The Aparri Operations (also known as the Reconquest of Aparri or Gypsy Task Force) were a series of Allied military actions in mid-1945 designed to liberate the port city of Aparri, Cagayan, in northern Luzon, Philippines. The campaign concluded with the final combat airborne jump of World War II in the Pacific.
Liberation of Aparri (1945)
The Liberation of Aparri occurred between June 1 and June 27, 1945, during the Luzon Campaign of World War II. The joint operation involved United States Army forces and Filipino guerrillas. They sought to capture the vital port town of Aparri and its surrounding airfields from retreating Imperial Japanese forces. The mission effectively blocked the escape routes of General Tomoyuki Yamashita’s Shobu Group. It marked the end of organized Japanese resistance in northern Luzon.
Aparri was a strategically vital port at the mouth of the Cagayan River. It was seized early by the Japanese on December 10, 1941, to serve as a forward airfield base[1].
By mid-1945, the Allied advance had pushed Japanese forces deep into the Cagayan Valley. General Walter Krueger, commander of the U.S. Sixth Army, wanted to lock down the northern coast. He sought to prevent enemy troops from fleeing by sea or establishing strong defensive pockets[2].
The Campaign
Ground Assault
On June 1, 1945, a scratch force of American soldiers and Filipino guerrillas, known as Connolly Force, moved into the town after the Japanese 103rd Division abandoned it. Fierce skirmishes and clearing operations continued across the area for weeks. Allied command feared Connolly Force was too small to hold the coastal roads and push south alone. To reinforce them, the military planned a rapid airborne insertion.
Operation Gypsy
On June 23, 1945, the U.S. Army launched the final combat jump of the Pacific War[3]. The Gypsy Task Force consisted of 994 paratroops from the 11th Airborne Division (primarily the 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment). Escorted by heavy fighter aircraft smoke screens, the troops jumped onto the Camalaniugan Airfield, just south of Aparri. Six Waco CG-4 gliders also landed to deliver jeeps and heavy artillery[2]. The airfield was already secured, so the jump was unopposed by enemy fire. However, fierce 25 mph winds, bomb craters, and mud caused a high 7% injury rate. Two men died during the landing[4].
Following the drop, the Gypsy Task Force pushed south and linked up with the advancing U.S. 37th Infantry Division on June 26. This link-up completely cut off the Japanese army's retreat lines. Aparri was officially declared liberated on June 27, 1945, successfully wrapping up the operations in northern Luzon.
References
- "Battle of Aparri | Operations & Codenames of WWII". codenames.info. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
- Bruning, John R. (2014-12-05). "The Last Jump: Task Force Gypsy at Aparri". The American Warrior. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
- "The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia: Aparri". pwencycl.kgbudge.com. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
- "11th AIRBORNE CAMPAIGN ON APARRI". www.thedropzone.org. Retrieved 2026-06-07.