Note 6 — Chapter XV · Battle of the Ridges

At 1025 on 14 November General Arnold ordered Colonel Finn to start moving the 32d Infantry north to the Damulaan-Caridad area and to be prepared to advance upon Ormoc on further orders.6 The units of the 32d Infantry moved to their assigned areas near the Palanas River, and both the Japanese and Americans made ready their positions for the clash. (Map 15) The battle that was about to be fought over the ridge lines along the Palanas River was later called the “Battle of Shoestring Ridge” by troops of the 32d Infantry. This name applied to the supply technique rather than to any terrain features of the ridge, since the supply of the 32d Infantry throughout the battle was precarious. Said Colonel Finn: “The old slogan ‘Too little and too late’ became ‘Just enough and just in time’ for us.”7