 The Americal Division under Maj. Gen. William Howard Arnold was tasked by Gen. Eichelberger for the operation.Some 14,500 Japanese troops held Cebu, but 2,000 Japanese soldiers under Maj. Gen. Takeo Manjome were contained in northern Cebu by about 8,500 guerrillas under Lt. Col. James M. Cushing.One-third of the Japanese forces in Cebu were combat-ready, with an extensive network of formidable defensive positions around the city.