The History of the 27th United States
Infantry Regiment  "Wolfhounds"
World War II

John Tiffany Historian
Section Editor

On 7 December, 1941, the Regiment was stationed at Schofield Barracks when the Japanese executed their devastating attack on Pearl Harbor. Before the day was over, Wolfhounds had become the first U.S. ground forces to engage the Japanese. The Regiment immediately moved to defensive positions and prepared to repel the expected Japanese invasion of Oahu. Eventually fear of a Japanese invasion was dispelled and the Regiment was withdrawn from their positions on Oahu's southern beaches.  They underwent an intensive reorganization and training period which lasted until December 1942.

On the 10th of December, 1942, the Regiment sailed from Hawaii aboard the US Army Transport "Holbrook." En route, the Wolfhounds learned their destination was Guadalcanal, in the Solomon Islands. Guadalcanal had been invaded by the 1st Marine Division in August 1942, the first US ground offensive of World War II. The Marines had fought several hotly contested battles until November, expanding their beachhead or lodgment until they were relieved by the US Army's Americal Division. The 25th Infantry Division was commanded by Major General J. Lawton Collins (who later gained fame as the WWII Corps commander in France and Germany in 1944 and 1945) and the 27th Infantry Regiment was commanded by Colonel William A. McCulloch.

The Wolfhounds waded ashore on Guadalcanal on 3 January 1943. One week later it began combat operations against the Japanese. The Regiment's mission was to capture a series of hilltops known as the Galloping Horse; the First Battalion's mission was to capture two hilltops, designated Hills 66 and 57, which protected the flank of the Regiment's main effort to secure the "Galloping Horse". Determined resistance, rugged terrain and a lack of water characterized the operation. The 1st and 3rd Battalions attacked first. The 1st Battalion quickly secured its objective, but the 3rd Battalion, meeting fierce resistance, became exhausted. The 3rd Battalion was relieved by the 2nd Battalion, which took the objective in intensive fighting, including action at close quarters at the ridge between hills 52 and 53 that earned Captain Charles W. Davis of Company E, 2nd Battalion, the Congressional Medal of Honor. By the afternoon of 13 January, the Japanese had been defeated and the Wolfhounds controlled the "Galloping Horse". From 15 to 22 January, the Regiment conducted mop up operations, built defensive positions, constructed roads, and patrolled in preparation for its next attack.

From 22 to 27 January, the Regiment attacked along a ridgeline known as the Snake, in order to capture Hills 87 through 103, which culminated in the capture of Kokumbona, on Guadalcanal's northern coast. After these initial successes, the Regiment and Division received the mission of conducting a perimeter defense of Henderson and Carney air fields in order to repulse a possible Japanese landing in that area. From 1 to 8 February, the Japanese conceded defeat and withdrew from Guadalcanal.

After departing Guadalcanal, the 27th attacked the enemy on New Georgia Island in the Northern Solomons. The dense jungles of New Georgia made for miserable fighting conditions. The soldiers were always wet from the constant rains, slept in the mud, and casualties were heavy from both combat and malaria. After several weeks of intense jungle fighting, the Wolfhounds took Munda Airfield in September of 1943, then went on to take Zieta and the Zieta Plantation. General Collins took the First Battalion to capture Bairoko Harbor. The regiment boarded landing craft and was taken to neighboring Arundel Island (also known by its native name of Kohinggo Island).

Although other Army units had invaded Arundel on 27 August, enemy resistance was tougher than expected and the Wolfhounds were ordered in to finish the job. The fighting on Arundel, made difficult by dug in Japanese employing antitank weapons, lasted until 21 September, resulting in another Japanese withdrawal, this time to Kolombangara Island.

The Arundel operation marked the end of heavy combat for the Wolfhounds in the Northern Solomons. From October to November 1943, the Regiment sailed from New Georgia to Guadalcanal and then to Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides, finally arriving in Camp Riverina, New Zealand on 26 November, 1943. The Wolfhounds remained in New Zealand for re-organization and rest until 3 February, 1944. The Regiment then sailed for New Caledonia arriving on 27 February, where it acquired many replacement troops and conducted intensive preparation and training. It departed Noumea, New Caledonia. on the 17th of December 1944 to participate in Gen. Douglas MacArthur's invasion of the Philippines.

Back to the Philippines for the Wolfhounds. On 11 January 1945, the Regiment landed on the shores of Lingayen Gulf over White Beach 2, approximately one mile N.W. of San Fabian on the island of Luzon in the northern Philippines. From mid January until late February 1945, the Regiment was tasked to clear highways 3 and 8, south and east of Lingayen Gulf. Unlike the jungles of the Solomons, the terrain was flat rice paddies and pastures, devoid of cover, except for small streams and irrigation ditches. And the Japanese defended even more stubbornly than in the Solomons, with dug in infantry supported by tanks and anti-tank guns. Fierce combat occurred at Pemienta and Umingan. During the night of 29 and into the early morning of 30 January, the Regiment fought from a perimeter defense at Pemienta against elements of the Japanese 2nd Armored Division, killing 123 enemy soldiers and destroying eight tanks, eight self-propelled tracked artillery pieces, 9 howitzers, and 15 trucks and other vehicles.

Lying to the East of Pemienta, the town of Umingan contained the HQ of the Japanese 2nd Armored Division, reinforced by the Japanese 63rd Infantry with a total enemy strength in the town estimated at five hundred. On Feb. 1st, after low-level attacks by B-25 Mitchell bombers (one of which was lost to Japanese ground fire), and followed by a Division artillery barrage, the 27th attacked the town from the north, northwest and west. Enduring bitter fighting across flat rice fields with almost no cover from enemy fire, the Wolfhounds forced the Japanese from the town on Feb. 2nd, assisted by elements of the 35th Inf. Reg. which attacked from the south. Enemy losses were 147 killed, 8 antitank guns, 8 "knee" mortars, three vehicles and considerable amounts of large caliber ammunition. Today, a statue of a U.S. Army Infantryman stands in front of the Umingan town hall as a tribute to the men who fought to free the town.

The Regiment quickly advanced to San Jose, then north along Hwy 5 from San Jose to Puncan from 23 February to 4 March, despite a bitter enemy defense.

From mid March until late May 1945, the Wolfhounds were to be sorely tested as they followed Hwy 5 northward through mountainous terrain. Unlike the previous flat terrain, the area of operations now became heavily wooded, with steep hills and ridges. Again, the Japanese would fanatically defend (the Japanese strategy was to tie up as many US troops as possible, thereby delaying the invasion of Japan). Fighting northward, the names of Myoko Ridge, the Scar, the Pimple, the Wart, Woody Hill, Kapintalan Ridge, and Balete Pass were won with Wolfhound blood. On 5 May the Regiment attacked north and northwest toward Balete Pass, assaulting from Lone Tree Hill and Wolfhound Ridge. Small groups of Japanese fought fiercely from strongpoints as the Regiment advanced to Balete Pass. By 10 May, the Wolfhounds, after discovering an unguarded route on the Pass's flank, finally declared Balete Pass secure, achieving the 25th Division's key objective. Balete Pass is now locally known as Dalton Pass in memory of General Dalton of the 25th Divsion who was killed by enemy sniper fire during the operation.

	Balete Pass
	Scout with the Intelligence and Reconnaissance Platoon outside a cave near Balete Pass
	Balete (Dalton) Pass monument
	Map of Balete Pass
	Advance towards Santa Fe, Feb-Mar 1945

But the Philippine campaign was not yet over. On 13 May, the Regiment attacked north and northeast from Wolfhound Ridge to clear the enemy from Sawmill Valley. From 14 May to 22 May, operating in dense forests and rugged terrain, the Wolfhounds fought and eliminated the tenacious Japanese. This successful action cleared the way for the capture of Santa Fe, a key road junction required by the 25th Division. The victory was not without cost. From 21 February through 31 May, the Regiment suffered 275 soldiers killed in action (KIA) and 685 wounded in action (WIA).

In June 1945, the 25th Division including the 27th Regiment were relieved of combat duties on Luzon, to begin preparations and training for the invasion of the Japanese mainland.

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This page last updated on 28 April 2008