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Chris and Morgan discuss the 2024 California vintage, regenerative organic farming, and even take another pass at barbecue, all while breaking down the wines of the Bedrock 2025 Fall Release. 22:56 — 2023 Bien Nacido Chardonnay, Santa Maria Valley 33:00 — 2024 Compagni Portis Heritage Wine, Sonoma Valley 42:02 — 2024 Cuvee Karatas, Sonoma Valley 50:03 — 2024 Old Vine Zinfandel, California 1:05:15 — 2024 Katushas' Zinfandel, Mokelumne River 1:11:10 — 2024 Evangelho Heritage Wine, Contra Costa County

Last time we spoke about liberation of Luzon.. American forces, led by General Eichelberger and supported by General Krueger's armies, relentlessly advanced against the entrenched Japanese defenders of General Yamashita's 14th Area Army. Amid thick jungle and treacherous terrain, battles raged through the northern mountain ranges, as American troops aimed to restore the Filipino government. Facing overwhelming odds, the Japanese forces displayed extraordinary resilience, temporarily halting American progress. Remarkable efforts from General Swift's 1st Corps across Routes 9 and 11 led to significant breakthroughs as American forces captured critical positions, including Sablan and Baguio. However, the Japanese command, complacent and misjudging the American strategy, fell into disarray. As the tide turned with relentless American assaults, key Japanese positions were systematically dismantled. By late April, most of Luzon was liberated, restoring hope and autonomy to the Filipino people.  This episode is Invasion of Balikpapan Welcome to the Pacific War Podcast Week by Week, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about world war two? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel you can find a few videos all the way from the Opium Wars of the 1800's until the end of the Pacific War in 1945.  The battles for Okinawa and Luzon just closed up, and today we are going to be venturing back to the Dutch East Indies. As we left off in mid-May, the tides of war were shifting dramatically on the island of Luzon, with General Krueger's 6th Army celebrating significant victories across the region. In the north, General Swift's 1st Corps had successfully secured the scenic Baguio area, known for its lush mountains and cool climate, a stark contrast to the tropical heat that engulfed much of the Philippines. Yet, the fighting was far from over, as fierce battles continued on three major fronts. Colonel Volckmann's guerrilla 121st Regiment was making strides, snagging much of the strategically vital Bessang Pass, a crucial artery connecting northern Luzon to the central regions. However, their success came at a cost, leaving them overextended amidst fierce Japanese resistance. Meanwhile, General Gill's weary 32nd Division managed to claim dominance over the rugged terrain of Salacsac Pass along the historic Villa Verde Trail, known for its breathtaking views and treacherous paths that had challenged both soldiers and their supply lines. General Mullins' 25th Division achieved a remarkable breakthrough by capturing the key Balete Pass, opening the way for further advances. Not stopping there, the 25th Division pressed onward, quickly redirecting their focus northward towards the town of Santa Fe. By May 24, the 27th Regiment had cleared the Sawmill River valley, an area teeming with dense foliage and rugged hills, a significant accomplishment that paved the way for the next objectives. From there, the 1st Battalion expertly maneuvered eastward against the imposing Kanami Ridge. On May 22, the 161st Regiment dealt a heavy blow to Japanese positions in a stronghold on Mount Haruna, a location known for its steep, challenging slopes. Following this triumph, they began their descent down the northern slopes of Haruna Ridge, gearing up for a critical junction with the Villa Verde Trail by May 27. Meanwhile, the 35th Regiment launched a vigorous assault from Balete Pass, systematically clearing out the remaining Japanese caves and fortifications by May 26, culminating in the capture of Santa Fe the very next day. At Salacsac, the Japanese forces, led by General Iwanaka, initiated a limited counteroffensive, presumably to buy time for a strategic evacuation of their increasingly tenuous positions. If delay was indeed Iwanaka's intention, he executed it well; it wasn't until May 19 that the American supply line was finally deemed secure again. The 2nd Battalion of the 128th Regiment resumed its push east from Hill 525, but the progress was slow. By May 22, the 1st Battalion had only managed to advance a mere 500 yards east from Hill 508, while the 3rd Battalion commenced a southward and southeastward advance from Hill 516 on May 16. It was not until May 24 that the relentless fighting in the region bore fruit, leading to the eventual clearing of the area, and Salacsac Pass was officially declared secured. On that pivotal day, General Iwanaka began the difficult task of withdrawing the remnants of his battered forces northward, retreating up the winding valley of the Imugan River. This river, which flows through a lush, verdant landscape, would serve as a vital sanctuary, albeit one fraught with danger for the disheartened Japanese troops. Meanwhile, the American forces were gaining ground. The 2nd Battalion aggressively seized control of Hill 527, a position that provided a commanding view of the surrounding area, crucial for planning further advances. The 126th Regiment took decisive action, utilizing trucks to transport troops swiftly along Route 5 to Balete Pass before launching an assault toward Imugan from the east and southeast. Concurrently, the guerrilla 1st Battalion of the Buena Vista Regiment embarked on a northward push from Valdez, culminating in the hard-fought capture of Hill 528 on May 28. This hill, commanding and steep, presented a formidable challenge but also promised a vantage point critical for any further operations in the region. The very next day, Imugan finally succumbed to the relentless pressure of the advancing American forces, marking a significant milestone as the Villa Verde Trail came firmly under American control. This development effectively concluded the arduous operations of the 32nd Division. It was a costly campaign for General Gill; the division suffered approximately 825 men killed, 2,160 wounded, with an alarming 6,000 classified as non-battle casualties. In stark contrast, the Japanese defense was decimated, with at least 5,750 of the 8,750 troops they had deployed to defend the trail lying dead. As we gaze northward, we find Colonel Volckmann's guerrillas, who had extended themselves too thinly across Bessang Pass and into the challenging terrain of Yubo Ridge. The aftermath of their overreach saw them facing fierce Japanese counterattacks that swiftly pushed them back across Lamagan Ridge in the latter part of May. However, a small contingent managed to hold tenaciously onto the eastern slopes of Langiatan Hill, a strategic position that allowed them to maintain some level of influence in the region. Additionally, a robust force from the Japanese 76th Regiment assembled south of Butac, planning an offensive northward. However, this advance was met with fierce resistance from the guerrilla 15th Regiment, who successfully repelled the attack. Seizing the momentum, Volckmann directed the 15th Regiment into a new offensive eastward, and by the end of May, they had successfully re-secured their foothold up to Lamagan Ridge. Meanwhile, elements of the 121st Regiment executed a remarkable retaking of both Langiatan Hill and Yubo Ridge, gradually restoring control over this strategically vital area. Looking south, we find General Hall's 11th Corps vigorously engaged in two crucial offensives aimed at capturing Ipo Dam and Wawa Dam, both essential water reservoirs located east of Manila. The strategic importance of these dams cannot be overstated; they were vital not only for securing fresh water but also for controlling the flow of operations in the region. However, the relentless heavy downpours that characterized the season rendered air support missions impractical, exacerbating an already challenging supply situation for the advancing troops. As a result, General Wing's 43rd Division was forced to pause its offensive late on May 14 to reassess and devise new attack plans.  As of late May 14, the 43rd Division found itself in a precarious situation, necessitating a halt to operations to devise new attack plans. To this point, the division had made limited progress toward securing Route 52, a crucial supply line vital for their mission to capture Ipo Dam. Recognizing the urgency, General Wing decided it was essential to commit the 169th Regiment to a targeted attack to clear this road, as it would serve as a critical route for both supply and evacuation in the coming days. The adverse weather conditions had created a significant operational hindrance. For nearly the entire duration of their offensive, intermittent rains had severely disrupted ground and aerial supply chains, as well as evacuation and the crucial air support operations necessary for a successful advance. Ground conditions had become challenging, and division engineers struggled to construct and maintain supply roads at a pace even close to that of the infantry's advances. Consequently, supply drops and hand-carried provisions were just sufficient to keep combat units barely above the minimum required levels, but the evacuation of sick and wounded soldiers remained a pressing issue that plagued the division. By May 14, the situation worsened significantly. For the first time since May 6, the 5th Air Force was completely grounded, unable to conduct any air support or supply missions due to the worsening weather conditions. This represented a troubling turning point for the 43rd Division. Moreover, intelligence reports indicated that sizable groups from the Japanese Tomono and Hanabusa Detachments had shifted their focus away from their defenses along Route 52, moving instead to confront the 103rd and 172nd Regiments attacking from the south. General Wing recognized that this presented a timely opportunity for the 169th Regiment. Striking directly along Route 52 would likely be far easier and less costly than it would have been just a week prior. Furthermore, a successful offensive by the 169th could not only expedite the capture of Ipo Dam but also prevent further eastward redeployments of Japanese forces. This would be a vital maneuver, potentially relieving pressure from Fork Ridge, where the left flank of the 172nd Regiment was currently bogged down in fierce fighting. Time was of the essence, and decisive action was required to turn the tide in favor of the 43rd Division. The situation was critical; delay would allow Japanese forces to fortify their defenses further. In response, Wing mapped out a robust plan: he directed the 103rd Regiment to capture the Route 52 terminus at Ipo Dam itself, which was crucial for any further advances. Their orders included not only taking control of the dam but also clearing the high ground north of the road and west of the dam to ensure a secure position against any possible counterattacks. Additionally, he tasked the 172nd Regiment with seizing Hill 804, a vantage point that could provide vital intelligence and support to the offensive, while the 169th Regiment was directed to eliminate the last Japanese defenders in the Bigti area before advancing eastward along Route 52 to connect with the 172nd. A break in the weather finally came on May 17, allowing the 43rd Division to launch their offensive with much-needed air support. Aircraft successfully dropped napalm and strafed Japanese defensive positions, a strategy that proved devastatingly effective. General Kawashima, facing mounting losses, ultimately ordered the remnants of his command to withdraw to an assembly point on the western slopes of Mount Maranat, a retreat that revealed their deteriorating ability to hold the line. With the air support providing a critical advantage, the 103rd Regiment advanced boldly and swiftly cleared the last Japanese holdouts from Hill 860, securing an essential position. However, it was the guerrilla forces, under the command of Colonel Augustin, from the Marking Regiment who achieved a historic victory by capturing Ipo Dam shortly after noon. His patrols descended the slopes of Hill 803, crossed the Angat River at the dam, and triumphantly raised the American flag over the powerhouse on the south bank, a potent symbol of liberation and resistance. Simultaneously, the 172nd Regiment seized control of Fork Ridge, further tightening the noose around Japanese forces, while the 169th Regiment secured strategic ground from Hill 535 to Osboy Ridge, pushing forward with relentless determination. In the following four days, the 43rd Division, supported by the fearless Marking guerrillas, meticulously mopped up the area west of Ipo Dam. Their efforts culminated in the successful opening of Route 52 from Bigti to Ipo on May 19, a critical milestone that allowed for the unhindered movement of troops and supplies. By May 21, they completed the operation by clearing out the last pockets of organized resistance in the region west of the dam and south of the Angat River, a crucial waterway that would play a significant role in sustaining American operations. With the capture of Ipo Dam intact, General Wing achieved his primary objective, making a significant contribution to addressing Manila's pressing water supply problems. This success would have lasting implications for the civilians and military alike, as the dam was key to ensuring a reliable water supply in the region. The 43rd Division maintained its momentum, continuing mopping-up operations through May 31. They patrolled eastward across the Ipo River, pressed northeast up the Angat from the dam, and scoured the areas that had witnessed some of the most intense fighting during the campaign. The cost of these operations was notable; Wing's forces suffered losses of 120 killed and 515 wounded, while the Kawashima Force endured devastating casualties, with over 2,700 men killed and approximately 115 captured during the grueling battle. Meanwhile, General Chase's 38th Division pressed forward with its offensive against Wawa Dam, following the failure of General Yokoyama's most recent counteroffensive. The 145th Regiment found itself holding a precariously exposed salient at Mount Binicayan, which severely hampered their ability to launch an effective attack toward Wawa Dam. Japanese positions on the high ground to the north of the dam dominated the narrow, winding road with artillery, mortar, and machine-gun fire, making any advance perilous. In response to this daunting challenge, General Chase decided to launch an offensive with the 151st Regiment in the area north of the Marikina River, targeting the formidable Mounts Pamitinan and Hapanong-Banoy. This bold maneuver was contingent upon the 152nd Regiment gaining momentum in its attack to clear Woodpecker Ridge. As such, on May 19 and 20, the 152nd Regiment executed enveloping maneuvers centered on Woodpecker Ridge, ultimately breaking through enemy lines on May 21. The breakthrough was dramatically supported by the introduction of medium tanks and flamethrower tanks, powerful assets that helped turn the tide of battle. The following day, what began as a breakthrough rapidly escalated into a rout of Japanese defenders. By May 25, the 152nd Regiment had established control over the strategic junction of the Marikina and Bosoboso Rivers, a key position that not only bolstered their operational capabilities but also positioned them for further advances in the ongoing campaign. As Japanese resistance began to dissipate under the relentless pressure from the advancing American forces, the 149th Regiment, which had successfully relieved the 145th at Mount Binicayan, launched a bold strike toward Wawa Dam on May 27. Encountering little to no opposition, they secured the dam intact the following morning, marking a significant victory. It was on May 27 that General Yokoyama ordered a general retreat, recognizing the untenable position of his forces. Acting on these instructions, General Kobayashi's remaining troops fell back, pursued by vigilant patrols from the 38th Division. With Wawa Dam secured, General Chase shifted his strategy; rather than launching direct assaults against organized Japanese lines, he opted to focus on mopping up operations and pursuing the retreating enemy. The human cost of the campaign was significant. Chase's forces sustained losses of 160 killed and 590 wounded, while the Kobayashi Force suffered catastrophic losses, with over 10,000 men killed since the onset of the offensive.  Shifting focus southeast, the 7th Cavalry and Lieutenant Colonel Bernard Anderson's guerrillas converged on the coastal town of Infanta in late May. Faced with overwhelming pressure, the Japanese naval garrison retreated westward into the Sierra Madre mountains, a rugged and dense area that posed challenges for both sides. Infanta ultimately fell on May 25, and by the evening of the following day, the reinforced 7th Cavalry had successfully cleared the entire flat, rice-rich region surrounding the town, encountering only scattered and ineffective resistance. In a strategic move bolstered by overwater supply movements, the 7th Cavalry implemented an aggressive patrolling program to the southwest, seeking out any remaining enemy forces. Meanwhile, the 8th Cavalry focused its efforts on clearing the northern section of Santa Maria Valley, advancing northward into the Sierra Madre. By the end of May, the Shimbu Group, once a significant Japanese fighting force, was rendered ineffective. Its main units began to disband, breaking into small groups in a desperate bid to forage for food or to navigate their way to safety in northern Luzon. At the end of May, the Shimbu Group still boasted a strength of nearly 26,000 men, over half of its total personnel as of February 20. However, the remaining survivors were not the elite forces they once were. The relentless campaigns by the 11th and 14th Corps had decimated the best-trained and most well-equipped units, leaving behind a shell of what had once been a formidable fighting force. Of the approximately 13,000 survivors still organized into units, their combat effectiveness had deteriorated so significantly that it's worthy of mention only in passing. Meanwhile, about 13,000 others were struggling to survive without proper organization; roughly 5,000 of these were receiving whatever limited medical treatment the Shimbu Group could provide. The remaining 8,000 men had essentially lost all structure, scattering into small groups to forage for food or attempting to make their way north to Luzon, where they hoped to find safety and sustenance. The supply situation faced by the Shimbu Group at the end of May was even more dire than its personnel situation. They had been unable to transport significant portions of their vast stockpiles of supplies into the Sierra Madre mountains, a shortfall that would prove catastrophic for their survival. The only supplies they still possessed in any quantity were ammunition for small arms and machine guns, alongside medical materials for treating combat wounds. The most pressing issue, however, was a critical lack of food. The early loss of several key agricultural regions, including the Bosoboso Valley, the shores of Laguna de Bay, the Santa Maria Valley, and the fertile Infanta region, had deprived the Shimbu Group of expected food stocks. Most of the supplies brought out of Manila had already been consumed. For instance, the organized remnant of the Noguchi Force could currently allocate a meager two ounces of rice per day for each man—a portion that would undoubtedly vanish by mid-June. The Kobayashi Force fared little better, while the Kawashima Force managed to issue slightly more, around six to eight ounces of rice daily. The troops were gradually reduced to scavenging for survival, resorting to eating roots, bark, grass, and whatever food they could find in long-abandoned Filipino gardens. It's worth noting that after just a few days in June, there wasn't a single pig, carabao, or dog left alive within sight of the remnants of the Shimbu Group. Recognizing that mere existence was the overarching challenge, General Yokoyama hoped to regroup his organized units and move them into areas where they might have some chance to cultivate food, scattering them through the challenging terrain of the Sierra Madre. This desperate strategy highlighted the dire straits faced by the Shimbu Group as their chances for survival dwindled. Meanwhile, the Noguchi Force received orders to transfer its main strength to the mountainous region along the eastern shore of Laguna de Bay, where some of its elements were already positioned. This shift aimed to gather their forces in a more favorable terrain, potentially allowing for better access to resources. The Kobayashi Force was tasked with establishing a defensive sector in the area north of Mount Purro and east of Wawa. In a coordinated effort, the 31st Infantry, minus its 3rd Battalion, along with various miscellaneous troops from the 8th Division, were ordered to occupy positions north of the Lenatin River, enhancing their defensive capabilities in a strategic location. The remnants of the Kawashima Force, already in the process of withdrawing from the Ipo Dam area, were instructed to relocate to the mountains east of San Miguel, approximately 22 miles northwest of Ipo. This area was believed to have more abundant food supplies, crucial for the survival of their forces. However, as circumstances unfolded, this transfer later proved impossible. Unable to move effectively, the bulk of the Kawashima Force remained entrenched in the area surrounding Mount Inuman, where they faced mounting challenges in sustaining their troops. In the following month, General Hall directed the 38th Division and Major Edwin Ramsey's 2nd Provisional Regiment to pursue the remnants of Yokoyama's forces as they moved eastward toward Santa Iñez. Meanwhile, the 112th Cavalry employed various mountain and river valley trails to mount a converging attack from the south. They encountered light opposition and successfully captured the town on June 9, further consolidating their gains in the region. At the same time, patrols from the 43rd Division reported no signs of organized resistance north and east of Ipo Dam. The 2nd Cavalry Brigade, alongside Anderson's guerrillas, effectively dispersed the last organized remnants of the Kogure Detachment and the remaining Japanese naval units at Lamon Bay. By the end of June, the only indication of organized Japanese resistance in an area extending five miles north and ten miles east of Wawa Dam was found in the Lenatin River valley, approximately three miles north of Santa Iñez. This development forced the remnants of Yokoyama's forces into trackless and only partially explored wilderness, significantly complicating their ability to regroup or launch further operations. The operations throughout June were costly for Hall, resulting in approximately 110 men killed and 370 wounded. In contrast, Japanese losses during the month were staggering, amounting to 7,540 killed or found dead, alongside 1,105 captured.  Looking back north, General Yamashita aimed to avoid a similar fate for his northern forces. Ever since the fall of Baguio, he had been meticulously planning for the ultimate withdrawal of the Shobu Group deep into the Cordillera Central.  On May 5, less than two weeks following the fall of Baguio, General Yamashita disseminated an outline plan for future operations to the major components of the Shobu Group throughout northern Luzon. His strategy was built on three fundamental premises: Estimation of Enemy Actions: Yamashita assessed that the 6th Army would concentrate its main effort on a northward drive along Route 5, anticipating that General Krueger would only launch secondary attacks toward Bontoc via Routes 4 and 11. This understanding allowed him to anticipate the flow of enemy movements and allocate his resources more effectively. Timing for Resource Stripping: He calculated that the Shobu Group would have approximately three months during which it could strip the Cagayan and Magat Valleys of the essential food and military supplies needed for a protracted stand in the mountains. During this period, the group aimed to transport this matériel into the Cordillera Central through the junction of Routes 4 and 5, located near Bagabag, 25 miles north on Route 5 from Bambang. Control of Key Routes: Yamashita recognized that the success of his planned withdrawal and future delaying actions hinged on maintaining control over the Routes 4-5 junction for as long as possible. He estimated that his defenses south of Santa Fe would be robust enough to hold until mid-June. Additionally, he planned to construct new defensive positions across Route 5 between Santa Fe and Bambang, enabling him to contain the 1st Corps south of Bambang until the end of June. Most crucially, he believed that he would be able to retain control of the Junction of Routes 4 and 5 until the end of July, which was essential for his operational strategy. His initial perimeter encompassed the vital Route 11 terminus of the Baguio-Aritao supply road, as well as key locations such as Bessang Pass, Bontoc, Banaue, Oriung Pass, and Santa Fe In his May 5 plan, Yamashita outlined the necessity of holding the Salacsac Pass-Balete Pass line until mid-June while constructing additional defenses between Santa Fe and Bambang. After mid-June, the Japanese forces were to withdraw to a second perimeter, extending through Ambuclao, Mankayan, Sabangan, Bontoc, Oriung Pass, and Bambang, strategically positioning themselves for potential future engagements. Yamashita understood that these defenses would need to hold until July, when the defenders would be expected to retreat to his last-stand positions centered around Bokod, Mankayan, Polis Pass, the Rayambugan Farm School, and Bambang. He anticipated that the Shobu Group would be compelled to hold their ground until annihilation at these key locations. On April 27, the 103rd Division received orders from the Area Army to transfer its main strength to the Cauayan-Cabagan area, leaving behind only the Yuguchi Detachment 80th Brigade Headquarters in Aparri, which comprised a meager two battalions of nuclear infantry. Yamashita's plans called for virtually abandoning the Cagayan Valley, temporarily retaining only the 103rd Division, which was significantly outnumbered and equated to less than two American Regimental Combat Teams (RCTs), particularly since the Araki Force was stationed in the Cervantes area. The primary duty of the 103rd Division would be to gather all available resources in the valley, including rice and livestock such as carabaos, and dispatch these supplies into the Cordillera Central through Bagabag. Once this crucial task was completed, the division would also withdraw into the mountains, aligning with Yamashita's broader strategic objectives. Yamashita's decision to abandon the Cagayan Valley made logical sense. He realized that the forces he had remaining could not hold the valley for much longer. Additionally, there seemed little necessity to maintain a strong presence there any further. Initially, he had kept units in the valley to harvest and gather food, deny the Allied Air Forces of the Southwest Pacific Area (SWPA) the use of airfields for strikes against Formosa and Okinawa, and hold onto Aparri in the hope that supplies and reinforcements might still reach Luzon. However, by early May, Yamashita concluded that the situation at Okinawa was largely resolved, negating any strategic purpose behind holding the valley airfields. The hope for reinforcements had long since faded, and crucially, his troops had already gathered the early rice harvest from the valley. With no new crop expected to come in until late September, Yamashita recognized that he would not be able to harvest this future crop, further solidifying his decision to withdraw. Yamashita also ordered the 79th Brigade to take over the defense of Banaue, while directing the 105th Division to defend both the Magat Valley and the Bato Bridge area against potential airborne attacks. However, by the end of May, the situation deteriorated significantly: Santa Fe had fallen, and the retreat of the 10th Division had devolved into a chaotic rout. This development put the defenders at risk of allowing the enemy to reach Bambang before they could establish any strong delaying positions south of the town. In response, Yamashita ordered the 10th Division and the 2nd Tank Division to assemble for a defensive stand across Route 5 at Bato Bridge. He also repositioned the 105th Division to the Rayambugan Farm School and directed the 103rd Division to occupy the vacated defenses at Oriung Pass. Despite these strategic maneuvers, time was not on their side. General Krueger wasted no time launching an aggressive pursuit northward, immediately sending the relatively fresh 37th Division to drive straight up Route 5 from Santa Fe to Bagabag. This force was then to swing east through Oriung Pass into the Cagayan Valley, continuing its advance north along Route 5 toward Aparri. To prepare for a larger offensive, Krueger also intended to use the 25th and 33rd Divisions in the initial assault against the Japanese home islands. To this end, he directed the 32nd Division to take over operations in the Baguio area, while the 6th Division was tasked with relieving the 25th at Santa Fe before striking northwest up Route 4 into the deep Cordillera Central, pursuing the Japanese forces further into the mountainous terrain. Finally, Swift was ordered to execute limited attacks up Route 11 from Baguio, maintain the guerrilla offensive against Cervantes, and deploy the Connolly Task Force to follow Route 3 around the northwest tip of Luzon to secure the Aparri region. Leading the charge, the 129th Regiment of the 37th Division advanced north from Santa Fe on May 31, quickly encountering a reinforced provisional anti-tank unit just south of Aritao. This unit managed to delay the town's capture until June 5. However, the following day, Bambang fell without resistance, and the 129th faced only token opposition at Bato Bridge before ultimately reaching Bayombong on June 7. On June 8, the 145th Regiment took over the lead, and by nightfall, they had seized the crucial junction of Routes 4 and 5 near Bagabag without a fight. Advancing further, the 145th crossed the Magat River on June 9 and pressed toward Oriung Pass, where they rapidly engaged the reinforced 179th Independent Battalion. Although the outgunned and outnumbered defenders valiantly delayed the advance, the 145th pushed through the pass along Route 5 and secured it late on June 12. This breakthrough prompted the bulk of the 103rd Division to decide on a strategic retreat toward the Bontoc-Natonin area, while the remnants of the 4th Air Division abandoned Echague to join this withdrawal. By the evening of June 13, the 145th finally halted its advance at Santiago, while the 148th Regiment worked to neutralize the remaining Japanese positions at Oriung Pass. With these positions secured, the offensive resumed, resulting in the fall of the Echague airbase on June 14, followed by the occupation of Cauayan two days later. As we can see, neither the 10th Division nor the 2nd Tank Division managed to reach Bagabag in time to impede the American advance; the latter was assembling along the Bambang-Pingkian road. On June 12, the 20th Regiment initiated a southwest drive along this road from Bambang. Two days later, elements of the 126th Regiment began pushing west toward Pingkian from Aritao, thereby applying significant pressure on Iwanaka's beleaguered troops. Meanwhile, the 10th Division had become hopelessly cut off east of Route 5 and had retreated to the Old Spanish Trail south of Aritao. On June 11, the 25th Division launched a two-pronged attack against this isolated group, forcing General Okamoto's remnants to retreat eastward deep into the Sierra Madre. In the meantime, General Clarkson dispatched the 130th Regiment up Route 11, where they encountered the 58th Independent Mixed Brigade, which was only capable of weak resistance. Poor weather conditions hindered the 33rd Division's operations in the following days, but by June 15, elements of the 130th Regiment had swung east along the Baguio-Aritao supply road and reached Ambuclao on the Agno River. To the north, Volckmann continued his offensive throughout June, deploying the 121st Regiment to clear Route 4 and secure the northern half of Lamagan Ridge. The 15th Regiment was tasked with advancing to seize Upper Cadsu Ridge and then moving generally northeast along the south side of Route 4. Additionally, the still-arriving 66th Regiment aimed to secure the area south of Butac and swing to the east on the 15th's right flank. As a result, both Lamagan Ridge and Lower Cadsu Ridge were cleared by June 5, with the 15th Regiment then turning its focus toward Upper Cadsu while the 121st Regiment advanced directly toward Bessang Pass. Volckmann's Provisional Battalion launched an attack on Magun Hill and, after a series of minor setbacks, succeeded in clearing much of the area by June 10. On that day, the 121st Regiment initiated a final assault toward Bessang Pass, advancing from the west and southwest. The following day, the Provisional Battalion began pressing in from the north and northeast. Meanwhile, the 15th Regiment overran the last organized resistance on Upper Cadsu on June 12, just as the 66th Regiment was reaching the southwestern corner of the ridge. Supported by artillery, the 121st finally overcame the last organized defenses at Bessang Pass on June 14, establishing contact with the Provisional Battalion east of the pass. On the same day, the final pockets of opposition crumbled before the 15th and 66th Regiments south of the pass. Consequently, the remnants of Japanese forces fled east along Route 4 toward Cervantes, pursued by elements of the 15th and 121st Regiments, which successfully secured the town before dark on June 15. During this final offensive, the guerrillas suffered losses of 119 men killed and 120 wounded, while exaggerated estimates placed Japanese losses at around 2,600 killed. At the same time, by mid-June, the guerrilla 11th and 14th Regiments had cleared almost all the valley west of the Cagayan River, stretching from Cauayan north to Aparri. They also gained complete control over Route 11 from Bontoc to the valley, effectively preventing the 103rd Division from joining Yamashita's last-stand positions. Meanwhile, the Connolly Task Force, after a largely uneventful march, approached Aparri and began an attack on June 11 to clear the last Japanese forces from the area. The last event forcing Yamashita to alter his plans came on 13 June, when the 6th Division's 63d Infantry began probing northwest up Route 4 from Bagabag. The reconnaissance foreshadowed a push that Yamashita especially feared, since Route 4 provided direct access to the deep Cordillera Central. The 105th Division, with defenses across Route 4 at the Rayambugan Farm School, did not have sufficient strength to hold the highway, Yamashita knew. Recognizing that he could not hope to maintain control along any of the three perimeters he had established in May, Yamashita issued new orders for a strategic withdrawal to a last-stand area. This new perimeter would be set up along the inhospitable valley of the Asin River, positioned between Routes 4 and 11. Accordingly, the orders were as follows: The 105th Division was to retreat from Route 4 to the Pacdan-Antipolo line. The 2nd Tank Division was to move north and hold the line from Tubliao to Antipolo. The 23rd Division was tasked with defending along the Adaoay-Bokod line. The 58th Independent Mixed Brigade was to hold the Agno Valley from Buguias south to Adaoay. The 19th Division was to consolidate the bulk of its forces into the Agno Valley, defending the river line from the Loo Valley south to Buguias. The 79th Brigade was assigned to defend Route 390 at Hapao. Once this last-stand perimeter collapsed, Yamashita planned for all remaining forces to retreat into the barren Asin Valley between Toccucan and Kiangkiang, prepared to fight to the death. The area behind this new last-stand perimeter boasted excellent defensive terrain, and Yamashita estimated that most of his units had sufficient ammunition for machine guns, mortars, and small arms to hold their positions for an extended period. However, the Shobu Group faced dire challenges: they were virtually out of medical supplies, had no clothing stocks, and their food reserves would be completely exhausted by mid-September. If they were not annihilated by the advancing Filipino-American forces, the Shobu Group could only anticipate a slow death by starvation and disease. Now, it's time to shift focus from the Philippines and head to Borneo to cover the preparations for the invasion of Balikpapan, codenamed Operation Oboe II. As the 9th Australian Division completed its tasks in North Borneo, General Milford's 7th Australian Division was assembling at Morotai for the upcoming invasion scheduled for July 1. Milford's plan entailed an amphibious assault on a two-brigade front between the Klandasan Besar River and Klandasan town, where the Japanese had established their strongest defenses.  In June, it was estimated that approximately 3,900 troops were stationed around Balikpapan, composed of: 1,500 in mobile units. 2,400 in anti-aircraft, air force, and base units. Additionally, there were 1,100 Japanese workers, 2,400 Indonesians, and 1,000 Formosans present. Near Samarinda, it was believed there were about 1,500 troops, plus possibly a battalion that had recently arrived from Tarakan. Experience had demonstrated that when estimating the strength of the enemy's resistance, every Japanese and Formosan, whether part of a fighting unit, base unit, or civilian labor group, had to be regarded as a combatant. Key defensive features included: At least 18 coast-defense guns, primarily located on ridges overlooking the sea. 26 heavy dual-purpose guns and 78 medium and light anti-aircraft guns. Offshore, between Klandasan and Manggar, rows of stout poles were driven into the seabed, horizontally braced with timber, and protected with barbed wire. An almost continuous anti-tank ditch, from 12 to 14 feet wide, extended above the beach from Stalkudo to Sepinggang. Extensive trench systems, with many tunnel openings, were detected on the ridges overlooking Klandasan. Numerous concrete strongpoints and a continuous line of bunkers lined the beach's fringe. This area was among the most strongly fortified that the Australians had encountered during the war. Indeed, Air Vice-Marshal Bostock, responsible for air support of the landing, cautioned the Prime Minister in a letter that these meticulously prepared defenses might result in Australian casualties comparable to those experienced during the landing at Gallipoli. It appeared that the Japanese had established their main defenses on the slopes overlooking the beaches from Klandasan to Stalkudo. The Australian staff believed the Japanese would attempt to contain the invaders within their beachhead area for as long as possible, before withdrawing inland, either south to Bandjermasin or overland to Bintulu in Sarawak. Additionally, it was anticipated that the enemy would direct burning oil onto the beach unless the oil tanks were destroyed during the preliminary bombardment. Brigadier Ivan Dougherty's 21st Brigade was to land with one battalion on Green Beach, while Brigadier Frederick Chilton's 18th Brigade would go ashore with two battalions on the Yellow and Red Beaches. Once a beachhead was secured, the 18th Brigade would seize the high ground dominating the town and clear the harbor for use, while the 21st Brigade would advance along the coast to capture the airstrips. Additionally, Brigadier Kenneth Eather's 25th Brigade, held in reserve, was set to land on July 2 with the likely objective of thrusting inland along the Milford Highway. Although Admiral Barbey favored a landing site farther east, possibly at Sepinggang, where their ships could be positioned more safely and further from Japanese coastal defense guns, Milford countered with sound reasoning: “Why land up the coast and have to fight miles through jungle, which suits the enemy, when you can go straight in under heavy supporting fire, which the enemy can't withstand, in comparatively open and favorable country?” Supported by General Morshead, this plan received approval, and by June 16, the 7th Division was successfully assembled at Morotai. Admiral Noble's Task Force 78 would once again transport the Australian troops to the landing area, supported by Rear-Admiral Ralph Riggs' cruiser group and Rear-Admiral William Sample's escort carriers. Against the Japanese defenses, Admiral Kamada's 22nd Special Base Force consisted of approximately 3,900 troops, with 1,500 in mobile units and 2,400 in anti-aircraft, air force, and base units, in addition to an estimated 4,500 laborers. In preparation for the invasion, aircraft from the Royal Australian Air Force and the 5th and 13th Air Forces began bombarding enemy defenses and storage tanks on June 4. These attacks intensified a week later as they specifically targeted Japanese gun positions. On June 15, Noble's minesweepers arrived to clear the sea around Balikpapan of magnetic mines, but faced losses, with three ships sunk and three damaged during the operation. Ten days later, American underwater demolition teams began working to locate and breach the underwater obstacles, often under heavy gunfire. To further confuse the enemy, efforts were made to create the impression that the landing would occur at Manggar. This included spreading rumors, landing a reconnaissance party in that area, and demolishing underwater obstacles at both Manggar and Sepinggang. Finally, on June 26, Noble's convoy set sail from Morotai. After an uneventful voyage, they reached Balikpapan unmolested just before dawn on July 1. During the morning, Riggs' cruisers and Noble's destroyers shelled the landing beaches and the defenses behind them, continuing the bombardment until the first waves of landing craft were within 1,300 yards of the shore, at which point the fire shifted to the flanks and rear of the enemy positions. About an hour before the landing, a combined rocket barrage and low-level airstrike were executed, followed by a second rocket barrage just ten minutes before the troops hit the beaches. In total, during the 20 days leading up to the assault, the Balikpapan-Manggar area received 3,000 tons of bombs, 7,361 rockets, 38,052 shells, and 114,000 rounds from automatic weapons, all aimed at crippling the formidable Japanese defenses. Covered by a successful bombardment, the assault waves finally hit the beaches just before 09:00. However, due to navigation errors, the troops were put ashore at the wrong locations. The 2/27th Battalion landed on Yellow Beach instead of Green Beach and quickly captured the Ration, Romilly, Rottnest, and Charlie's Spur positions. The 2/12th Battalion landed on Red Beach instead of Yellow, necessitating a northeast swing to take over Ration and reduce the remaining Japanese defenses in the area. A platoon was also detached to push inland along Vasey Road to seize Portee, while other elements secured Parkes, Plug, and Blyth's Junction. The 2/10th Battalion, correctly landing on Red Beach, rapidly seized the high ground in front of them. Patrols found Prudent and Petersham Junction to be unoccupied. The 2/10th then assembled at Petersham Junction and captured the lower slopes of Hill 87, successfully taking the hill under assault by noon. Meanwhile, Dougherty landed his reserve units, which also came ashore further west than expected on Yellow Beach. The 2/16th Battalion quickly assembled at Ravenshoe and captured Record, Pigeon, and Mount Malang. By 11 a.m. the battalion was on Ravenshoe, whence Malang and Pigeon were visible. Advancing under sharp fire Captain Madigan's company on the left took Record about 4 p.m., killing 46 Japanese. At 4.5 Captain R. H. Christian's company launched a concerted attack on Malang, sup-ported by the fire of artillery, mortars and machine-guns, and using a flame-thrower. The hill was taken and 40 Japanese were killed. The Australians lost four killed, including the leading platoon commander, Lieutenant Armstrong, and 14 wounded. By nightfall the 2/16th held a line through Malang, Pigeon and Record. It had lost 6 killed or died of wounds in the day and 24 wounded; 86 Japanese dead had been counted.  The 2/14th Battalion advanced swiftly to secure a bridgehead over the Klandasan Besar and seized the Stalkudo ridge. The 2/5th Commando Squadron passed through this bridgehead and attacked northeast but encountered heavy opposition. Returning to Hill 87, the 2/10th Battalion assaulted and captured Parramatta in the afternoon, aided by artillery and tanks, while patrols further secured Newcastle and the Cracking Plant by dusk. A patrol led by Sergeant A. A. Evans was sent out from Davey's platoon towards Newcastle. They silenced a bunker with a flame-thrower, and came to a house from which Japanese were firing. They overcame this position with grenades and small arms fire and then moved on to New-castle. As Evans reached Newcastle he saw the surviving Japanese making off towards Portee. Davey's platoon now occupied Newcastle and the other platoon took up positions on Parramatta. The seizure of Parramatta gave the 2/10th observation over the low ground to the north and the northern end of the town, and tied the battalion in with the 2/12th on Portee; the Japanese were now in a very poor position to counter-attack from the western end of the beach-head. Lieutenant Russack of Sanderson's company led a patrol to the Cracking Plant where it silenced a Japanese pill-box. This patrol was strafed by American aircraft, but worse was to follow. At 4.55 American carrier-borne aircraft made a run over Parramatta from the west and dropped bombs and fired rockets across Hill 87, which had then been in the hands of the 2/10th for four hours and a half. Much of this fire landed in the area into which Captain Brocksopp's" company ("D") had moved and where Daly's command post was established. Three were killed, including Lance-Sergeant Hackett, a veteran of several cam-paigns, and 14 wounded, including Major G. R. Miethke and two other officers. Air panels were displayed in all platoon areas after this. Daly decided to hold that night as far forward as Newcastle, on which he placed two platoons plus a platoon of the 2/1st Machine Gun Bat-talion, all under Captain Bowie. In the day the battalion had lost 13 killed and 30 wounded, but 216 Japanese dead were counted. That night 24 more Japanese were killed while trying to penetrate the Australians' positions and no Australian was hit. All night there were fires round about where houses were burning, and the blazing oil tanks on the Tank Plateau 600 yards to the west of the Parramatta ridge lit up the landscape. Finally, Brigadier Chilton also landed the reserve 2/9th Battalion on Red Beach and sent it west in the afternoon to occupy Klandasan town, leading to the capture of Santosa Hill by nightfall. Thus, the Australians successfully landed at Balikpapan and secured a sizable beachhead, marking the beginning of what would become a fierce and challenging battle. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. In June 1945, American forces, led by Generals Eichelberger and Krueger, fought fiercely against Japanese troops in Luzon, achieving significant victories despite heavy resistance. The tide turned as they captured key positions, restoring hope to Filipinos. Meanwhile, preparations for the Balikpapan invasion intensified. The 7th Australian Division readied for an amphibious assault on July 1 against well-fortified Japanese defenses. Despite facing strong opposition, the Australians successfully landed at various beaches, seizing vital ground.

Last time we spoke about the victory at Okinawa.. As American forces led by General Buckner advanced, they captured strategic key points, driving the Japanese into a desperate retreat. Despite overwhelming odds, the remaining Japanese defenders, embodying the samurai spirit, fought to the bitter end, hoping to gain time for their homeland's defenses. On June 21, faced with inevitable defeat, Generals Ushijima and Cho chose to commit seppuku in honor of their duty. Their tragic decision underscored the deep commitment to their cause, an adherence to the warrior code. By this point, countless Japanese soldiers surrendered, acknowledging the futility of their fight. As the month drew to a close, the Americans secured Okinawa, a hard-won victory shadowed by staggering casualties, more than 107,000 Japanese lives lost and significant American losses. This battle not only symbolized the relentless spirit of those who fought but also the tragic costs of war, forever etched in history as a vivid reminder of sacrifice and the haunting price of conflict. This episode is Liberation of Luzon Welcome to the Pacific War Podcast Week by Week, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about world war two? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel you can find a few videos all the way from the Opium Wars of the 1800's until the end of the Pacific War in 1945.  For most, the battle of Okinawa basically ends the Pacific War, but the truth is the war was raging all over the place. The second most noticeable place would be Luzon, where the remnants of General Yamashit'as 14th Area Army were still resisting in the northern and eastern mountain ranges. Yet here too, the curtains were beginning to fall. As we last left off, it was mid-April 1945, and the fierce struggle for the liberation of Luzon was reaching a critical phase. General Eichelberger's 8th Army was actively engaged in offensives across the Visayas and Mindanao, while General Krueger's 6th Army focused its might on two primary sectors in Luzon. The stakes were high, the liberation of Luzon was crucial for securing Manila and restoring the Filipino government that had been disrupted by the war. In the northern sector, General Swift's 1st Corps was grappling with General Yamashita's formidable Shobu Group, who were entrenched in this mountainous terrain, making the fighting particularly arduous. Meanwhile, General Hall's 11th Corps was applying relentless pressure on the opposing Shimbu Group, led by General Yokoyama, in the vital areas east of Manila. Starting in the northern reaches of Luzon, we find General Clarkson's 33rd Division making tangible advances, having secured Route 11 up to Camp 3, as well as segments of the Galiano Road and the Tuba Trail. This area, known for its treacherous paths and thick jungle, posed significant challenges, but the troops pressed on. Northward, General Beightler's 37th Division was also on the move, with its 129th Regiment overcoming all enemy resistance along Route 9, reaching the critical town of Sablan by April 14. Not to be overlooked, Colonel Volckmann's guerrilla 121st Regiment had carved a path up Route 4 to the strategically important Bessang Pass, known for its rugged terrain that offers a natural defense. General Mullins' 25th Division was making notable progress towards Balete Pass, gaining crucial footholds on Crump Hill and Myoko Ridge. These positions were essential as they provided elevated vantage points over the surrounding valleys. On the western front, General Gill's 32nd Division had successfully secured the western Salacsac Pass but still faced stiff enemy positions in the eastern pass, where Japanese forces were well-prepared to defend. With the arrival of the bulk of the 37th Division in early April, Swift was poised to launch a dynamic two-division drive towards Baguio, a city nestled in the mountains that had become a strategic goal due to its position and resources. While Clarkson's units continued to engage in patrol actions in the Arboredo, Agno, and Ambayabang River valleys, there was limited progress in these areas. However, the 129th Regiment initiated a decisive attack on Sablan on April 11, successfully breaching Japanese defenses there by April 14. On that pivotal day, the 148th Regiment took charge of securing Route 9 through Calot, a vital corridor for advancing troops. Meanwhile, the 130th Regiment encountered fierce resistance as it pushed west of Asin along the Galiano Road, exemplifying the tenacity of Japanese forces determined to hold their ground. As the battle raged, General Yamashita was already strategizing to evacuate Baguio. By April 19, he made the decision to relocate to the Bambang front, leaving Major-General Utsunomiya Naokata, one of his trusted chiefs of staff, in command of the remaining forces.  Despite the growing pressure on Route 9, the Japanese command seemed out of touch by the second week of April 1945. They inaccurately assessed that the primary thrust of General Swift's 1st Corps would come along Route 11, allowing them to become complacent. This misplaced confidence led to a failure to redeploy troops to counter the increasing threat on their right flank. Instead of fortifying their defenses, they appeared to adopt an inexplicable, almost defeatist attitude, unusual for a military as disciplined as the Imperial Japanese Army. Compounding this lack of urgency was the intense effort from the 14th Area Army headquarters to evacuate civilians and supplies from Baguio, a city perched high in the Cordillera Central mountain range. This evacuation served as a clear signal that the situation was deteriorating, yet the Japanese command remained strangely passive. Yamashita's mindset regarding the unfolding crisis was evident when he made personal preparations to depart for the Bambang front on April 19. In a move echoing his earlier strategy for the Bambang area, he established an independent command for the Baguio front before his departure. Utsunomiya's responsibilities also included nominal command over the 19th Division, stationed north of Baguio, but his control was hampered by significant communication difficulties that plagued the Japanese forces. The first notable action Utsunomiya took was to relieve the 58th Independent Mixed Brigade from the 23rd Division's control, seeking to streamline command. Under Yamashita's directive to hold Baguio for as long as possible before retreating to a new defensive line, Utsunomiya issued an order for all troops along the existing Main Line of Resistance  "hold out to the last man." His tone betrayed the grim reality, coming across as almost ironic given the mounting pressures they faced. Meanwhile, General Sato's 58th Independent Mixed Brigade was frantically working to fortify defenses along Route 9, southeast of Calot. However, their efforts came too late to prevent the 148th Regiment from swiftly capturing Yagyagan on April 15, gaining a crucial foothold in the area. In response to this setback, Sato began sending reinforcements to the Irisan Gorge starting April 16, apparently under Utsunomiya's orders. This narrow, treacherous gorge, surrounded by steep cliffs, was seen as a pivotal point for a last-ditch defense. The Japanese troops managed to repel the initial assaults from the 148th Regiment on April 17, but as night fell, the Americans executed a series of enveloping maneuvers, ultimately securing Ridge A. The following morning, the 148th seized Ridge C; however, their frontal assaults against Ridge B were met with fierce resistance and ended in failure. On April 19, the tide began to turn. After a devastating air strike and concentrated artillery fire that neutralized most of the Japanese positions on Ridge F, the Americans finally captured Ridge B. Concurrently, other American units seized Hills D and E, effectively cutting off the Japanese retreat route. The relentless pressure continued, and the next day, Ridges F and G were subjected to intense attacks, which ultimately resulted in their capture. This relentless campaign forced the Japanese to withdraw to Ridge H, where they continued to regroup. After heavy bombardment, the Irisan Gorge was finally cleared on April 21, sending the surviving defenders scrambling in retreat. As these operations unfolded, the 130th Regiment was busy repositioning two battalions from the Galiano Road to the junction of the Yagyagan Trail along Route 9, poised to mount a coordinated attack on Asin from both the east and west. On April 22, they launched their offensive, catching the Japanese defenders by surprise and effectively dismantling their defenses. By the afternoon of April 23, the Galiano Road was opened for American forces, marking a significant advancement in their campaign. Concurrently, the 129th Regiment had taken over operations from the 148th Regiment and advanced against only scattered resistance, making significant progress as far southeast as the junction of the highway and the Galiano Road. However, their advance was ultimately halted due to concerns about a potential threat from the north. Seizing on this hesitation, General Utsunomiya decided to leave small delaying forces at Trinidad and Baguio, while initiating a general withdrawal to the north and northeast. With Utsunomiya's defensive lines weakened, American patrols were able to enter Baguio on April 24, met with surprisingly little resistance. By April 26, the 129th had effectively secured most of the city, facing only negligible opposition. Simultaneously, elements from the 123rd and 130th Regiments worked diligently to eliminate the remaining Japanese defenses on nearby Mount Calugong, along the Tuba Trail, and on Mount Mirador, ensuring the area was cleared for further American operations. Despite these American successes, Utsunomiya managed to escape with approximately 10,000 troops to the Baguio-Aritao supply road, a crucial evacuation route for Japanese forces. As the end of April approached and into the first days of May, the 37th Division continued to mop up the surrounding areas, further securing Trinidad. Meanwhile, the 33rd Division also pressed forward, capturing the Balinguay-Itogon-Pitican sector, enhancing their control over the region. Looking eastward, General Gill's demoralized 32nd Division was still engaged in fierce fighting through the Salacsac Pass, hampered in their advance along the Villa Verde Trail.  During the second week of April 1945, observers from the 6th Army headquarters reported alarming morale issues within the 32nd Division, echoing concerns that General Krueger had personally noted during previous visits to the front lines. The soldiers of the 126th and 128th Regiments were on the brink of complete mental and physical exhaustion. Front-line troops, many of whom had spent significant time overseas, were becoming overly cautious, possibly from the toll of constant combat. Conversations among the men frequently centered around one urgent topic: their rotation back to the United States. The once aggressive spirit characteristic of these combat troops was waning rapidly. With dwindling numbers and pervasive personnel issues, it was clear that the division would struggle to mount any spectacular gains in the coming days. If they couldn't quicken their pace along the critical Villa Verde Trail, reaching their objective, Santa Fe, by the targeted date of June 1 appeared increasingly unlikely. Delays would be catastrophic; they risked being trapped on the trail by the heavy rains of the impending wet season, which typically began in late May. Such circumstances would severely hinder their ability to withdraw and salvage their equipment from the treacherous mountainous terrain. Meanwhile, the Japanese forces retained key terrain advantages, allowing them to economically utilize their troops and reinforce their front lines almost at will. In stark contrast, the rugged landscape severely restricted the 32nd Division's maneuverability, forcing them to repeatedly launch costly frontal assaults with their diminishing strength. While terrain and weather conditions presented significant challenges, the growing personnel crisis loomed as a critical factor likely to further limit the division's progress in the days ahead. Compounding their challenges, General Iwanaka's reconstituted 2nd Tank Division had suffered heavy casualties, leaving General Konuma unable to provide further reinforcements. On April 17, the rested 127th Regiment finally began its move to relieve the beleaguered 128th Regiment at the western pass, launching operations to clear the last remnants of Japanese forces from the Hill 506-507 area. Although Hill 506B fell rapidly on April 19, and Hill 507C was captured three days later, American forces struggled to completely clear Hill 507D until May 2, underscoring the tenacity of the Japanese defenders. Despite the challenges, enough ground had been cleared by April 26 for the 2nd Battalion to initiate a drive east along and south of the Villa Verde Trail, aiming for the strategically important Hill 508. The Japanese forces, sensing this new threat, responded with fierce counterattacks from both the east and north, managing to delay the American capture of Hill 508 until April 29. The intense fighting illustrated the importance of this elevation, which offered vital visibility over the surrounding landscapes. In the days that followed, the 2nd Battalion expanded its control over Hill 508, establishing a defensive block on the Villa Verde Trail to the north while successfully repelling a series of heavy Japanese counterattacks. Meanwhile, the 3rd Battalion made significant strides by attacking and capturing Hill 509, further consolidating American positions in the area. Simultaneously, the 2nd Battalion of the 126th Regiment launched an offensive south from Hill 511, seizing Hill 515 on April 24. They advanced into the area north of Hill 508 while the 1st Battalion navigated through the rugged terrain of Hills 513 and 514, pressing southward to Hill 516. Their advance culminated in the capture of the crest of Hill 525, where they established a critical block on the Villa Verde Trail. However, the cost of these advances was significant. Due to the heavy losses incurred during these operations, the barely rested 128th Regiment began the process of relieving the exhausted 126th on May 3. Shortly after, the 128th's 2nd Battalion launched an assault southeast, successfully capturing Hill 526 on May 7, while some elements initiated a drive towards Hill 527. To the further east, General Mullins' 25th Division was persistently pushing its Santa Fe offensive against stubborn Japanese resistance. In a stroke of fortune, a successful aerial reconnaissance mission revealed that ground located just 1,000 yards west of their position might offer a more favorable route of advance to Balete Ridge, providing a welcome alternative to the challenging Myoko mass itself. On April 22, a reconnaissance force from the 27th Regiment successfully moved undetected to the southern slope of Balete Ridge, positioning themselves for a critical advance. The following day, the rest of the 2nd Battalion began to push toward Lone Tree Hill, while other units continued to exert pressure on the entrenched Japanese defenses at Myoko. Moving forward with enthusiasm and encountering negligible resistance, the Americans reached Lone Tree Hill on April 25, effectively bypassing the main concentrations of enemy forces. By April 27, the 2nd Battalion had advanced an impressive half mile beyond Lone Tree Hill, with its forward elements only three-quarters of a mile from Balete Pass. However, they were compelled to halt their advance due to the potential threat of an enemy counterattack looming on the horizon. Meanwhile, on April 23, the 35th Regiment began its ascent up Kapintalan Ridge, steadily making progress despite the challenging terrain. By April 27, their leading troops had reached a prominent knob located midway between Route 5 and Lone Tree Hill. The 161st Regiment was also making strides, continuing its attack northward towards Kembu Ridge, where they successfully secured Hill 4625 and the entirety of Highley Ridge by April 28. On that same day, the 27th Regiment began reinforcing their positions on Lone Tree Hill, while elements of the 2nd Battalion initiated a southwest push along Kapintalan Ridge to support the 35th Regiment advancing up Route 5. However, they encountered a formidable strongpoint and were only able to gain 350 yards of new ground northeast from the knob. Simultaneously, elements of the 27th Regiment advanced a modest 500 yards southwest by May 4, indicating the ongoing struggle. That morning, the 1st Battalion of the 161st Regiment seized the southeastern nose of Kembu Ridge, securing a valuable tactical position. At the same time, the 2nd Battalion pushed troops onto the ridge, extending their reach half a mile to the northwest, further consolidating American control in the area. As a breakthrough appeared imminent, General Krueger began dispatching Beightler's 37th Division to the Bambang front on May 2, with all elements of the division departing the Baguio area just three days later. With these reinforcements securing his rear and taking control of the Myoko massif, General Mullins ordered the 27th and 161st Regiments to concentrate their forces for a coordinated attack aimed at enveloping Balete Pass from both the east and west. On May 5, the 161st swiftly broke through Kembu Ridge and advanced to Haruna Ridge, while the 27th Regiment pushed west-northwest along Wolfhound Ridge. However, they faced fierce resistance, gaining only 350 yards against tenacious Japanese defenders. On May 8, Company I successfully launched a southwest offensive from their stronghold along a bare-crested ridge, while Company A deployed on Kenbu Ridge and began ascending the final sections of the Digdig River gorge. The following day, these two companies finally made contact with each other and linked up with the 161st on Haruna Ridge. By May 10, Wolfhound Ridge was secured, coinciding with elements of the 35th Regiment completing the clearance of Route 5 from Kapintalan to the pass. In the meantime, the 35th Regiment, along with units from the 27th, continued their assault on Kapintalan Ridge, which was ultimately secured by May 13. Meanwhile, the 148th Regiment renewed its attacks on Myoko Ridge, where Japanese resistance began to collapse by May 11. With these gains, Balete Pass was now secure. The Americans had incurred 565 men killed and 1,745 wounded during the drive, while General Okamoto's 10th Division experienced catastrophic losses, with nearly 7,000 men killed and a complete breakdown of their control and communications. Reflecting on the situation in Salacsac, by May 8, the Japanese position was deteriorating rapidly. In response, General Iwanaka made the critical decision to dispatch troops aimed at cutting the supply line to the 2nd Battalion of the 128th Regiment, with the intention of safeguarding his main stronghold at Mount Imugan. On that day, the 1st Battalion of the 128th Regiment began to push eastward, facing strong resistance, while elements of the 2nd Battalion moved west from Hill 526, struggling to make any significant progress. By May 10, Japanese forces successfully severed the track between Hills 525 and 516, forcing much of the 128th and one battalion of the 127th Regiment to allocate considerable resources to eliminate the Japanese pocket that had formed in that area. Meanwhile, the 33rd Division was left disheartened as it found itself assigned a holding mission to secure the Baguio-Bauang-San Fernando area. Their operations were limited to minor local gains and long-range reconnaissance, which did little to impact the overall situation.  During May 1945, the only significant action undertaken by the 33rd Division took place along a trail connecting Santa Rosa in the Ambayabang Valley to Tebbo, located on the Agno River five miles south of Pitican. The division focused its efforts on clearing Japanese forces from the high ground situated between the main trail and the upper reaches of the Ambayabang Valley. On May 9, a battalion of the 130th Regiment advanced south from Baguio via Pitican and reached Tebbo, only to find the barrio abandoned. Meanwhile, on May 5, the 136th Regiment began its advance up the Ambayabang Valley. Approximately three miles south of Tebbo, they became embroiled in a ten-day battle, resulting in the deaths of a few hundred Japanese troops. However, these enemy forces posed little threat to the 33rd Division, their primary mission being to block American attacks toward the Baguio-Aritao supply road from the south. As the rainy season approached, 1st Corps and the 33rd Division had long since abandoned plans to use the valley as a route of advance against the Japanese supply lines. Consequently, the 136th Regiment relinquished the terrain it had gained along the valley and the trail to Tebbo almost immediately after capturing it. By May 15, all troops of the 33rd Division began their withdrawal, a challenging task compounded by heavy rains that had transformed the Pitican-Tebbo trail and the trails in the Ambayabang Valley into quagmires. The final destruction of the Japanese blocking force in the valley had little impact on the strategic plans or dispositions of 1st Corps or the Shobu Group, as the Japanese quickly replenished their outposts. By the end of May, the 33rd Division was left executing reconnaissance missions without significant enemy contact or major advances. The division remained in a state of restless anticipation, awaiting developments on the Bontoc and Bambang fronts before the 6th Army would authorize a new drive deeper into the rugged mountains of northern Luzon. Turning to the north, the guerrilla 121st Regiment achieved a significant victory on April 21 by overrunning the last Japanese positions on Lamagan Ridge. About a week later, they completed their occupation of Lower Cadsu. However, during the first part of May, the 121st Regiment faced formidable challenges as they advanced over steep terrain against increasingly fortified Japanese defenses, bolstered by reinforcements from General Ozaki's 19th Division. In the south, Hall's 11th Corps made good progress throughout mid-April, successfully pushing General Yokoyama's 41st Army, previously known as the Shimbu Group, further east from Manila. Concurrently, General Hurdis' 6th Division continued its offensive against the Kobayashi Detachment at Wawa Dam, achieving a notable success by securing the crest of Mount Mataba on April 17, marking a significant tactical gain in the ongoing battle. Despite General Hurdis' hopes to swiftly advance against Mount Pacawagan and Wawa Dam, persistent personnel issues forced him to halt any offensive actions until the 145th Regiment could relieve the 20th Regiment in the Montalban area. The 145th eventually began its assault on Pacawagan on April 21. However, even with effective supporting fire that destroyed much of the enemy's defenses, American forces struggled to secure a foothold on the mountain until the end of the month. Meanwhile, the 1st and 63rd Regiments continued to hold their occupied ground until they were relieved late in April by the 151st and 152nd Regiments of General Chase's 38th Division, which then officially assumed control of the offensive operations. In the southern part of Manila, significant water supply problems prompted General Hall to redeploy General Wing's 43rd Division northward in preparation for an offensive against Ipo Dam.  By mid-April 1945, an acute water shortage had developed within the city of Manila. General MacArthur informed General Krueger about the dire situation, noting that south of the Pasig River, Manila had access to no water sources except for that supplied by Army tank trucks and shallow, often contaminated wells. This shortage significantly hampered sewage disposal throughout the city, as water pressure from the overtaxed Novaliches Reservoir, the only reliable source was insufficient to carry off waste. As a result, flush toilets were frequently clogged, forcing many citizens to resort to using gutters and esteros for defecation. Restaurants and nightclubs, which were heavily frequented by off-duty American troops, struggled to maintain even minimum sanitary standards. The situation was exacerbated by a steady influx of military units and civilians into the metropolitan area, raising concerns about the imminent threat of severe epidemics breaking out in the city. On April 19, MacArthur suggested to Krueger that the 6th Army could resolve Manila's water supply crisis by seizing "the reservoir in the Montalban area." He inquired how soon the installation could be captured. This query puzzled Krueger, who was aware that the only true reservoirs linked to the Manila water system were located west of the Marikina River and had been under American control since February. Furthermore, Krueger understood that Wawa Dam, the nearest water supply installation to Montalban, was no longer connected to the metropolitan system. He subsequently asked MacArthur if by "reservoir in the Montalban area," he meant Ipo Dam, the only major water installation still in Japanese hands. Krueger's question seemingly led to further examination of Manila's water system at General Headquarters, Southwest Pacific Area (GHQ SWPA). On April 22, MacArthur radioed back to Krueger, confirming that Ipo Dam was indeed the preferred objective. He emphasized that capturing the Ipo installation would effectively solve Manila's water supply problems. Upon receiving this directive, Krueger ordered the 11th Corps to launch a drive on Ipo Dam as soon as possible. This shift in forces meant the 112th Cavalry Regiment had to move south to take over the vacated positions. General Wing conducted a reconnaissance-in-force that revealed the Kawashima Force's defenses south of Route 52 were considerably weaker than those around the main highway. In light of this intelligence, the plan for assault was set into motion. On the night of May 6, the 103rd Regiment was ordered to advance towards Mount Katitinga and prepare to attack the dam. Supporting this effort, the 172nd Regiment would strike across a two-mile-wide front to the left of the 103rd towards the dam, while the 169th Regiment was tasked with demonstrating along Route 52 to pin down Japanese forces in the Bigti region. Additionally, Marking's Fil-American Yay Regiment at Norzagaray was to make a feint drive eastward north of the Angat River, targeting Mount Kabuyao. During the first three days of May, General Chase conducted probing attacks in preparation for a concerted offensive aimed at Wawa Dam, which was set to begin on May 4. Simultaneously, General Yokoyama observed what he believed to be a slowdown in enemy progress, leading him to conclude that American forces must be redeploying northward or evacuating from Luzon entirely. This prompted him to prepare a limited counteroffensive, consisting of a series of harassing and delaying actions designed to pin down enemy forces on this front. Consequently, Yokoyama was not anticipating a major offensive on May 4. However, on that day, the 145th Regiment managed to gain up to 1,000 yards along the northern and northeastern slopes of Pacawagan, while the 152nd Regiment advanced approximately 500 yards northward along Woodpecker Ridge. Although these territorial gains were not monumental, Yokoyama became increasingly concerned about the strength of the American attacks and made the urgent decision to launch his counteroffensive. As Japanese forces hurried to reposition for their counterattacks, the 145th Regiment struck eastward, successfully seizing the rocky summit of Mount Binicayan. Meanwhile, the 152nd continued its efforts along Woodpecker Ridge. This coordinated assault completely surprised General Kobayashi's troops, rendering their planned counterattack impossible as they were forced to shift their focus to defending their critical positions. In the southern sector, General Kawashima dispatched one battalion toward Montalban; however, the heavy air assaults that preceded Wing's offensive made it impossible for the Japanese unit to organize effectively for their attack. Adding to the Japanese troubles, the remnants of the Noguchi Force were unable to provide any significant reinforcements. Despite the surprise and disarray among the Japanese defenders, they could not prevent the 145th from capturing the crest of Binicayan on May 9. The troops stationed on Woodpecker Ridge experienced some success by halting the advance of the 152nd and initiated a week of increasingly aggressive dawn and dusk raids starting on May 14. Recognizing the futility of the ongoing conflict, which had resulted in over 1,300 Japanese casualties, General Yokoyama ordered an immediate withdrawal of all units involved on May 15. However, these orders would not reach the front lines until a week later. In the meantime, capitalizing on the element of surprise achieved during the night attack on May 6, General Wing launched an offensive that made excellent progress. The 103rd Regiment rapidly gained control of the western slopes of Katitinga and advanced swiftly along the ridgeline toward Hill 1000. Meanwhile, the 172nd Regiment reached the foot of a rocky ridge two miles southeast of Bigti, and the Marking Regiment encountered no resistance as it marched over seven miles eastward, ultimately halting just a mile and a half northwest of Kabuyao. The only significant resistance encountered occurred at Hill 535, where elements of a guerrilla unit were repelled by Japanese defenders. The unexpectedly weak Japanese opposition prompted the 43rd Division to sustain its offensive momentum without pause. By May 11, the 103rd had secured Hills 805 and 810, while the 172nd was probing Japanese defenses on Fork Ridge and advancing to the southwestern slopes of rocky Hill 815. The Marking Regiment had successfully overrun Kabuyao, though they were unable to capture Four-Corner Hill. At this point, Japanese resistance began to stiffen as American forces clashed with General Kawashima's main defenses. In response, Wing ordered the 169th Regiment to mount a limited attack on Osboy Ridge and directed the Marking guerrillas to launch a strong assault toward Ipo. Supported by artillery, Colonel Marcus Augustin succeeded in breaking through Four-Corner Hill on May 12, marking a critical turning point in the offensive. Unaware of Kawashima's precarious situation, Yokoyama directed the Kawashima Force to initiate a new counterattack against the left and left rear of the 38th Division, deeming the situation for the Kobayashi Force to be more critical. As a result, Kawashima was compelled to divert one battalion for this unnecessary assault, which weakened the Japanese defenses. This strategic miscalculation enabled General Wing to make significant gains on May 13, with the 103rd Regiment capturing Hill 860, the 172nd clearing much of Hill 815, and the Marking guerrillas seizing the summit of Hill 803. The extent of these advances prompted Kawashima to ultimately disregard Yokoyama's orders and recall his assault battalion. This battalion promptly mounted a counterattack against the Americans in a futile attempt to regain lost ground, managing only to restrict the 103rd and 172nd Regiments to minor gains on May 14. Simultaneously, Colonel Augustin's patrols crossed the Angat River unopposed, discovering that the dam remained intact and the powerhouse on the south bank was largely undamaged. However, the patrol force, too weak to hold these installations, retreated before dawn to the crest of Hill 803, where the remainder of the regiment was occupied with mopping up remaining resistance. Looking further south, General Griswold's 14th Corps had already secured most of southern Luzon and had successfully landed General MacNider's 158th Regiment in the Bicol Peninsula. In response, the remnants of the Fuji Force and the depleted Kogure Detachment decided to evacuate the open Santa Maria Valley, opting to retreat to more defensible positions at the Kapatalin Sawmill. This allowed Griswold to move the 7th and 8th Cavalry Regiments into the valley, with the former beginning a drive along Route 455 on May 6. Following a heavy air and artillery bombardment, the cavalrymen launched their assault on the sawmill on May 9 and swiftly overran the enemy defenses by mid-afternoon. After a brief pause to reorganize, the 7th Cavalry advanced up Route 455, leaving their vehicles behind, and reached Lamon Bay by May 13. Meanwhile, on the Bicol Peninsula, progress had been agonizingly slow throughout late April. It wasn't until April 28 that the Cituinan Hills were fully secured, leading to the collapse of organized Japanese resistance in the region. Following this, the 158th Regiment began moving northwestward toward Iriga and San Agustin, rapidly overrunning the remaining weak enemy positions along Route 1. Progress continued to be painfully slow, and it was not until 28 April that organized Japanese resistance finally collapsed. The task of clearing the Cituinan Hills cost the 158th Infantry approximately 40 men killed and 235 wounded; the Japanese lost almost 700 men killed in the region. Although the 158th RCT did not know it, the reduction of the Cituinan Hills marked the end of large-scale organized resistance on the Bicol Peninsula, where no more than 1,400 Japanese remained alive as of the end of April. Simultaneously, the 5th Cavalry Regiment captured Calauag on April 14 and began a two-pronged advance toward San Agustin by the end of the month. On May 2, San Agustin was finally taken as elements of both regiments converged there. Guerrillas had informed XIV Corps, which acquired control of the 158th RCT on 22 April, that a Japanese force of some 2,500 men was dug in along the slopes of Mt. Isarog, an extinct volcano centering eight miles northeast of San Agustin. This report the 5th Cavalry and 158th Infantry proved false in a series of patrol actions between 2 and 15 May. The next day, the 16th, General MacNider radioed to General Griswold that the Bicol Peninsula was secure and that no signs of organized Japanese resistance remained. The two regiments continued patrolling for some weeks until, on 6 June, the 5th Cavalry returned to southern Luzon. The 158th RCT busied itself with the problem of reorganizing and equipping guerrilla forces and in mid-June turned over responsibility for further mopping up to the Filipinos. To that time the operations to clear the Bicol Peninsula had cost the USArmy units involved approximately 95 men killed and 475 wounded. The Japanese had lost over 2,800 killed and 565 captured, including 350 Formosan labor troops whom the Japanese Army had left to fend for themselves. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. In June 1945, amidst the Pacific War, American forces sought to liberate Luzon from General Yamashita's entrenched troops. Under Generals Eichelberger and Krueger, the 8th Army faced fierce resistance in the mountains and vital routes. As Japanese defenders struggled, the Americans advanced strategically, leading to fierce battles across treacherous terrain.  The turning point came with the seizure of Baguio, crucial for the campaign.

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Last time we spoke about the fall of Iwo Jima. General Schmidt pushed through Japanese defenses, facing strongholds like Cushman's Pocket and General Senda's positions, with intense fighting and heavy casualties on both sides. Despite stubborn resistance, the Marines gradually advanced, employing tanks and artillery support. The Japanese, under General Kuribayashi, fought tenaciously, culminating in a final assault on March 26. After brutal combat, Iwo Jima was declared secured, but at great cost: 18,000 Japanese and over 6,800 American lives lost. Meanwhile, in New Britain, Australian forces continued their offensive, capturing strategic positions despite fierce enemy resistance. In the midst of a fierce conflict, Australian battalions advanced into enemy territory, capturing strategic positions while facing heavy resistance. Notable victories included the successful ambushes by the 2/7th Battalion and the capture of key locations like the But airfield. Despite facing fierce counterattacks from the Japanese, particularly at Slater's Knoll, the Australians maintained their momentum. As the Japanese command faced internal crises, the Australians continued their relentless push, ultimately leading to significant territorial gains and weakening enemy forces. This episode is the Visayas Offensive Welcome to the Pacific War Podcast Week by Week, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about world war two? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel you can find a few videos all the way from the Opium Wars of the 1800's until the end of the Pacific War in 1945.  Within northern Luzon, by mid-March, General Clarkson's 33rd Division was exploring the western routes to Baguio. Colonel Volckmann's guerrilla unit had taken control of San Fernando and was engaged in combat around Cervantes. Meanwhile, General Mullins' 25th Division had advanced to Putlan, and General Gill's 32nd Division was involved in a fierce battle at Salacsac Pass. Following the capture of Putlan, General Swift instructed Mullins to push through Balete Pass to secure the vital Santa Fe region. On March 12, the 27th and 161st Regiments began advancing north and northwest, successfully clearing the Minuli area and establishing a foothold on Norton Ridge by March 15. At the same time, the 35th Regiment initiated a broad maneuver around Balete Pass via the Old Spanish Road, but this was soon hindered by intense artillery and mortar fire from the positions of the 11th Independent Regiment. The road also required significant engineering efforts to support the outflanking force, leading Mullins to ultimately halt the 35th's assault. However, General Konuma was unaware of this; fearing an outflanking maneuver from Carranglan, he had no choice but to keep around 3,000 of his best troops in this seemingly secure area. On March 15, Mullins ordered the reinforced 161st Regiment to launch a holding attack to the north while the majority of the 27th Regiment executed a flanking maneuver over Myoko Ridge, Mount Myoko, and Lone Tree Hill to encircle Balete Pass from the east. After regrouping at Putlan, the 35th was also tasked with capturing Mount Kabuto to subsequently advance northwest along Balete Ridge and connect with the 27th at Myoko. Mullins launched a renewed offensive on March 16, facing stubborn resistance from the 161st as it gradually advanced toward Norton's Knob, which was successfully captured by the end of the month. On March 22, the 27th began its flanking maneuver, with the 1st Battalion moving east into the elevated terrain south of Kapintalan by March 28, while the 2nd Battalion advanced nearly 3,750 yards up the wooded Myoko Ridge to the east. Meanwhile, the 35th's attempt to encircle the enemy via Kabuto started off well, reaching the northern slope of Balete Ridge on March 22. However, Konuma's recently arrived reinforcements launched a series of strong counterattacks and harassment raids, forcing the 35th to withdraw by March 28. With the other two regiments stretched thin and unable to penetrate the enemy's main defenses, Mullins ordered the 35th to position itself between the 27th and 161st Regiments to assault Highley Ridge from the east. By the end of March, the 161st was advancing northeast along Highley Ridge toward Crump Hill, which finally fell on April 8, bringing the advance to a halt. The 35th supported this effort with an attack on Kapintalan, which was ultimately captured by April 21. Meanwhile, the 27th continued to struggle through the challenging terrain of Myoko Ridge against fierce opposition, not reaching Woody Hill until April 12. This slow progress allowed Konuma to reinforce the Myoko sector with four understrength infantry battalions. Nevertheless, the brave soldiers of the 27th Regiment persevered, securing the Pimple on April 15 and advancing an additional 350 yards northeast by April 21. Looking west, Clarkson aimed to advance battalion combat teams toward Baguio via Route 11, the Galiano road, and the Tuba Trail. However, Swift declined to approve such ambitious plans, limiting the 33rd Division to a more restrained offensive. Although dissatisfied, Clarkson continued the attack along Route 11, managing to reach Camp 3 by the end of March. In the central area, patrols faced no opposition as they approached within a mile of Galiano, but other patrols discovered increasing signs that the Japanese were preparing to defend the Tuba Trail vigorously. Eventually, a robust reconnaissance force secured Bauang on March 19, with patrols then moving east to occupy Naguilan four days later and Burgos by the month's end. Meanwhile, at Salacsac Pass, the 127th Regiment fought from Hill 502 to Hill 504 against fierce resistance, while Gill sent the 2nd Battalion, 128th Regiment up the trail from Valdez toward Imugan, where they were ultimately halted by vigilant Japanese forces. By March 23, the 1st Battalion of the 127th Regiment reached the crest of Hill 504; the 2nd Battalion advanced past it to Hill 505; and the 3rd Battalion managed to position one company at the base of Hill 507D. However, with its forces stretched thin and dwindling, the 127th was unable to capitalize on its seemingly advantageous position, allowing General Iwanaka to launch a strong counterattack on Hill 507D that successfully repelled the 3rd Battalion. As a result, Gill decided to withdraw that unit and the stalled 2nd Battalion, 128th Regiment, while the majority of the 128th relieved the 127th in the Hill 502 sector. Beginning on March 25, the 128th Regiment advanced aggressively eastward, successfully capturing the previously overlooked Hill 503, fully securing Hill 504, and expanding its control over Hill 505 by the month's end. However, on the night of March 31, Iwanaka launched a daring counterattack, reclaiming Hill 504 and nearly taking all the territory east of Hill 502. By April 4, both the 127th and 128th Regiments had sustained significant casualties and could no longer continue the offensive. Consequently, Swift had to order the 33rd Division to relieve the beleaguered 126th Regiment in the Ambayabang and Arboredo River valleys, allowing this unit to reposition north of the Villa Verde Trail to execute a flanking maneuver along the Miliwit River valley. Fortunately for Clarkson, General Krueger persuaded MacArthur to free the 129th Regiment from its duties in Manila, sending it to bolster the now overstretched 33rd Division. Once the rest of the 37th Division arrived at the Baguio front, which Krueger anticipated would happen in early April, Swift could initiate a two-division assault on Baguio. In the meantime, Clarkson promptly dispatched the 129th to Burgos, and by April 1, it had advanced to Salat.  The Japanese opposing the reinforced 33d Division were no longer in the shape they had been at the end of February. The 58th IMB and the 23d Division had both suffered heavy losses during March, losses that probably stemmed largely from lack of food and medical supplies rather than from combat action. By mid-March Japanese supply problems on the Baguio front had progressed from bad through worse to impossible. First, supplies had moved westward over the new Baguio-Aritao supply road far more slowly than anticipated, a development attributable in large measure to Allied Air Forces strikes on that road and along Route 5 north and south of Aritao. Second, operations of the 66th Infantry, along Route 11 north from Baguio, and the activities of the 11th Infantry, , in the Cagayan Valley, had made it virtually impossible for the Japanese to bring any food into the Baguio area from the north. Third, the Japanese tried to do too much with the limited amount of supplies available on the Baguio front. They were attempting to supply 23d Division and 58th IMB troops along the MLR; send certain military supplies north up Route 11 for the 19th Division; feed 14th Area Army headquarters and a large civilian population in Baguio; and establish supply dumps north and east of the city against the time of eventual withdrawal. Almost inevitably the principal sufferers were the front-line troops. By mid-March the best-fed Japanese combat troops on the Baguio front were getting less than half a pound of rice per day as opposed to a minimum daily requirement of nearly two and a half pounds. Before the end of the month the troops on the MLR were down to less than a quarter of a pound of rice a day. Starvation and diet-associated diseases filled hospitals and sapped the strength of the combat units. Generally, effective frontline strength was far lower than reported ration strength indicated. Medical supplies were consumed rapidly, and by the end of March, for example, there was virtually no malaria phophylaxis left in Baguio area hospitals. Looking upon the situation on the Baguio front with frank pessimism, Yamashita in mid-March directed inspection of terrain north, northeast, and east of the city with a view toward preparing a new defense line. His attitude became even plainer when, on or about 30 March, he ordered Japanese civilians and the Filipino puppet government to evacuate Baguio. Indeed, the future on the Baguio front was so bleak by the end of March that almost any other army would have withdrawn to new defenses forthwith, thereby saving troops for future battle. But not so the Japanese. Yamashita decided that the existing MLR would be held until the situation became hopeless. At the end of March that portion of the MLR held by the 23d Division was still intact, and the 58th IMB was busy deploying additional strength along its section of the line. One independent infantry battalion was on high ground north of Route 9 at Sablan; and another held defenses at Sablan. A reinforced company was at Burgos and, less that company, another independent infantry battalion held reserve positions at Calot, a mile and a half southeast of Sablan. One understrength battalion was responsible for defending the rough terrain from Sablan six miles south to Mt. Apni, where a tie-in was made with the right flank of the 23d Division. Maj. Gen. Bunzo Sato, commanding the 58th IMB, expected that the emphasis of any Allied drive in his sector would come along Route 9, but he did not neglect the other approach in his area, the Galiano road. Since the understrength battalion stationed astride the road was not strong enough to withstand a concerted attack, he directed his main reserve force, the 1st Battalion of the 75th Infantry, 19th Division, to move west out of Baguio to defenses at Asin. This step left in Baguio a reserve force of roughly three provisional infantry "battalions," which together probably could not muster over 750 effectives. In the Salacsac area, as casualties in the western pass were rapidly increasing and Allied air and artillery strikes made it nearly impossible for the 2nd Tank Division to transport supplies, Iwanaka concluded that his forward positions were nearly untenable. He began planning to redeploy forces to defend the eastern pass. Consequently, when the 126th Regiment launched its new offensive on April 5, it faced unexpectedly light resistance, quickly capturing Hills 518 and 519 within two days and cutting off a Japanese supply route leading north from Hill 504 across the eastern slopes of Hill 519 and up Mount Imugan. However, Iwanaka swiftly recognized the emerging threats and sent reinforcements to intercept the 126th's advance, delaying the capture of Hills 511 and 512 until March 13 and effectively halting further progress. At the same time, the reorganized 128th Regiment resumed its assault eastward on April 7, successfully retaking the Hill 504-505 sector and capturing Hill 506 by April 10. The following week, the 128th fought tenaciously to secure this elevated ground against fierce resistance, managing to push all the way to Hills 506B, 507C, and 507D with their remaining strength, nearly securing the western pass by April 17. Meanwhile, after the fall of San Fernando, General Krueger instructed Volckmann to advance inland along Route 4 toward Bontoc. However, the Provisional Battalion established at Cervantes could only withstand the relentless enemy pressure until April 4, when it was ultimately forced to retreat into the hills northwest of the town. Consequently, Volckmann had to quickly deploy the 121st Regiment to barrio Butac in preparation for an eastward push along Route 4. After a week of intense back-and-forth combat, this elite guerrilla unit succeeded in establishing footholds along the northern parts of Lamagan and Yubo Ridges. Over the next few days, the 121st made slow and arduous progress, ultimately gaining control of Route 4 nearly to the southeastern edge of Bessang Pass by mid-April. Further south, by mid-March, General Wing's 43rd Division had effectively secured the Antipolo sector, while General Hurdis' 6th Division was advancing well toward Mount Baytangan. At this point, General Hall's 11th Corps assumed responsibility for operations against the Shimbu Group, now rebranded as the 41st Army. However, he quickly decided to maintain the offensive against General Yokoyama's left flank, with the 20th and 1st Regiments focusing on an eastward push alongside the 43rd Division. Meanwhile, General Noguchi had completed his withdrawal to the Sugarloaf Hill-Mount Tanauan line, where he would receive reinforcements from elements of the Kogure Detachment. Simultaneously, General Kobayashi was struggling to stabilize his left flank, bolstered by one reserve battalion. On the morning of March 15, the American offensive resumed, with the 103rd Regiment continuing its assaults on Benchmark 7 Hill to secure Route 60-A, while the 172nd Regiment launched its initial attacks toward Sugarloaf Hill, facing fierce resistance. On March 17, the 1st Regiment renewed its advance toward Baytangan, initially making good progress and digging in about a mile west-southwest of the mountain's summit. However, during the night, a barrage of mortar fire followed by an infantry counterattack forced the Americans to retreat in disarray. As a result of this setback, the 1st Division began to advance eastward more cautiously, facing determined resistance and heavy mortar fire. By March 22, it was only slightly closer to Baytangan's crest than it had been five days earlier. The 20th Regiment on the left also encountered strong resistance, managing to reach a point a mile and a half west of Baytangan by March 22. At the same time, a company maneuvering to the north established a foothold on a wooded ridge overlooking the Bosoboso Valley. Meanwhile the 103d Infantry finally overran the defenses on Benchmark 7 on 18 March, killing about 250 Japanese in the process. The Japanese battalion there had delayed the 103d's attack toward Mt. Tanauan until the morning of 18 March, but by evening of that day the regiment's troops had begun swarming up the bare, rocky, southern and southwestern slopes of the mountain. Over the next three days, American forces slowly advanced through a complex of caves and bunkers until they secured the mountain's summit, while other units captured Benchmark 23 Hill and patrolled northward into the southeastern part of the Bosoboso Valley. By March 19, the 172nd Division was halted, containing Sugarloaf to the west. They bypassed it to the north and east, initiating new assaults toward Mounts Yabang and Caymayuman, making significant progress to the east but less so to the north by March 22. Despite concerns that Hall's four exhausted regiments might lack the strength to turn the 41st Army's left flank, the ongoing pressure and the failure of previous counterattacks ultimately compelled Yokoyama to order his threatened units to withdraw to new positions east of the Bosoboso River. Therefore, when the 6th and 43rd Divisions resumed their attacks on the morning of March 23, the withdrawal was already in full progress. Over the next three days, the 1st and 20th Regiments faced only scattered and disorganized resistance, allowing them to establish positions over a mile north and south of Baytangan along the ridgeline that overlooks the Bosoboso Valley. Meanwhile, the 172nd Regiment successfully captured Mount Yabang and most of Mount Caymayuman, while the 103rd Regiment advanced quickly northward, taking barrio New Bosoboso, Mount Balidbiran, and Benchmark 21 Hill. On March 27, the 1st Regiment secured the crest of Baytangan, and the 172nd Regiment eliminated the last organized opposition at Sugarloaf Hill. With Yokoyama's left flank collapsing, Hall could focus on capturing Wawa Dam and destroying the remaining elements of the Kobayashi Force west of the Bosoboso River, a mission assigned to the 6th Division. During this initial offensive, approximately 7,000 Japanese soldiers were killed since February 20, while American casualties included 435 killed and 1,425 wounded. Hurdis' initial strategy for capturing Wawa Dam involved the 1st and 20th Regiments advancing northward to clear Woodpecker Ridge and Mount Mataba, while the 63rd Regiment conducted diversionary attacks on the western slopes of Mataba. This new offensive began on March 28 but quickly faced intense small arms, machine-gun, and mortar fire, leading to a back-and-forth struggle against fierce enemy resistance. By April 3, the 20th Regiment had advanced less than half a mile toward Mataba, and the 1st Regiment had gained only 250 yards to the north. General Hurdis had hoped his attack, directed against the Kobayashi Force southern flank, would be far more successful, but the Kobayashi Force, rapidly and efficiently, had reoriented its defenses, which it had laid out primarily to face an attack from the west. The force's two remaining provisional infantry regiments, the Central and Right Sector Units, were still relatively intact, and the Central Sector Unit, bearing the brunt of the 6th Division's offensive, had recently been reinforced by remnants of the Left Sector Unit and elements of the Shimbu Group Reserve. Other factors bearing on the 6th Division's slow progress were the declining strength and deteriorating combat efficiency of its infantry regiments. The 20th Infantry could muster only 2,085 effectives on 3 April; some of its rifle companies were reduced to the combat strength of platoons. The situation within the 1st Infantry, with an effective strength of 2,150, was little better. As of 3 April the commanders of both regiments rated their units' combat efficiency only as "fair," the lowest ranking of three terms each had employed since the Lingayen Gulf assault.To bolster protection for Hurdis' right flank, the 103rd Regiment also captured Hill 1200 on the east bank of the Bosoboso River by the end of the month. Due to the slow progress of Hurdis' offensive, on April 5, Hall assigned General Cunningham's Baldy Force, which consisted of the 112th Cavalry Regiment and the recently arrived 169th Regiment, to take control of the area north of Mount Oro. This move would free up most of the 63rd Regiment to support the 20th Regiment and continue the assault north toward Mataba, while the 1st Regiment maintained its position along Woodpecker Ridge. From April 6 to 9, the 63rd made only limited progress to the east; however, on April 10, it shifted its focus to an offensive on the western slopes of Mataba, quickly securing the southwestern quarter of the mountain with minimal resistance. In response, Kobayashi promptly redirected his forces back to Mataba from the north-south ridge to prevent the 63rd from reaching the mountain's summit until April 17. At the same time, the 1st Regiment resumed its advance along Woodpecker Ridge but again faced strong enemy opposition, resulting in only limited gains. Looking further south, by March 23, the 187th Glider Regiment and the 511th Parachute Regiment had advanced to Santo Tomas and Tanauan but were unable to completely clear these areas. Meanwhile, the 158th Regiment secured Balayan, Batangas, and the Calumpan Peninsula, pushing toward Mount Macolod, where they were ultimately halted by significant forces from the Fuji Force. At this stage, as Krueger planned to launch an offensive into the Bicol Peninsula using the 158th, he needed to relieve the 11th Airborne Division with the barely rested 1st Cavalry Division. This division quickly took control of the Santo Tomas-Tanauan area, while General Swing's units maneuvered around the west side of Lake Taal to relieve the 158th at Macolod. As a result, General Griswold renewed his offensive on March 24. The 187th attempted to attack Macolod but was unsuccessful. A task force composed of units from Swing's other two regiments advanced quickly north toward Lipa, only to be halted at the hills southeast of the town. The 8th Cavalry captured Santo Tomas after a fierce battle and took Tanauan two days later. The 7th Cavalry advanced about five miles east into the corridor between Mounts Maquiling and Malepunyo, while the 12th Cavalry pushed along Route 21, moving about four miles beyond Los Baños. On March 27, Swing's task force finally overcame the enemy defenses southeast of Lipa, but it was the 8th Cavalry that ultimately secured this strategic town two days later. Griswold's successful offensive also forced around 2,000 troops from the Fuji Force to retreat along Route 21 and through the Santa Maria Valley to join Yokoyama's forces in the mountains east of Manila. In response, Krueger devised a plan to prevent the potential influx of Japanese reinforcements around the eastern and northern shores of Laguna de Bay. He instructed Hall to clear the northern shore of the lake, block the Santa Maria Valley, and secure Route 21. While the 187th continued its assault on Macolod, Griswold ordered his other units to push eastward to secure Laguna de Bay and Tayabas Bay. Accordingly, on March 30, the 103rd Regiment advanced in small increments along the northern shore of Laguna de Bay, reaching Siniloan by April 4. The 12th Cavalry moved to Calauan and then south along a secondary road toward San Pablo, encountering strong enemy positions that wouldn't be overcome until April 5. The 5th and 7th Cavalry Regiments fought through the Maquiling-Malepunyo corridor against determined but disorganized Japanese resistance, successfully occupying San Pablo by April 2. Additionally, elements of the 188th Glider Regiment pushed east through the mountain corridors, reaching Tiaong on April 3 and Lucena three days later. By April 6, the 5th Cavalry and the 103rd Regiment had established contact at Pagsanjan, effectively isolating the 41st Army. The next day, patrols from the 11th Airborne Division headed north from Lucena, while 1st Cavalry Division patrols departed from Pagsanjan heading south. They successfully linked up at Lucban by April 10 and then advanced eastward to Mauban. At the same time, a company from the 188th traveled along Route 1 across the Bondoc Isthmus, reaching Atimonan on April 11. Griswold's patrols also moved towards Mount Malepunyo, where the Fuji Force was preparing for its final stand. By April 16, preliminary assaults had concentrated enemy resistance around Mount Mataasna-Bundoc. Meanwhile, after a week of intense aerial bombardment, Brigadier-General Hanford MacNider's 158th Regiment successfully landed at Legaspi Port with minimal opposition on April 1. They quickly secured the port and the nearby airfield, then advanced to Daraga before moving south along Route 1 to occupy the Sorsogon Peninsula, where they encountered machine-gun fire from the Mount Bariway-Busay Ridge. The following morning, the troops had to retreat east of Daraga, and in the coming days, the 158th faced tough fighting in the challenging, jungle terrain to overcome resistance in the Daraga area. Concerned about delays in occupying the Sorsogon Peninsula, MacNider landed his anti-tank company at Bacon on April 6, which occupied Sorsogon without opposition. Meanwhile, the 2nd Battalion continued its overland advance, reaching Bulan by April 12, where they targeted a significant Japanese concentration. Simultaneously, MacNider's other two battalions attacked Camalig on April 11 and began their unsuccessful assault on enemy positions in the Cituinan Hills. By April 1, the 188th had successfully eliminated the last organized resistance in the rugged hills south of Ternate. Meanwhile, the 2nd Battalion of the 151st Regiment launched an assault on Caballo Island on March 27 but could not fully dismantle the entrenched enemy positions until April 13. The Japanese in the pits and tunnels created an almost insoluble problem for the 2d Battalion, 151st Infantry. The Japanese had so emplaced their weapons, which included machine guns and mortars, that they controlled all approaches to the mortar pits but could not be reached by American artillery or mortar fire. When the 151st Infantry concentrated its mortar fire against the pits' entrances, the Japanese simply withdrew into the tunnels. When the American fire ceased--at the last possible moment before an infantry assault--the Japanese rushed out of the tunnels to man their weapons. Tanks were of no help to the American troops. From positions near the rim of the pits the tanks were unable to depress their guns sufficiently to do much damage to the Japanese. If the tanks tried to approach from above, they started sliding down Hill 2's slopes into the pits. No combination of tank, artillery, and infantry action proved of any avail, and the 151st Infantry had to give up its attempts to take the Japanese positions by assault. On 31 March engineers tried to pour diesel oil into one of the tunnels connecting the mortar pits, employing for this purpose a single ventilator shaft that was accessible to the 151st Infantry. Nothing came of the effort since it was impossible to get enough oil up the steep slopes of the hill to create a conflagration of significant proportions within the tunnels. Nevertheless, burning the Japanese out seemed to promise the only method of attack that would not risk the unduly heavy casualties of a direct infantry assault. No one, of course, wanted to throw away the lives of experienced troops on such an insignificant objective. Finally, the commander of the 113th Engineers, 38th Division, suggested pumping oil up the hill from the beach through a pipeline from a ship or landing craft anchored at the shore line. The Allied Naval Forces happily fell in with this idea and supplied the 151st Infantry with two oil-filled ponton cubes; the Allied Air Forces provided a 110-horsepower pump and necessary lengths of pipeline and flexible hosing; and the 592d Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment came through with an LCM to carry the pump and the ponton cubes. On 5 April over 2,500 gallons of diesel fuel were pumped into the pits and tunnels through the ventilator and were then ignited by white phosphorus mortar shells. "Results," the 38th Division reported, "were most gratifying." A huge flash fire ensued, followed by a general conflagration and several explosions. The engineers repeated the process on 6 and 7 April, and on the latter day carefully lowered two large demolition charges through the ventilator shaft and placed another at an accessible tunnel entrance. Set off simultaneously, the three charges caused an enormous volume of flames and several terrific explosions. For the next few days the 2d Battalion, 151st Infantry, tried to persuade a few Japanese who had lived through the holocausts to surrender and also executed a few infantry probing attacks. On 13 April a patrol entered the pits and tunnels, killed the lone surviving Japanese, and reported the positions cleared and secured. Following this, El Fraile was targeted, with Company F of the 151st and the 113th Engineers effectively neutralizing Fort Drum using gasoline and explosives. On April 16, troops from the 1st Battalion of the 151st Regiment attacked Carabao Island, facing no opposition. Looking towards the Visayas, after capturing Palawan and Zamboanga, General Eichelberger set his sights on the Sulu Archipelago, where new airfields were to be established. On March 16, a reinforced company from the 162nd Regiment landed unopposed on Basilan Island and spent the next two days searching Basilan and nearby islets, finding no signs of Japanese forces. On April 2, the reinforced 2nd Battalion of the 163rd Regiment landed on Sanga Sanga Island, successfully clearing the Tawi Tawi Group by April 6. The remainder of the regiment made an unopposed landing near Jolo Town on April 9. Over the next two days, the Americans drove approximately 2,400 men of the 55th Independent Mixed Brigade from the heights immediately south and southeast of the town to secure a nearby airstrip. However, the Japanese retreated to more fortified hill masses further inland, where they had long prepared their defenses and began to resist fiercely. After initial attacks by Colonel Alejandro Suarez's guerrillas failed to breach the Japanese positions, the 1st Battalion of the 163rd Regiment joined the fight and managed to overrun the enemy defenses by April 22. On April 25, the 3rd Battalion launched an assault on Lieutenant-General Suzuki Tetsuzo's final positions at Mount Tumatangus, which were ultimately subdued by May 2. However, the remaining Japanese forces continued to engage in guerrilla warfare. By this time, airfields in Zamboanga and Sanga Sanga had become operational to support the forthcoming invasion of Borneo.The first field at Zamboanga was a dry-weather strip 5000 feet long, completed on March 15 and immediately put to use by Marine Corps planes. The field, named Calarian Drome, could not answer the need for an all-weather strip 6000 feet long. Accordingly, engineers constructed a new strip, which the Marine aviators based there called Moret Field, about a mile to the east, and had it ready for all-weather operations by May 16. Used primarily by Marine Air Groups 12, 24, and 32, Moret Field was also employed by a 13th Air Force night-fighter squadron, an emergency rescue squadron, and 13th Air Force B-24s and P-38s staging through for strikes against Borneo. Marine Corps planes on March 16 executed the first support mission flown from a field in the Zamboanga area, covering the landing on Basilan Island. Later, Marine Corps planes from Zamboanga flew support for the Tawi Tawi and Jolo operations and undertook pre-assault bombardment and cover for the invasion of eastern Mindanao. While 13th Air Force planes executed most of the support for the invasion of Borneo, Marine Corps B-25s from Zamboanga also flew some missions. At Sanga Sanga Island there was a Japanese coral-surfaced strip about 2800 feet long. Engineers repaired and extended this strip to a length of 5000 feet by May 2, when fighters of the 13th Air Force began moving to Sanga Sanga from Palawan to provide close support for the initial landings on Borneo. These US Army planes were replaced in mid-May by units of the Royal Australian Air Force, which employed the all-weather Sanga Sanga field during later operations on Borneo. Finally, a Japanese field 3800 feet long on Jolo Island was repaired and used for aerial supply and evacuation operations in support of ground troops throughout the Sulu Archipelago. Eichelberger's next target was the Central Visayan Islands. For the Panay-Guimaras-northern Negros operation, codenamed Victor I, he assigned General Brush's 40th Division, excluding the 108th Regiment, which had recently been assigned to Leyte. The 40th Division departed Lingayen Gulf on March 15 aboard ships from Admiral Struble's Task Group 78.3. After a brief stop at Mindoro, they arrived at Panay before dawn on March 18. Following a short bombardment by destroyers, the 1st and 3rd Battalions of the 185th Regiment landed unopposed about twelve miles west of Iloilo, where they were joined by Colonel Macario Peralta's guerrillas, who already controlled much of the island. The 185th quickly expanded its beachhead against light, scattered resistance and began advancing along the coastal road toward Iloilo in the afternoon, forcing the 170th Independent Battalion to retreat to the mountainous interior. With Iloilo secured by March 20, G Company of the 185th Regiment successfully captured Inampulugan Island on March 22, while other elements of the regiment cleared the unoccupied Guimaras Island by March 23. Additionally, Brush decided to assign the 2nd Battalion of the 160th Regiment to garrison Panay alongside Peralta's guerrillas. No pursuit of the 170th Independent Battalion was made, allowing the Japanese to continue their guerrilla activities until the end of the war. Meanwhile, for the operation against northern Negros, Brush planned to launch an assault with the 185th Regiment on March 29, followed by the majority of the 160th Regiment the next day, while keeping the 503rd Parachute Regiment in reserve for potential airdrops. Opposing him, Lieutenant-General Kono Takeshi's 77th Brigade had a total of 15,000 troops but was prepared to retreat into the mountains of north-central Negros for a prolonged defense, leaving only token forces in the coastal plain to delay American advances. On March 29, the 185th Regiment landed unopposed near Pulupandan and quickly secured a bridge over the Bago River. The 185th then spread north and east, with the 160th Regiment following, successfully securing nearly the entire coastal plain of northwestern Negros by noon on April 2. As they closed in on Kono's inner fortress, the Americans overran the main Japanese outposts while the 511th was landed to bolster the assault. On April 9, Brush launched his general offensive, with his three regiments advancing slowly into rugged terrain where the Japanese held significant defensive advantages.  On June 4 General Kono, realizing that his remaining forces were incapable of further sustained effort, directed a general withdrawal deep into the mountains behind his broken defensive lines. The surviving Japanese dispersed into small groups seeking food and hideouts and trying to avoid contact with Colonel Abcede's guerrillas who, under the direction of the 503rd Parachute Regiment, took over responsibility for the pursuit of Kono's men. On June 9 the 503rd then relieved all elements of the 40th Division in northern Negros. By that date the Japanese had lost over 4000 men killed. Kono lost another 3350 troops, mainly from starvation and disease, before the end of the war. After the general surrender in August 1945, over 6150 Japanese came down from the mountains to turn themselves in, joining about 350 others who had been captured earlier. In all, about 7100 Japanese lost their lives in northern Negros, pinning down the equivalent of an American infantry division for over two months. The 40th Division's casualties for the operation, including those of the attached 503rd Parachute, totaled approximately 370 men killed and 1035 wounded. Meanwhile, Eichelberger's final objective in the Central Visayas was Cebu, assigned to Major-General William Arnold's Americal Division. For Operation Victor II, Captain Albert Sprague's Task Group 78.2 was set to land the bulk of the division at Cebu City while Colonel James Cushing's guerrillas secured the water sources. Opposing them were Rear-Admiral Harada Kaku's 33rd Naval Special Base Force and Major-General Manjome Takeo's 78th Brigade, which together comprised approximately 14,500 troops, including the 173rd Independent Battalion and the 36th Naval Guard Unit stationed at Cebu City. Additionally, around 750 soldiers from General Kataoka's 1st Division were positioned in northern Cebu. Although the command situation on the island was chaotic, General Suzuki's 35th Army headquarters in Leyte had been evacuated by two large motorized landing barges between March 17 and 25. Taking control of all forces on Cebu, Suzuki appointed Manjome as the de jure commander in the Cebu City area while leaving Kataoka in charge of northern Cebu, as he prepared to retreat to Mindanao. General Manjome designed his defenses so as to control--not hold--the coastal plains around Cebu City, and for this purpose set up defenses in depth north and northwest of the city. A forward line, constituting an outpost line of resistance, stretched across the first rising ground behind the city hills 2.5 to 4 miles inland. A stronger and shorter second line, the main line of resistance, lay about a mile farther inland and generally 350 feet higher into the hills. Back of this MLR were Manjome's last-stand defenses, centering in rough, broken hills 5 miles or so north of the city. Anticipating that American forces would attempt to mount wide envelopments of his defensive lines, Manjome set up one flank protective strongpoint in rugged, bare hills about 3.5 miles north of barrio Talisay, on the coast about 6 miles southwest of Cebu City, to block the valley of the Mananga River, a natural axis of advance for forces enveloping from the south and west. Similarly, he established strongpoints on his left to block the valley of the Butuanoan River, roughly 4 miles northeast of Cebu City. Against the eventuality that the American invading forces might land north of Cebu City and strike into the Butuanoan Valley, Manjome set up another flank protective position in low hills overlooking the beach at Liloan, 10 miles northeast of Cebu City. Manjome did not intend to hold the beaches, but at both Talisay and Liloan, the best landing points in the Cebu City region, he thoroughly mined all logical landing areas. The Japanese also constructed tank barriers along the shore line and planted tank traps and minefields along all roads leading inland and toward Cebu City. The inner defense lines were a system of mutually supporting machine-gun positions in caves, pillboxes, and bunkers. Many of these positions had been completed for months and had acquired natural camouflage. Manjome's troops had an ample supply of machine guns and machine cannon and, like the Japanese on Negros, employed remounted aircraft and anti-aircraft weapons. Manjome had some light and heavy mortars, but only a few pieces of light artillery. For the rest, however, Manjome's forces were far better supplied than Kono's troops in northern Negros. After an uneventful journey, Task Group 78.2 and the Americal Division arrived off Cebu in the early hours of March 26. Following an hour of bombardment by three light cruisers and six destroyers from Admiral Berkey's Task Force 74, the leading waves of the 132nd and 182nd Regiments landed unopposed on beaches just north of Talisay at 08:30. However, the landing was chaotic, as Japanese mines just a few yards beyond the surf line disabled ten of the first fifteen LVTs. Fortunately for the Americans, Manjome had chosen to withdraw from the beaches to establish inland defenses, resulting in minimal casualties. Once they cleared the beach minefields by 10:00, Arnold's leading units cautiously advanced through abandoned defenses toward the main highway to Cebu City, ultimately stopping for the night about a mile and a half south of their objective. The following day, the infantry secured Cebu City without opposition and on March 28 proceeded to clear Lahug Airfield and Hill 30 to the north. The Americans began their assault on Go Chan Hill on March 29, during which Company A of the 182nd Regiment was completely annihilated by the explosion of an ammunition dump located in caves along the hill's eastern spur. Fueled by a desire for revenge, nearly the entire 182nd returned to the attack on March 30 and successfully captured Go Chan Hill. Meanwhile, the 132nd Regiment cleared the coastal plains area north to the Butuanoan River, further securing the city's water supply sources by April 2. Unopposed, troops from the 132nd also successfully landed on Mactan Island, quickly securing an airstrip. In the meantime, as guerrillas had already taken control of much of Masbate, the 2nd Battalion of the 108th Regiment successfully landed on the island by April 7. Facing minimal opposition, the Americans pursued the scattered Japanese remnants through the hills and jungles of Masbate, killing approximately 120 Japanese soldiers by May 4.   I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. On March 29th, the Americans attacked Go Chan Hill, suffering heavy losses. Seeking revenge, they captured it the next day, securing water supplies and defeating Japanese forces in Masbate. Then in April, Allied forces advanced strategically, overcoming fierce Japanese resistance, securing key positions, and establishing airfields, culminating in significant victories across the Philippines.

In this novel by Nina Simon, we explore a fun whodunit featuring a trio of female amateur sleuths, three generations worth! The storyline has grandmother Lana, mother Beth and daughter Jack Rubicon trying to prove Jack's innocence when she is suspected in a murder. Enter Hal Rhoads, his children Martin and Diana, Ricardo Cruz and Victor Morales and a land trust. When both Rhoads and Cruz die in the same timeframe, the Rubicon women start detecting and discover who the murderer really is. Like Lana, we enjoyed a local (Central Coast) Sauvignon Blanc - a 2023 from Outward in Santa Maria Valley, California, while doing a deep dive into the sauvignon blanc grape. 

I start by asking for a big favor!! I haven't asked in about 10 years – but if you get a moment, could you drop a positive review for WFNP on iTunes, or a good rating on Spotify, or tell a friend who you think would like the show? Thank you in advance!   This show is part of the effort to refresh the WFNP catalog, based on the ideas of Patron Chris C, who did a ton of work to help me come up with a list of things he thought I could re-do, given that it's been 14 years since I covered some of this stuff. If you have any ideas, please drop a DM on Patreon or send me ideas through the site!   This show has my recommendations for filling a case of wine with classics from around the world. These wines will give you a great idea of what these regions represent and why they are so famed. Even for experienced wine drinkers, I think it's good to go back to the basics and try stuff you haven't had in a while to remind ourselves why they are so good!   The list contains 12 still wines (no sparkling or fortified this time!), whites, reds, and one rosé. The wines are:   Whites: White Burgundy, which is Chardonnay. I recommend the wine especially from the Hautes Côtes de Beaune or Hautes Côtes de Nuits, Côte d'Or Blanc, or Chablis 2. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc – with a twist. Look for wines from the Awatere or Wairau Valleys. 3. German Riesling from the Mosel (for off-dry wines) or Rheingau. I also mention Pfalz for great dry wines. 4. Portuguese Alvarinho – Vinho Verde, specifically from sub-regions of Monção and Melgaço   Rosé 5. Tavel from the Rhône Reds 6. Bordeaux – especially from the Médoc or Côtes de Bordeaux for Merlot-driven wines (Pomerol and St. Émilion) and for bolder, more ageworthy wines with more Cabernet -- Haut-Médoc or Saint-Estèphe or for spendier versions – Graves, Margaux, Saint Julien, Pauillac 7.   Rioja from Spain   8. Italian reds either Chianti Classico (have food with it!) or Roero/Langhe Nebbiolo/Nebbiolo d'Alba/Barbaresco   9. California – Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir (or more specifically Santa Maria Valley or Sta. Rita Hills)   10. Barossa Valley Shiraz (take another look if you haven't in a while!). For more restraint, you can look for Shiraz from Eden Valley, a sub region of the Barossa Valley   11. Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon, especially Maipo Andes/ Alto Maipo is best, due to the higher altitude in this area 12. Argentinean Malbec, more specifically from Gualtallary, Tupungato, Altamira or, more generally the Uco Valley and Lujan de Cuyo       Full show notes and all back episodes are on Patreon. Become a member today! www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople _______________________________________________________________   Check out my exclusive sponsor, Wine Access.  They have an amazing selection -- once you get hooked on their wines, they will be your go-to! Make sure you join the Wine Access-Wine For Normal People wine club for wines I select delivered to you four times a year!    To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth or get a class gift certificate for the wine lover in your life go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes      

Send us a textThis episode showcases the delightful Cambria Catherine's Vineyard Chardonnay from Santa Maria Valley, highlighting its unique attributes and exceptional value. As a quality wine priced at just $15.99, it stands out for its balance, fermentation techniques, and individual character, making it a perfect choice for holiday festivities.• Introduction to the Cambria Chardonnay and its festive appeal • Description of the Santa Maria Valley and its unique climate • Catherine's Vineyard backstory and its significance • Explanation of fermentation techniques used in the wine • Detailed tasting notes emphasizing acidity and mouthfeel • Comparison with typical brand Chardonnays and their flavor profiles • Wrap-up with a recommendation for this Chardonnay during the holidaysCheck us out at www.cheapwinefinder.comor email us at podcast@cheapwinefinder.com

Send us a textCaretaker Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir 2022- Trader Joe's Excellent Pinot Noir!This is a $9.99 Pinot Noir from a sub-AVA of Santa Barbara County on the Central Coast of California.It is comprised of 3 Pinot Noir clones, Pommard, 2A, and 23.To find out why that is unique and noteworthy check out https://cheapwinefinder.com/ and listen to the best value=priced PODCAST!Check us out at www.cheapwinefinder.comor email us at podcast@cheapwinefinder.com

This week, Ken and Grant spoke with Stacey Campbell, one of the speakers for our upcoming IGNITION conference. Stacey is a prophetic voice to this generation and is passionate about teaching believers how to hear God's voice through proper teaching and strong values. She founded the Canadian Prophetic Council and has helped launch prophetic roundtables in several nations. She is an honorary member of the Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders, presided over by Dr. Cindy Jacobs.  She and her husband, Wesley, founded a mercy organization for at-risk children called "Be A Hero." Stacey is a board member of Iris Global, and together, she and Wesley serve on the Apostolic Team of HIM (Harvest International Ministries). In addition, they are the authors of five books and the “Praying the Bible” CD series. They have ministered in over seventy nations, laboring to see people, cities, and nations transformed. The Campbells have five grown children and live in Santa Maria, California, where they are part of the Healing Rooms of the Santa Maria Valley.For more information on the Travel Grant Match to keep Ken's travel down in 2025, send an email to bryan@orbisministries.orgCheck out Ken's book, On the Road with the Holy Spirit, here: https://orbisministries.org/product/on-the-road-with-the-holy-spirit/Partner with Orbis Financially: http://tinyurl.com/yfe3974hAre you interested in learning about Holy Spirit-led ministry? Visit Orbis School of Ministry at https://orbissm.com or email our Registrar, Jo McKay, at jo@orbisminstries.orgUpcoming Orbis Ministries overseas ministry trips are posted on orbisministries.org under the Train-Join an International Ministry Trip link behind the registration/login portal.Do you want to join Ken's private "God is not a Theory" discussion group on Facebook? Please send a Facebook Direct Message to Bryan Orbis along with a friend request to be added to it.If you'd like to receive Ken's monthly prayer letter, please go to orbisministries.org and scroll down to the bottom right for "Prayer Letter Signup.""A year into our Baptist church plant, we had an outpouring of the Holy Spirit at an elders meeting." - Stacey Campbell."Prayer is the relational component with God." - Stacey Campbell"We always see the prophets praying as a lifestyle." - Stacey Campbell"Jesus is the ultimate prayer model because of how often He spoke to the Father." Stacey Campbell"I encourage you to pray the Bible." - Stacey Campbell"It is easy for prophets to live out of their revelations instead of the Word of God, and that is when things go awry." - Stacey Campbell"We can't drift away from the faith given once and all to the saints." Ken Fish"The Bible is so safe." - Stacey Campbell'Developing a prophetic community is crucial for prophecy to flourish in our churches." - Stacey Campbell"He is looking for people we are going to discern by the Spirit and not culture." - Stacey Campell"I hope and pray that the spirit of prophecy hits the room and takes over at IGNITION." - Ken Fish  

In part two of the fall release podcast Morgan, Chris, and Casey continue to discuss the once-in-a-lifetime 2023 vintage and talk through the rest of the wines: 8:22 2023 Banfield Vineyard Zinfandel, Russian River Valley 17:24 2023 Dolinsek Ranch Heritage Wine, Russian River Valley 21:41 2023 Carlisle Vineyard Zinfandel, Russian River Valley 26:54 2023 Beeson Ranch Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley 36:36 2023 Monte Rosso Zinfandel, Moon Mountain  42:55 2023 Shake Ridge Barbera, Amador County 51:50 2022 Bien Nacido Syrah, Santa Maria Valley 

Det er sannsynligvis ikke et sjakktrekk å starte en vingård hvor alle lurer på hvordan du uttaler det, forteller Tim Wanner fra Presqu'ile Winery i podcasten. For ordens skyld uttales det: press-KEEL. Lytt på den upolerte gode samtalen Svein hadde for kort tid siden. Tim Wanner er på sitt første, men ikke siste norgesbesøk. Tim Wanner jobber tett på familien Murphy som måtte starte på nytt etter at den voldsomme orkanen Katrina i 2005 pulveriserte deres sted på en halvøy i Mississippi-gulfkysten. Halvøyen er opphavet til navnet på vingården i dag. Presqu'ile er et fransk/kreolsk ord som betyr halvøy, eller bokstavelig oversatt, "Nesten en øy". Deres leting etter et nytt sted førte dem til California. Men det tok tid før de fant det rette stedet. Vingården Presqu'ile sto ferdig i 2007. Eiendommen ligger på en åskam med utsikt over Stillehavet. Den kjølige nattbrisen fra havet bidrar til et perfekt klima for deres søken etter elegante viner. Selv om ikke alt har gått på skinner, har retningen familien gått mot hva drømmen var i begynnelsen.- Familien Murphy har skapt en flott vingård, nesten som en forlengelse av deres egen stue. Ordet gjestfrihet er en rød tråd i hele konseptet, så skal vi lage kjempegod vin underveis, forteller Tim Wanner entusiastisk. Fra vårt syn er vinene enn så lenge er godt priset og er av svært god kvalitet. Ingen utpreget fatbruk og alkoholnivåene er balanserte. Fruktkvaliteten og den leskende syrligheten fremstår som ren og elegant, noe som gjør at glass nummer to eller tre frister fort. Eller sagt med andre ord, veldig drikkbare viner. Presqu'ile henter hovedsaklig druer fra egen eiendom, men også fra langsiktige avtaler fra andre vingårder i Santa Maria Valley og Santa Rita Hills. Presqu'ile er et navn du må merke deg, gjerne besøke. Det er ikke uten grunn at de beste polene i Norge har de i sine hyller allerede. Har du lyst å tilbringe noen dager i California, ta turen innomPresqu'ile Winery 5391 Presquile DriveSanta Maria, CA 93455Presqu'ile Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir 2020Varenummer: 13161001 (bestilling)Pris: 339,90 krPoeng: 88Presqu'ile Sandford & Benedict Pinot Noir 2020Varenummer: 16362201 (bestilling)Pris: 799,90 krPoeng: 92Presqu'ile Sandford & Benedict Chardonnay 2020Varenummer: 16362101 (bestilling)Pris: 699,90 krPoeng: 91Presqu'ile Santa Barbara County Chardonnay 2022Varenummer: 13161101 (bestilling)Pris: 329,90 krPoeng: 88 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest is A.J. Cisney, General Manager at Rancho Guadalupe, a family-owned grower of fresh produce based in Santa Maria Valley, California. In this episode we discuss the importance of paying attention to mental health, having difficult conversations in a constructive way, true leadership, proactive vs reactive approach to decision making, listening for the sake of truly understanding, first understand to be understood and much more. Rancho Guadalupe website - https://ranchoguadalupe.com/A.J. Cisney - https://www.linkedin.com/in/a-j-cisney-8086ab38A.J. is the Past Chair of UnitedAg's Board of Directors and currently serves as the Board of Trustee. This episode is sponsored by UnitedAg,  one of the largest association health plans to offer healthcare to the agriculture industry of California and Arizona.  Kirti Mutatkar, President and CEO of UnitedAg. Reach me kmutatkar@unitedag.org, www.linkedin.com/in/kirtimutatkarUnitedAg's website - www.unitedag.org 

Join host Lata Murti as she speaks with guests working to move Hope Village Santa Maria forward, Sylvia Barnard, Executive Director with Good Samaritan Shelter in Santa Maria, and Edwin Weaver, Executive Director with Fighting Back Santa Maria Valley. They will discuss the proposed Hope Village in Santa Maria Valley, an interim supportive housing community specifically for people experiencing homelessness in the Santa Maria Valley.You are invited to listen, learn, and participate in the conversation, between 1-2 pm. Call in and be part of the discussion at (805) 549-8855.Broadcast date: 3/28/24 Central Coast Voices is sponsored by ACTION for Healthy Communities in collaboration with KCBX.

I started Verdad in 2000 making wines from Spanish grape varieties grown on the Central Coast. I, along with Mike Havens made the first commercial releases of Albariño in California in 2000. I planted Tempranillo in SB County in 1999 and produced a Tempranillo blend in 2001. I focus on making wines from organic/biodyanmic grapes, when possible. I started making Cabernet Sauvignon in 2014 and now produce a Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles sourced from certified organic grapes. This vintage I will also make a Cabernet Sauvignon (also sourced from certified organic grapes), from Santa Ynez Valley/Happy Canyon. Also, vintage 2022 I will be making a Godello made from grapes grown in the Tunnel View Vineyard in Santa Maria Valley.

Listen to this episode to hear: • Why Jill has chosen to work for a winery vs. start her own • How you can still live in alignment and do what you love while working for someone else • The strengths of a female-founded, female-led team • Why Jill didn't enjoy being labeled a “female winemaker” for a long time • How Jill has navigated working in a male-dominated industry • Why being a sustainable winery is so much more than the environment (but why that's important too) • The skills Jill fostered that helped her land her dream job as head winemaker at Cambria Wines About Jill: Jill Russell grew up with a love of food and wine while living in the Bay Area and working as a server at a winery in Livermore Valley. She developed a love for the Central Coast where she attended Cal Poly, SanLuis Obispo in their new Wine & Viticulture program. Interested in experiencing winemaking abroad, Jill spent a quarter studying in Adelaide,Australia. After college she had the dream opportunity to make wine in Menetou-Salon, Loire Valley France. With all of her connections and work during college at Tolosa, StephenRoss & Phase 2 Cellars, Jill was drawn back to Santa Barbara County and established her reputation there. She was introduced to Paul Lato, who believed she not only had the skills, but the right energy to help make some of the best wines that the Central Coast had to offer. At Paul Lato Wines, she specialized in wines sourced from prestigious vineyards of the Santa Maria and Santa Rita Hills regions but found herself particularly drawn to the uniquely characteristic vines of Santa Maria Valley. Years later, the opportunity of a lifetime presented itself, and Jill knew it was her destiny to take on the role of winemaker at Cambria Winery, one of the quintessential wineries of Santa Maria Valley. Jill is thrilled to work alongside former Cambria Winemaker and General Manager Denise Shurtleff. Jill lived in San Luis Obispo for more than ten years, and shares a love of the Central Coast with her husband Torrey. They now live in the quaint winemaking town of Los Alamos. Use code SIPCAMBRIA for a complimentary tasting BOOK YOUR RESERVATION HERE: CAMBRIAWINES.COM/EXPERIENCE/VISIT NOT ABLE TO STOP? SHOP CAMBRIA WINES NEAR YOU: WWW.CAMBRIAWINES.COM/CAMBRIA-LOCATOR About our Partnership with Pepperdine University: Our partnership with Pepperdine Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP) makes you eligible for tuition discounts, application opportunities, and application fee waivers to many programs, including the top-ranked MA in Social Entrepreneurship and Change program. The first in the country, it is perfect for working professionals or full-time students and gives you the perspectives and tools to create sustainable change in the world. Focus on solving real-world problems without the requirements of a traditional business program. The MA in Social Entrepreneurship is a hybrid with bi-coastal on-campus experiences in LA and DC. Completed in 20 months, the program provides students a two-week global immersion opportunity, a two-term capstone project, and a fast-pitch competition. No GRE is required. Apply for Fall 2024 at gsep.pepperdine.edu/apply. Use code YELLOWCO23 to waive your app fee on the last page. Call 310-258-2850 if you have any questions.Join us at the Yellow Conference Oct. 6-8th at The Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo: yellow2023.com Are you a woman or non-binary leader creating meaningful work? Join our membership community! yellowco.co/membership Follow, subscribe and leave a review! Find out more about Yellow Co.'s community of women creaeting meaningful work: yellowco.co | @yellowco.co • Connect with Joanna at joannawaterfall.com and on IG @joannawaterfall :) Music Written by Jonny Pickett (check out his music on spotify) Thanks for listening!

 Grace Hood, wine educator and certified sommelier and Robert Tas visit the fun and funky restaurant Hatchet Hall. This lively neighborhood restaurant and bar focuses on the simplicity of quality ingredients sourced from local farmers. It's all about friendly vibes and fun times. The wine list is regularly updated with a menu that focuses on the wine's culture and history. Here, you will find a stellar natural wine selection of all organic, biodynamic, and sustainable wines. Wines reviewed include: 2016 Newton Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa 2019 Chanin, Santa Maria Valley 2021 Viognier from CCGP Vineyard, Santa Barbara For more information on today's episode, and the wines you love to love, visit www.corkrules.com.

We're in Santa Maria Valley, California, with Jennifer Harrison of SantaMariaValley.com. We talk about visiting a Luffa Farm, attending the Santa Maria BBQ Festival, and taking a ride on the Wine Trolley.  Show notes are at https://WeTravelThere.com/santamariavalley Bluffworks' stylish clothing is designed with the modern traveler in mind. It is wrinkle-resistant, machine washable, and very comfortable with hidden pockets to protect your valuables. Save 10% with our promo code at WeTravelThere.com/bluffworks

Vi kører igennem Californiens køligste pinot noir distrikter langs Stillehavet og Highway One. Vi smager følgende vine:  2019 Points West, Santa Maria Valley, Marc Piro (325 kr., Kildetoft Wine)  2019 Abscirrus, AuxMages (425 kr., Bichel)  2015 Ex Anima, Monterey, Wrath (249 kr., Vin og Velsmag)   2018 Mas Cavalls, Sonoma Coast, Marimar (449 kr., Hans Just)2018 Russian River Valley, Pico & Vine (220/150 kr. V 6 fl, Supervin.dk) 2019 Carneros reserve, Anthony & Dominic (379 kr., Vin & Vin) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Dr. Lata Murti as she speaks with representatives from the Community Environmental Council (CEC), including Jen Hernandez, Climate Justice Manager with CEC, Alhan Diaz-Correa, Climate Justice Associate with CEC, and Javi Infante Varas, with Rooted Language Services. We will talk with them as their new air monitoring program is about to launch throughout Guadalupe and the Santa Maria Valley.You are invited to listen, learn and participate in the conversation today, Thursday, between 1-2 pm. Call in and be part of the discussion at (805) 549-8855 or email questions to voices@kcbx.orgBroadcast date: 3/16/23Central Coast Voices is sponsored by ACTION for Healthy Communities in collaboration with KCBX.

It's Miller time, the wild west, the farmer's curse, 50th anniversary,the gatehouse and interview with Anthony Avila, winemaker, Bien Nacido Vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley. ON THE ROAD with MR CA WINE is about California's cool, aspirational lifestyle and awesome wines hosted by Chuck Cramer, a California native, living in London and is the Director of European sales & marketing, Terlato Wines. This is a wine journey covering the hottest topics in the world of California wine, chatting along the way with the key influencers in the industry who make it all happen. This week's episode includes an interview with Anthony Avila, winemaker, Bien Nacido Vineyard. 

Join Dr. Lata Murti as she speaks with representatives from Corazón del Pueblo, also known as The Cultural and Creative Arts Center of the Santa Maria Valley, Abraham Melendrez, Executive Director, and Evelyn Ornelas, Creative Arts Manager. They will discuss their mission and work to promote creative expression in the performing, visual and literary arts, preserving the heritages that make multicultural futures powerful.You are invited to listen, learn and participate in the conversation today, Thursday, between 1-2 pm. Call in and be part of the discussion at (805) 549-8855 or email questions to voices@kcbx.org.Broadcast date: 2/16/23Central Coast Voices is sponsored by ACTION for Healthy Communities in collaboration with KCBX.

Focusing on Rhone varietals from the best cool climate vineyards on the Central Coast of California. Also producing small amounts of Chardonnay from Bien Nacido Vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley and Christy & Wise Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills.

Lumen is farming this vineyard gone wild and it's making the best Pinot Noir there is... Photo: The Wild King Vineyard, Courtesy of Lumen Be forewarned! This is a pretty dorky and technical show. Some of you say you would like to hear what wine people talk about when we're together: here it is!   Will Henry, co-proprietor at Lumen Wines in the cool climate AVAs of Santa Barbara, returns to the show (he was on Ep 259) to tell us a story about a vineyard he happened upon that is changing his ideas about how viticulture should be approached in California.   Photo: Will Henry and Lane Tanner (not married, BTW, just business partners!) Courtesy of Lumen Will had recently purchased the Warner Henry Vineyard (named after his late father who founded the Henry Wine Group, introducing people all over the US to small, family-owned) up in the Solomon Hills of the Santa Maria Valley AVA. He was focused on that and one of his vineyard contractors mentioned an unpruned, unirrigated, and unattended vineyard that he kept passing as he drove up to Will's property. A few months later, Will got curious. He decided to get out of his car and walk the vineyard in August. What he found defied all conventions in California viticulture: in spite of it growing wild, it was some of the best Pinot Noir he had ever seen or tasted.   It led Will down a path that many in Santa Maria Valley are following, and many more should follow, as he tries to answer the questions: Have we been doing viticulture all wrong? Does nature produce better grapes with less intervention in the vineyard? Will the “Wild King” Pinot from this vineyard, with its bright acidity, vibrant flavors and low alcohol be the best wine Lane Tanner, Will's partner (and acclaimed winemaker) has ever made? This was not the first time Will had seen this phenomenon – could he be on to the next big trend in wine (which is really the oldest way to farm!).   As promised here are the links to the people we discuss on the show: Lumen Wines – Will and Lane's wine Here's the podcast I did with Lane Tanner Storm Wines -- Ernst Storm Story of Soil -- Jessica Gasca Chanin -- Gavin Chanin Seasmoke – Julian Malone Chalky Ridge Vineyard Management– Jason Muscio Randall Grahm Linden Vineyards – Jim Law (Virginia) Ep 432: Agroforestry -- An Answer to Wine's Biggest Environmental Challenges with Jean-Baptiste Cordonnier of Château Anthonic in Moulis-en-Médoc   Thanks for listening! Please go see Will at Pico or The Wine Shepherd!   **All Photos used courtesy of Lumen Wines   _______________________________________________________________ Thanks to our sponsors this week: Wine Spies uncovers incredible wines at unreal prices - on every type of wine in a variety of price points. It's not a club and there's no obligation to buy. They have a build-a-case option, so you can mix and match wines while enjoying free shipping on every purchase. Visit www.winespies.com/normal you'll get $20 credit to use on your first order! Check them out today!   If you think our podcast is worth the price of a bottle or two of wine a year, please become a member of Patreon... you'll get even more great content, live interactions and classes!  www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople   To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

In this podcast we discuss fine wine production, demystify sulfites and the importance of grape quality in winemaking.Our guest today is Santa Barbara based winemaker Michael Brughelli.A California native, Brughelli  has worked with some of the biggest names and vineyards in Santa Barbara.He was the general manager and winemaker for Ken Volk a decade prior. He then worked at Bien Nacido Vineyard and learned from some of the county's most talented winemakers sourcing fruit from the legendary vineyards of Santa Barbara.He co-founded and was the winemaker for Scar of the Sea. In 2019, he sold his portion of Scar of the Sea back to Guigni to launch his own consultancy.Brughelli is also the winemaker at Folded Hills Winery, Ranch and HomesteadMichael Brughelli founded his eponymous wine brand in 2018. He crafts high-end, allocated Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Santa Maria Valley currently selling at $200 a bottle. Find out more: https://brvghelli.wineRead about Brughelli's latest release here Since 2016, Bottled in China brings you into the food and drink scene through conversations with the some of the most happening personalities. Hosted by Emilie Steckenborn, the show is your one spot for all things food, beer, wine and spirits from across the world. Connect with us on LinkedIn or Instagram @bottled.in.china Podcast available on iTunes, Spotify , online or wherever you listen to your episodes! 

Creative roundup—Visit Iceland has a new, weird (loveable) campaign and Discover Santa Maria Valley in Calif., as a challenger brand, targets price comparisons vs. competitors in wine country. Plus job openings and a couple of "good news" items. Read The Travel Vertical Newsletter here! If you are interested in being a guest on the show, please contact Laurie at laurie@thetravelvertical.com The Travel Vertical Podcast is a part of the Destination Marketing Podcast Network. It is hosted by Adam Stoker and Laurie Farr and produced by the team at Relic. To learn more about the Destination Marketing Podcast network and to listen to our other shows, please visit https://thedmpn.com/. If you are interested in becoming a part of the network, please email adam@relicagency.com.

The impact of the transverse coastal range in Santa Barbara County cannot be ignored. Santa Maria Valley and Sta. Rita Hills AVAs are cool climate viticultural areas in the bottom half of California. Take 10-minutes to find out why you should be buying and selling these wines. 

My guest is A.J. Cisney, General Manager at Rancho Guadalupe, a family-owned grower of fresh produce based in Santa Maria Valley, California. In this episode we discuss the importance of paying attention to mental health, having difficult conversations in a constructive way, true leadership, proactive vs reactive approach to decision making, listening for the sake of truly understanding, first understand to be understood and much more. Rancho Guadalupe website - https://ranchoguadalupe.com/A.J. Cisney - https://www.linkedin.com/in/a-j-cisney-8086ab38A.J. is the Past Chair of UnitedAg's Board of Directors and currently serves as the Board of Trustee. This episode is sponsored by UnitedAg,  one of the largest association health plans to offer healthcare to the agriculture industry of California and Arizona.  Kirti Mutatkar, President and CEO of UnitedAg. Reach me kmutatkar@unitedag.org, www.linkedin.com/in/kirtimutatkarUnitedAg's website - www.unitedag.org 

Vinene i dette afsnit er skænket af http://americanwine.dk/ HJ Hansen Vin https://www.hjhansen-vin.dk/ https://www.finewines.dk/ ........................... Hens and chicks… Hva'beha'r? Lyt med og få et svar. Vi skal i dette afsnit besøge Santa Maria Valley og Santa Rita Hills. Hvilke tre kategorier kan man inddele Chardonnay under? Hvordan smager Chardonnay fra vestkysten i Califoniren og hvilken stil vil de gerne ramme med druen? Hvordan udmærker landskabet sig i Santa Barabara og hvilken betydning har det for klimaet? I hvilke zoner skal de amerikanske områder ligge for at kunne betegnes som cool climate og er der egentlig koldt i Californien? Vi kommer ikke uden om at snakke kloner, men det bliver uden Star Wars i denne omgang… Hvilken særlig jordbund findes i Santa Rita og hvor finder man den bedste mad i Santa Barbara? Til slut quizzer vi en smule og bliver klogere på hvor meget vin vi egentig drikker i Danmark og hvorfor der i visse områder er regler for hvilke druer, man må benytte. Vi smager på 1) Dierberg Chardonnay, 2016 keld@americanwine.dk 2) Fess Parker Chardonnay, Ashley Vineyard, 2017 https://www.hjhansen-vin.dk/hvidvin/usa/californien/santa-barbara/2017-chardonnay-ashleys-vineyard 3) Chanin Sanford & Benedict Vineyard, Chardonnay 2018 https://www.finewines.dk/chanin-wine-company-sanford-benedict-vineyard-chardonnay-2018-75cl ………………………….. Besøg os på Facebook og Instagram, hvor man kan vinde vin og se billeder og andet godt. https://www.facebook.com/vinforbegyndere https://www.instagram.com/vinforbegyndere Web: https://www.radioteket.dk/ Kontakt: radioteket@radioteket.dk Musik: Jonas Landin

“There’s only one thing tougher than diamonds, and that is knowing ourselves”. In this episode of Wine & Wisdom, Thomas, Cam, Chris and Megan discuss the next chapter (November, on the topic of Acceptance) of The Daily Stoic. In life, all you can do is do your best. After that, it doesn’t matter what happens as it is out of our control. Life happens “for” us, not “to” us, go with the punches and really enjoy the victories. In this episode Megan brings a 2017 Briar Ridge Merlot from the Hunter Valley, Thomas brings a 2013 Geoff Merill Reserve Shiraz from McLaren Vale, Cam brings a 2018 Cambria Estate Winery Katherine’s Vineyard Chardonnay from Santa Maria Valley, USA, and Chris brings a 2019 Torbreck The Struie Shriaz from the Barossa Valley.

Rick Taylor has seen thousands of documented healings in his lifetime.  When questioned about where God is leading His people now, Rick has one answer: “It's all about the Presence!”  Like Moses, who said, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here” (Ex. 33:15), Rick says that the one determining factor for following God in the future will be that we learn to discern and follow the Presence of God.  Sure, there will be an increase of miracles and healings, but those are by-products of a lifestyle of living in the Presence of God.  It's time to go deeper in obedience, revelation and intimacy.  That's What the Spirit is Saying to the Church!

Mâcher ou ne pas mâcher son vin? Telle est l'une des questions qui taraudent les Méchants raisins cette semaine. Et quoi de mieux pour nourrir la conversation qu'un vin de macération pelliculaire? Qui dit blanc, qui dit orange? Il n'en fallait pas plus pour rallumer la controverse. Aussi au menu: des recommandations, des dégustations à l'aveugle et un voyage virtuel, en mots et en saveurs, dans la vallée du Rhône !  Suggestions:  Nadia:  Celler Credo, Miranius 2018, Penedès, Espagne  19,70 $ - Code SAQ : 12866557 – 11 % -

Master Sommelier Ian Cauble, star of the documentary SOMM and founder of SommSelect—one of the best destinations to shop for wine online—is our guest on this week's episode. And wow we are so happy we got the chance to talk to him! After all, Ian Cauble knows more about wine than practically anybody in the world (only 230 people currently hold the Master Sommelier title). So who better to talk to about the best wines for your wedding than him? We got to sip three amazing wines with Ian that he thinks would be a great choice for your wedding, and he walks us through why he selected each as well as common mistakes venues make when serving wine. Ian also shared his tips for building your own wine collection at home, including how much you really need to spend on a nice bottle of wine, and how to properly store them.  Want to try the wines from this weeks episode? Head to SommSelect.com and add these to your cart: Murgo, Método Classico Brut Rose , Mount Etna, Sicily, Italy 2017 Presqu’ile, Chardonnay, Santa Maria Valley, California 2017 Arterberry Maresh, Dundee Hills Pinot Noir Willamette Valley, Oregon 2018 Have your own wedding question or want to be on the show? E-mail us at hello@womangettingmarried.com. Get more wedding planning advice at WomanGettingMarried.com. Production help and editing by Maddie Zampanti.

The Central California Food Bank receives $200k from the city to help Fresno's hungry seniors. The Weeknd promises a "family friendly" version of the Super Bowl Halftime Show. Santa Maria Valley is looking to entice visitors with $100 gift cards. Coffeeshops can make you more creative. Drinking at least one cup of coffee a week could help your heart. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Santa Maria Valley is one of our favorite destinations, both for outdoor recreation AND for experiencing wine country! We chat with two SMV wine makers, Norman Beko and Wes Hagen, about what makes the area so ideal for wine, as well as traveling to LA's wine country during COVID restrictions. Full show notes here: Santa Maria Valley Wine Country Norman Beko of Cottonwood Canyon Winery explains the foot up the Santa Maria Valley has over other wine regions when it comes to growing and producing wines, particularly Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Wes Hagen gives the rundown on managing wine tasting culture and creating remote wine experiences while much of California is still not fully open. But the Santa Maria Valley is OPEN and READY for wine country tourism with lots of safety precautions and creative problem solving!

During Episode 4 of "Two Glasses In," join us as we sit down with up-and-coming winemaker Jill DelaRiva Russell of Cambria Estate Winery. From the onset of our conversation, one thing is clear, Jill enthralls those around her with a sense of grace and passion for chardonnay and pinot noir, which she crafts from 100% estate-grown grapes from one of the most iconic vineyards in Santa Barbara Wine Country, located on the Tepusquet Bench, along the south-facing slopes of the Santa Maria Valley.   Tune in as we discuss everything from how Jill knew winemaking would be her lifework to the community and family she's found at Cambria Estate Winery under the leadership of Jackson Family Wines. Follow along and drink what we’re drinking. Episode 4 of “Two Glasses In” features Cambria Estate Winery's 2017 Katherine's Chardonnay and 2016 Julia's Pinot Noir. "Two Glasses In" is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. For more information on Jill Russell, view episode notes at TwoGlassesIn.com

Constellation revise $1bn deal with Gallo - The Conservatives win large majority in the UK general election: what does it mean for the drinks business? - California producers, Kunde and Vintage Wine Estates, sue insurers for $19m over smoke taint - Champagne producer Thiénot and Chilean producer Tabalí team up to make sparkling wine - Wine of the Week: Jaimee Motley Mondeuse "Argillet" 2016 from Santa Maria Valley, California

The StoryThe Caretaker Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir 2017 is a $9.99 Trader Joe's exclusive produced for TJ's by the Central Coast Wine Warehouse. They are a full-service wine company that makes contract wine and brand wine, is a certified sustainable facility and own some of the finest vineyards in the Central Coast AVA. The Santa Maria Valley is the northernmost AVA in the Santa Barbara County AVA of Southern California. Santa Barbara is located about 100 miles north of Los Angeles and would have too hot a climate for growing Pinot Noir except for some luck with geography. Santa Barbara is situated on ground that juts out into the Pacific Ocean, so there is Ocean to the north and Ocean to the south. Santa Maria Valley has full access to the Pacific Ocean breezes which bring cool evenings and morning fog. Santa Barbara is also where the movie "Sideways" (which started a Pinot Noir craze) took place.The Central Coast Wine Warehouse has been making wine for TJ's for years, CWF reviewed a 2009 vintage of a Caretaker wine and I am sure they made other brands before that. The back label is exceptional for a contract wine (a contract wine is one that is produced specifically for a store or restaurant) it actually shows useable information. Clones are very important to Pinot Noir, and 9 different Pinot clones were used in the making of this wine, the growing season was long, late February to mid-October and French oak was used. Most contract wines offer no information, but here there are technical notes and tasting notes. The alcohol content is 13.9%.The Tasting NotesThe color is a see-thru garnet red. The nose is bright cherries, herbs, mushroom, pepper, and spice. This is a fruit-forward Pinot Noir with a velvety mouthfeel. It tastes of cherry (of course), a nice rough edge from herbs, a splash of black pepper, and soft exotic spice. The mid-palate adds raspberry, orange zest, and sour cranberry. The tannins are sweet and the acidity is well balanced. The finish is quite lengthy.The Summary * The Caretaker Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir 2017 is a solid value-priced Pinot. Remember when stores such as TJ's contracts a producer to make an exclusive wine, they have price advantages a retail wine does not have. A contract wine reduces the middle-man costs which can lower the price by several dollars. * The Caretaker is a fruit-forward Pinot, but not Meiomi fruit-forward and has a nice balance between soft smooth fruit and interesting rough edges.

Flying Goat Cellars, an urban winery located in Lompoc, will celebrate it’s 20th harvest this year. Winemaker Norm Yost has almost 40 years in the industry, working as winemaker in Napa, Sonoma, Oregon and Australia before arriving in Santa Barbara County in 1998. Yost launched the first sparkling wine program in the SB county in 2005. He now offers five expressions of méthode champenoise handcrafted sparkling wine produced in-house. He’s also recognized for his elegant vineyard designated Pinots from Santa Maria Valley and Sta. Rita Hills AVAs. Look for Flying Goat's 20th anniversary barrel select Pinot Noir to be released later this year.

THE STUNNING CONCLUSION TO MUSCAMAY! The boys explore Melon from around the world (Other parts of the Loire and California) to better understand Muscadet and its many joys. Kevin brings a triggering wine out of spite, while Duck recounts a roasting from another podcast host. There's a lot of sadness in this being our last French wine episode for a whole season, but a lot of joy too, don't worry. More importantly, the boys spend like 25 minutes rating all the great apes. Quick, you listen, try to guess which one is the best. I bet you won't be able to. Huge shout out to Butch Judy's, soon to be Brooklyn's premier queer vermouth bar for hooking us up w/ some dope cans. Buy them asap, and get ready for their long awaited opening. Next season going to be dope, we love you. Patreon.com/disgorgeous and tell a freaking friend./// LIST//Patrice Beguet, VDF, 'Big Bunch Theory (Fresh Impression Blanc)', 2017//Lieu Dit, Santa Maria Valley, Melon de Bourgogne, 2017//Butch Judy's x Shacksbury Cider, 'Loverboi', NV///Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/Disgorgeous)

We started making wine in our 2nd floor, white-carpeted apartment in 2008 on Sweetzer Avenue in West Hollywood. In 2013 we became a bonded winery and moved our production to a commercial facility. We focus on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay sourced from the Sta. Rita Hills and Santa Maria Valley in Santa Barbara County. We also search out great vineyards with other varietals, such as Grenache, Syrah, Dornfelder, and Sauvignon Blanc. We opened our tasting room in Lompoc on Bastille Day 2017.

Jed Steele of Steele Wines is our guest today on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger, with Pete Foppiano sitting in again for Steve Jaxon. Jed Steele has been making wine for fifty years and Dan Berger has known him for a long time. Jed's colleague Rusty is also in the studio today. Dan remembers that Jed made the first Ice Wine in California in 1975 and again a year later. It was made from Colombard grapes and they had to picked the grapes at 5am. They start by tasting a Pinot Blanc from the Bien Nacido Vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley in Santa Barbara County. They make the juice there and chill it to 35 degrees then ship it up to Sonoma County for production. He uses all old French and Hungarian barrels and goes through Malolactic fermentation. Dan says Pinot Blanc is under-rated. Jed is making wine from Lake County, especially his Cabernet Franc. It’s not at all like Cabernet Sauvignon. Jed’s tasting notes include honeydew melon and Dan agrees with that. Jed Steele makes between 500 and 1000 cases of this. Dan thinks scallops would go well with this, or anything delicate, to match the delicacy of the wine. The tasting notes also mention green apple, and Dan also notes some lemon. The marketplace has changed in the last 3 or 4 years. Millennials are looking for a diverse selection of varieties and styles. They want things that are not common. The traditionally top selling Chardonnay and Cabernet are still selling but not as much as a few years ago. As people are reaching out for diverse wines, Pinot Blanc is a good one to fill that bill. Jed’s first vintage as a head winemaker was 1974. He consulted for 15 years to Chateau Sainte Michelle and also for the Fess Parker family. Dan says that if you’re looking for forward-thinking, modern style winemaking with mature vineyards and some grapes that are not particularly well-known, that’s what Jed is doing. Jed mentions Blaufränkisch and Aligoté. Next they taste the 2016 Pinot Noir from a vineyard that was first planted in 1998. Dan likes the slightly Burgundian characteristics. “These grapes have finally settled down.” Jed tastes bing cherries and Dan tastes light blackberries, which is rare in Pinot Noir. There is no noticable oak. It is all fruit. It has so much vibrancy that you will want it on the dinner table. Dan calls it white wine with color and Jed agrees. The grapes are from the Sangiacomo vineyard. They lament that the wine trade and buyer demand tend to favor newer wines, which is a shame because that sacrifices the time that it takes for wine to mature and develop. Now to illustrate good aging, they have a 1997 Syrah which Dan says is fabulous. It has not lost any of its fruit, the acid is still holding it together and the tannins have subsided.  Barry asks Rusty about it, who notes that 22 years ago Syrah was rare in California. Jed remembers that 1997 was his favorite harvest ever. There was a perfect storm of weather and they got quality and quantity. The aeration is helping it too, and the complexity comes out after about 20 minutes, without sacrificing the fruit. Dan says it's not available anymore but Jed says he has a case or two left. Next they pour a Malbec. Pete notes that it's not a widely produced wine. The Argentine Malbec is popular, because it's inexpensive, but they are one-dimensional, all fruit. But we are getting a better understanding of how it should grow. This one is from Lake County. There is a little blueberry note. The grower has 800 acres of Cabernet and 10 acres of Malbec. Dan says that California Malbec has a vibrancy that other Malbecs do not. Jed Steele uses French, Hungarian and American oak. They wrap up with a dessert wine, a 22-year-old white wine. It has aromas of dry peaches and apricots, with pineapple notes. It has high sugar and alcohol and Jed didn't know that it would age this well. Dan Berger says this is an example of a wine that younger buyers today are interested in,

Will Henry, co-proprietor at Lumen Wines in the cool climate AVAs of Santa Barbara, talks about his life in surfing, environmental activism, photography, and wine. He educates us on Santa Barbara and helps us understand why the region is world class.  Will is partners with Lane Tanner, a force in the Santa Barbara wine industry who help jump start the region in the 1980s. Lumen makes wines that are beautiful examples of how the cool climate of Santa Maria Valley, Sta. Rita Hills, and surrounding areas can result in restrained, yet sunkissed wines. Awesome stuff!!   Here are the show notes: Will tells us how he made the jump from sociology major to cellar rat, then to surfing photographer and philanthropist, and now to winery owner (he’s been busy). We talk about the various appellations of Santa Barbara and why it makes such fantastic wine. We discuss the grapes and wine styles too! Will and I debate the effects of the movie 2005 movie Sidewayson Pinot Noir and Santa Barbara as a wine region. We discuss why Paso Robles has, in recent years, been so much more popular than Santa Barbara as a tourist destination and why we should all go visit SB! We get a glimpse into Lumen – Will and Lane’s philosophy and why they do what they do. (Spoiler alert: Lane Tanner will be on to give us a more in depth look at the winery next season!).     Thanks for listening! Please go see Will at Pico or The Wine Shepherd!   Thanks to our sponsors this week:  YOU! The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help! Check it out today: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople   M. Gemi is redefining the luxury Italian footwear market by taking all the things we love about the industry—unparalleled quality, family-owned workshops, and personalized, concierge-level service—and leaving behind the luxury price tag. Many brands that once represented the epitome of quality craftsmanship have abandoned Italy in order to maximize profits—all at the expense of quality, their customers’ wallets and the very craftspeople who helped build their businesses. M.Gemi is Italian luxury made the old way, sold the new way. The result is the highest-quality, handcrafted Italian shoes at a price that clients can feel good about. Go see for yourself how amazing these shoes are at www.mgemi.com/winefor fifty dollars off your first pair.

Randy Ullom, winemaster at Kendall-Jackson, is our guest in the studio with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger on California Wine Country today. (This episode was originally recorded on October 19, 2016. There was no live show today Oct. 3, 2018, since Steve and Mike are traveling to Washington DC this week.) Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger start by tasting a very nice Estero Gold cheese, courtesy of their friend Sharon Montgomery at Oliver's. Dan says this cheese is like a Manchego but he likes this one more for its nutty flavor. Steve introduces the winemaster at Kendall-Jackson, Randy Ullom. First he asks Randy to describe how his career began. He talks about being a skier when he was young and so he went to Utah. He spent more time skiing than studying. He ended up in Chile for the northern summer, for skiing. He stayed for three years. While in Chile he saw the wine business there. He left Chile after the coup in the 1970s and worked in the wine business, for one year in Ohio, for five years in upstate New York and then in California in 1981. He became winemaster at KJ in 1997. Now he oversees the entire KJ portfolio, including about 20 winemakers on the team in three different tiers of specialists. Dan says that when Randy was making wine at De Loach, he "met" Randy through the extraordinary wines he was making, which were unlike any one else's. He has a vision. He understands vineyards, when to pick and what varieties are doing what things in which vineyards. Randy sent Dan a pair of clippers, so they can go out into the vineyards and work the vines. Dan says that the KJ products are uniformly excellent and over-deliver for their usual retail price. They have 2400 different lots per year, so they have to do a lot of tasting and grading. They put each individual varietal together, then they have their 5 tiers. They also manage the Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates & Gardens, where they serve fine food and grow vegetables in their own garden. Dan says it's fascinating to see how passionate they are about their gardens. They are tasting a Pinot Blanc from Amity Vineyards in Oregon. It's a variety widely planted in Oregon, very little in California. They love wines from unusual grape varieties. Dan would call it a baby brother to Chardonnay. It's interesting with nice flavors and great minerality in the finish. They grow a lot of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Oregon but Dan thinks this Pinot Blanc is the best representative for Oregon vineyards. They also brought a Chardonnay, from Santa Maria Valley, the Kendall-Jackson Estate appellation wine. They have vineyards on the Santa Maria Bench, which is an elevated portion of land. Dan says it's a difficult wine to make, with a great aromatic quality. The problem is, that if you serve these wines too cold, you never catch the character. It can't be 40 degrees, it has to be about 50-60. Randy Ullom mentions that it's basically room temperature, which is how they taste everything.    

Michael Brughelli is the Director o Supply at Thornhill Companies. He manages Winery & Grape Sales / Acquisitions for Turn Key Wine Brands. He is a 4th generation California Farmer who has spent many hours walking and sampling vineyards in the Santa Maria Valley. Michael has been involved in wine production management for the past 7 years. He was previously employed in a Winemaking and General Management capacity for Kenneth Volk Vineyards in Santa Maria Valley, and has come back to his agricultural roots to take on this role with the Thornhill Companies. Michael is excited to bring the knowledge and expertise of a Winemaker to this role. Michael has held winemaking roles in New Zealand as well as across the Central and Northern California Coast. He is a proud graduate of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo with a Double Major in Wine and Viticulture and Agribusiness and concentrations in Wine Business Management and Marketing, respectively. Aside from winemaking and working in the wine business, Michael enjoys cooking, surfing, hunting, fishing, and playing music. He is an avid outdoorsman and has a deep fascination with geology, and local weather patterns. Know more about Michael Brughelli: https://ibwsshow.com/en/speakers/2018... Watch On Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IAx8aKowVM&index=13&list=PL0ozFCHr7H00E-nIJs_-G2XrhAEcfzh9u ***Subscribe to our Channels for more: *** ► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/BEVERAGETRADENETWORK ► iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/bevcast/ ► Stictcher: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=233919&refid=stpr ***About IBWSS SF*** Be part of the biggest gathering of Bulk Wine, Bulk Spirits and Private Label professionals in the US. No show offers buyers a greater opportunity to meet producers who offer private label wine, spirits, bulk wine, bulk spirits and contract manufacturing. IBWSS is the ONLY show in the US that will bring the world to you. Over the course of two days leading figures from the global and US wine industry will share their advice, insights, and experiences on how bulk wine and spirits can help grow your private label and branded product business. The event will include a combination of conference sessions and workshop-style sessions. Who Should Attend? IBWSS buyers are other wineries and distilleries looking to meet up their demand, Importers, Retailers, and Distributors looking for private label programs, negotiants who are looking to meet the growers and producers. Get your visitor pass today and meet the leading bulk and private label suppliers from all over the world. Know more about IBWSS SF: https://ibwsshow.com/ ***About the Organisers: Beverage Trade Network*** Beverage Trade Network is one of the world's leading networks for beverage, wine, spirits and beer importers, distributors, producers and related companies. Our database and directory listing of the world's leading beer, wine, spirit and non-alcoholic drink producers provides our importers and distributors an advantage to source and innovate their portfolios. Know more about BTN: https://beveragetradenetwork.com/

The Softball and Baseball seasons are nearing the end and the road to the postseason is becoming clearer with every passing game. Righetti baseball is fighting for a playoff spot, but will any other Santa Maria Valley teams join them? Cabrillo softball has played well recently after a tough start to the regular season, will it get them closer to the playoffs? Lompoc baseball has been playing strong lately, but upcoming matchups against Templeton and Santa Ynez will decide their seeding in the postseason. Claudia Terrones was named the new Athletic Director at Lompoc High School after Donny Cross announced that he will take another position with the school. How will Terrones do in the new position, can we expect to see her on the sidelines next year as girls basketball head coach. Finally the Santa Barbara County Track and Field Meet was held this weekend and Kenny Cress was there, he tells us all about the action and tries to figure out why Shemar Savage missed the event. 805SportsTalk is a production of Lee Central Coast Newspapers focusing on local high school and youth sports on California's Central Coast.

Clarissa Nagy is the winemaker and founder of Nagy’s wines. She has been making wine through her own label since the early 2000’s in Santa Maria Valley which is located in Santa Barbara County, California. We’ve discussed her 2012 Pinot Noir on episode 50 of this podcast and we look forward to sharing the rest of her wines on upcoming episodes. We got a chance to interview Clarissa recently and learn more about her wine journey.

In this episode of Brandman Speaks, Dr. Sheila L. Steinberg talks with her colleague Dr. Lata Murti about Murti's education, the value of a liberal arts education and what Murti has in common with the students she teaches and mentors in the Santa Maria community. Murti completed her Ph.D. in American Students and Ethnicity at the University of Southern California and joined the Brandman faculty in 2011. She has taught or revised most of the sociology courses the university offers and developed two new courses, one on globalization and social change and the other on the sociology of health care. Her greatest inspiration is her family. Transcript Welcome to Brandman Speaks. In this episode, Brandman Professor Sheila Steinberg talks with Assistant Professor Lata Murti about her education, her connection to the Santa Maria community where she teaches, and about the value of a liberal arts education. Sheila Steinberg:  This is Dr. Sheila Steinberg. I'm here with yet another leader of Brandman University, Dr. Lata Murti who is assistant professor of sociology at the Santa Maria Valley campus. Lota has worked for Brandman University for about five years since 2011. She teaches sociology. So Lata, I know we've been talking a lot lately about the podcast and your work in general and you said, 'the personal is political,' and we thought that would be a good theme to discuss. So do you want to expand a little bit on what the statement? The personal is political. Lata Murti: Sure thank you. So that's just a saying that really arose from the feminist movement in the '60s and '70s but I see it as applicable to really all of us and certainly my journey, in that, often what's going on in my personal life, inspires what I want to study and the political stance that I take on it and how I analyze it. So when I think about my major academic research projects and publications, I feel like they've all been inspired by something in my personal life. Steinberg: You teach a great variety of classes here at Brandman and do you want to tell us a little bit about that. Murti:  Well I mostly teach sociology and social science courses but I feel like I bring an interdisciplinary perspective to it. And in many ways, I mean, sociology and social science art are inherently interdisciplinary, I feel. And and yet also when I'm teaching a course like globalization or social inequality, stratification, social theory, social and political theory, I feel those are interdisciplinary and to have a perspective inspired by different fields and different experiences really helps. Steinberg: So Lata you've had an interesting academic path. Can you share a little bit about your interdisciplinary, liberal arts background and your various degrees schools that you went to. Murti: So I did two bachelor's degrees at the University of Kansas, the home of the Jayhawks. I grew up partly in Kansas. Those degrees were in Spanish and humanities. Humanities was interdisciplinary and I had three concentrations there. Then when I was done at my bachelor's degrees I worked for a while in the Kansas City area and was mostly in jobs involving Spanish. And then I decided I wanted to go on for graduate degrees, so I went to USC, the University of Southern California, for a master's and Ph.D. program and one in American studies and ethnicity. Steinberg: OK and can you really quickly tell us what American Studies is. Murti: Right so American studies started as a program that really looked at what defines America, what defines American in terms of history literature culture. And it was grounded in this idea of American exceptionalism - that America is an exceptional nation and what about it makes it exceptional. That's the tradition of American studies.

There's nothing like some home-made salads and a little Kendall-Jackson, Jackson Estate Chardonnay, Santa Maria Valley to bring out the super funny in comedians-actresses Lori Alan and Mary Birdsong. Over dishes I whipped up myself and KJ wine on the most recent episode of "The Dinner Party with Elysabeth Alfano", Lori, Mary and I dish on food fetishes, the new world of media and animation and working with Lena Dunham.

This is week 5 of our 37-week journey through the book of Acts. Acts will do three main things for us as a church body: 1. Enable us to see the beginnings of the church and Jesus’ call to mission. 2. Enable us to understand what to look for in a church body should we ever move out of the Santa Maria Valley. 3. Enable us to understand that when we live on mission with and for Jesus we won’t understand everything He is doing, but we can trust Him. Today we want to look at how our worship is to remind us of what Jesus sent His Spirit to do in us.

On today's episode of THE FOOD SEEN, Joe Carroll, proprietor of barbecue restaurant Fette Sau, and New American steakhouse, St. Anselm, joins co-author Nick Fauchald in their book about meat cookery called “Feeding The Fire”. Hear how a $40 Weber grill, one dry rub, and a slow and low mantra, not only changed the urban BBQ landscape, but also elevated the cuts of meats we smoke and/or throw on the grill. Yes, there's Texas, Kansas City, Memphis, and the Carolinas, but did you know about upstate New York's Cornell chicken, California's Santa Maria Valley tri-trip, Western Kentucky and mutton, and Maryland Pit Beef? Learn that BBQ is more technique than recipe, and contemplate the choices you'll have to make for that coveted smoke ring (pinkish meat under the bark) and perfect doneness. This program was brought to you by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons.

Jim Clendenen is the winemaker and owner of the Au Bon Climat winery and also Clendenen Family Vineyards, both based in the Santa Maria Valley of California

When I saw the post introducing Wine Blogging Wednesday #10 over at My Adventures in the Breadbox, I thought to myself it was about time we went back to the white side of the wine world after several forays into the red (or rose) zone. But “white pinot”? What’s that all about? It seems that our old red friend, the Pinot Noir, has mutated over the millennia and has produced another related white varietal most commonly known as Pinot Gris. Yes, yes, I know that “gris” translates to “grey” but the juice is quite white even with extended skin contact. The problem with this variety is that is goes by so many names depending upon where it is grown that it is hard to know what you are drinking without a scorecard. A Google search turned up the following synonyms: * Pinot Grigio (Italy) * Pinot Beurot (Loire Valley, France) * Ruländer (Austria and Germany, Romania, sweet) * Grauburgunder or Grauer burgunder (Austria and Germany, dry) * Grauklevner (Germany) * Malvoisie (Loire Valley, France and Switzerland) * Tokay d’Alsace (Alsace) (currently being renamed due to EU regulations) * Auxerrois Gris (Alsace) * Fromentau (Languedoc, France) * Fromentot (France) * Fauvet (France) * Gris Cordelier (France) * Grauer Mönch (Germany) * Monemrasia * Crvena Klevanjka (Croatia) * Szürkebarát (Hungary) Yikes, that’s quite a list! Another interesting point is that the style varies depending upon the region. This can range from the light and lean Pinot Grigio’s from Italy to the more substantial full fruit Oregon style to the classic floral and silky Alsatian wines. For this event, started with a wine I spied on the by-the-glass selection of the local eatery where I just finished dinner. It was a 2003 Pinot Grigio from Stella of the Umbria region in Italy. I found this wine to be almost clear in color with the slightest hit of straw and a lean fruity nose typical of the varietal. On the palette it had nice citrus and apple flavors, good acidity and a dry, slightly minerally finish. A very good start to this evening’s festivities earning an 8.5/10 on my scale. A quick Google later I found this to be a fine value at only $6 a bottle. Next, I decided to pull a Pinot Grigio from California out of the cellar that a friend gave me last summer. It is from La Famiglia di Robert Mondavi of the 2002 vintage that retails for $15. This is another label from the prolific Mondavi family that was started in 1994 to, “celebrate their Italian heritage from California vineyards”; as usual, brilliant marketing The winemaker’s notes reveal that this wine is a blend of 98% Pinot Grigio and 2% Tocai Friulano, the top native grape from Italy’s Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. He also points out the fruit came from Monterey County (87%), the Los Carneros (7%), and 3% each from El Dorado and Santa Maria Valley. Thankfully, the wine did not see any oak and was not subjected to the rigors of malolactic fermentation, so I expected it to be full in fruit flavors with a nice dose of acidity making this a good match for shellfish (oysters, anyone?!). This wine was also shy on the color with a bit of the old yellow/green, but had a much more powerful citrus nose than the previous Grigio. Nice lemon and pear flavors and bracing acidity finish bone dry. A solid 8.5/10. Pinot Blanc is a mutation of Pinot Gris that used to be widely planted in Burgundy. This was until the Appellation Controlee laws knocked out Pinot Blanc in favor of Chardonnay. The grape is most identified in France today with the Alsace region where it is the number 3 grape behind Riesling and Sylvaner. Pinot Blanc also has some identity issues, but they seem to be isolated to California where much of what is labeled Pinot Blanc is actually Melon de Bourgogne, also called Muscadet in France’s Loire region. Like Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc is quite malleable to the hand of the winemaker, taking oak well so wines can be light and fruity to big and oaky. As with Chardonnay, I prefer my Pinot Blanc unoaked, so I chose a bottling from the reliable Trimbach of Alsace. It is their 2001 Pinot Blanc that is blended with a bit of Pinot Auxerrois and sells for about $15 a bottle. This wine is straw in color with a hint of green, has a lean citrus nose and with apple and nut flavors. Another bone dry wine with high acidity, it would be a natural with food. I found this wine to be delicious and earn a 9/10. So what was learned in this tale of Two Pinots? That they are surprisingly similar in flavor and great food wines. I think I like the more elegant style of the Pinot Blanc, but as can be seen from my tasting notes, it was a close race. The best of tasting goes to the Trimbach Pinot Blanc 2001 with best value to the Stella Pinot Grigio 2003. Thanks to Alice from My Adventures in the Breadbox for a great theme; I can’t wait until the next installment!

Tuna & Bean SaladThis is a delicious and colorful twist on the traditional Tuscan tuna and bean salad, using superb ingredients from California. Pinquito Beans are a heritage variety of bean with a beautiful color and a rich taste: the perfect base for this salad. They’re so easy to prepare. You just pour the beans into a colander, remove the seasoning packet, and rinse them off. Then put them into a pot with 2 quarts of water and the contents of the seasoning packet. Simmer for two hours and bingo – perfectly cooked beans. In the days of the Santa Maria Valley ranchos during the 1800s, spring cattle branding finished up with a big barbecue. The vaqueros enjoyed a traditional feast that included beef barbecued over a red oak fire, served with Pinquito beans and salsa. Susie Q's Seasoning is that same recipe. If you want to use it for other dishes, you can also get it in a separate jar. The tuna we used is extraordinary. was founded with a commitment to the protection of wild fisheries and the health of their customers. The troll-caught albacore in the North Pacific fishery is lower in mercury because these migratory fish are smaller and younger than long-line caught fish. Naturally, the shorter time a fish lives and feeds, the less mercury it accumulates. We combined a can of the tuna with a couple of large spoonfuls of the Pinquito Beans and added diced scallions, diced red pepper and chopped cilantro. To dress the salad we took a couple more liberties with tradition and used ’s Meyer Lemon Olive Oil and a dash of champagne vinegar. started out with pure extra virgin olive oil and citrus olive oils (Meyer Lemon, Persian Lime and Blood Orange), that have been a huge hit with chefs and home cooks. They have since added Rosemary Olive Oil and Basil Olive Oil, so lots to experiment with. The Meyer Lemon Olive Oil is perfect with the tuna and beans in this salad. If you don’t feel healthy and invigorated after eating this salad, well, we can’t help you! Lucky me, I got to enjoy this salad on the deck overlooking McCray Ridge Winery’s ranch in Sonoma County.