Editing Battle of Leyte (section)

===Campaign in the Leyte Valley===
The Sixth Army made steady progress inland against sporadic and uncoordinated enemy resistance on Leyte in the next few days. The 1st&nbsp;Cavalry Division of Maj.&nbsp;Gen. Verne D. Mudge secured the provincial capital, Tacloban, on 21&nbsp;October, and Hill 215 the next.{{sfn|Prefer|2012|p=75}} On 23&nbsp;October, Gen.&nbsp;MacArthur presided over a ceremony to restore civil government to Leyte. 1st and 2nd&nbsp;Cavalry Brigades initiated a holding action to prevent a Japanese counterattack from the mountainous interior, after which the 1st&nbsp;Cavalry was allowed to move on.  The 8th Cavalry established itself on Samar by 24 Oct, securing the [[San Juanico Strait]].{{sfn|Prefer|2012|p=75}}
[[File:U.S. infantrymen in action.jpg|thumb|left|US infantrymen move cautiously toward a machinegun nest]]

On the X Corps left, the 24th Infantry Division under Maj. Gen. [[Frederick A. Irving]], drove inland into heavy enemy resistance. After days and nights of hard fighting and killing some 800&nbsp;Japanese, the [[19th Infantry Regiment (United States)|19th]] and [[34th Infantry Regiment (United States)|34th Infantry Regiments]] expanded their beachhead and took control of the high ground commanding the entrance to the northern Leyte Valley. By 1&nbsp;November, after a seven-day tank-infantry advance supported by artillery fire, both regiments had pushed through Leyte Valley and were within sight of the north coast and the port of [[Carigara, Leyte|Carigara]], which the 2nd Cavalry Brigade occupied the next day after Suzuki ordered a withdrawal.{{sfn|Prefer|2012|pp=99–106}} In its drive through Leyte Valley, the 24th&nbsp;Division inflicted nearly 3,000&nbsp;enemy [[casualty (person)|casualties]].{{sfn|Prefer|2012|p=106}} These advances left only one major port on Leyte—Ormoc City on the west coast—under Japanese control.
[[File:U.S. howitzer fires at Catmon Hill.jpg|thumb|A US {{convert|105|mm|in|1|abbr=on}} howitzer cannon of M7 Priest fires at Catmon Hill]]

From the XXIV Corps beachhead Gen. Hodge had sent his two divisions into the southern Leyte Valley, which already contained four airfields and a large supply center. Maj.&nbsp;Gen. [[James L. Bradley]]'s [[96th Infantry Division (United States)|96th Infantry Division]] was to clear Catmon&nbsp;Hill, a {{convert|1400|ft|m|abbr=on}} promontory, the highest point in both corps beachheads, and used by the Japanese as an observation and firing post to fire on [[landing craft]] approaching the beach on A-day. Under cover of incessant artillery and naval gunfire, Bradley's troops made their way through the swamps south and west of the high ground at Labiranan&nbsp;Head. After a three-day fight, the 382nd Infantry Regiment took a key Japanese supply base at [[Tabontabon, Leyte|Tabontabon]], {{convert|5|mi|km|abbr=on}} inland, and killed some 350&nbsp;Japanese on 28&nbsp;October. Simultaneously two battalions each from the 381st Infantry Regiment and 383rd Infantry Regiments slowly advanced up opposite sides of Catmon Hill and battled the fierce Japanese resistance. When the mop-up of Catmon Hill was completed on 31&nbsp;October, the Americans had cleared 53 [[Bunker#Pillbox|pillboxes]], 17 caves, and several heavy artillery positions.{{sfn|Prefer|2012|pp=65–69}}
[[File:U.S. APC at Libaran Head.jpg|thumb|left|US armored car at Labiranan Head]]

On the left of XXIV Corps, the 7th Infantry Division under Maj. Gen. [[Archibald V. Arnold]] moved inland against the Japanese airfields of San Pablo 1 and 2, Bayug, and Buri, using "flying wedges" of American tanks, the 767th Tank Battalion, which cleared the way for the infantrymen.{{sfn|Prefer|2012|pp=80–81}} Between [[Burauen, Leyte|Burauen]] and Julita, the [[17th Infantry Regiment (United States)|17th Infantry]] overcame fanatical but futile resistance from Japanese soldiers concealed in [[spider hole]]s, who placed [[satchel charge]]s on the hulls of the American tanks.{{sfn|Prefer|2012|p=80}} A mile north, 32nd&nbsp;Infantry soldiers killed more than 400&nbsp;Japanese at Buri airfield. While two battalions of the 184th&nbsp;Infantry patrolled the corps' left flank, the 17th&nbsp;Infantry, with the 184th's 2nd&nbsp;Battalion attached, turned north toward [[Dagami, Leyte|Dagami]], {{convert|6|mi|km|abbr=on}} above Burauen. Using [[flamethrower]]s to root the enemy out of pillboxes and a cemetery, US troops captured Dagami on 30&nbsp;October, which forced Gen.&nbsp;Makino to evacuate his command post further westward.{{sfn|Prefer|2012|pp=95–96}} Meanwhile, on 29&nbsp;October, the 32nd&nbsp;Infantry's 2nd&nbsp;Battalion, preceded by the 7th&nbsp;Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop, moved {{convert|15|mi|km|abbr=on}} south along the east coast to [[Abuyog, Leyte|Abuyog]] for a probe of the area, and then over the next four days patrolled west through the mountains to [[Baybay]], all without opposition.{{sfn|Prefer|2012|p=96}}