Note 75 — Chapter XVI · The Fall of Ormoc

At 0900, Company A of the 776th Amphibian Tank Battalion with its 75-mm. howitzers moved into Ormoc—the first American troops to enter the city. The 2d and 3d Platoons of the company moved through the streets and sent high explosives and smoke shells into the buildings occupied by the Japanese.75 The enemy defenders were also hit from the bay. LCM(R)’s from the Navy came overwater, moved near the Ormoc pier, and fired their rockets into the center of the town. As the rockets were being fired, the crews of the LGM’s engaged the enemy defenders on the pier in a small arms fight, the antiaircraft machine guns on the LCM’s exchanging fire with the Japanese rifles and machine guns. After the last of the rockets were launched the LCM’s withdrew, still under small arms fire.76