Masaharu Homma
By the evening of 24 December, the Japanese had successfully landed at Lamon Bay, and at the cost of only 84 killed and 184 wounded had completed its encirclement of the approaches to Manila from the south. To the north, the Lingayen Gulf invasion forces had similarly achieved its objectives in securing the northern and eastern approaches to Manila. General Masaharu Homma, who had a poor opinion of the quality of the IJA 16th Division based on its combat record in China, expressed considerable surprise at the success. By evening of 24 December, General Homma transferred his staff ashore at Bauang, where he set up the IJA 14th Army HQ in preparation for the final drive on Manila.