was first buried in 7747 USAF Cemetery, Manila #2, Philippine Islands – Block 1, Row 3, Grave 307 (D-D 3684). The deceased in Manila #2 (over 11,000 American soldiers) rested there until their removal to the American Graves Registration Service Manila Mausoleum in the summer of 1948. From there, according to the wishes of his next of kin (father, Mr. William Boswell), Private First Class Harry Weaver Boswell was buried in his final resting place in the 7701 Ft. McKinley Cemetery (now known as the Manila American Cemetery) – Plot D, Row 6, Grave 85.
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