Battle of the Philippines (1941-42)

The Battle of the Philippines was the invasion of the Philippines by Japan in 1941-42, and the defence of the islands by Filipino and United States forces. Although the result was a Japanese victory, the perseverance of the defenders delayed Japanese attacks on other areas, and assisting in Allied counterattacks from late 1942 onwards.

The defences

By December 1941, the combined defence forces in the Philippines included the 10 divisionss of the Philippine Army (PA), under General Douglas MacArthur, who had retired as US Chief of Staff in 1937, and had accepted control of the PA. MacArthur had been tasked by the Government of the Philippines with reforming an army made up mostly of reservists, and poor in equipment, training and organisation. (See: Military history of the Philippines, for more details.)

The US Army's 22,532 strong garrison, known as the Philippine Department, was under Maj. Gen. George Grunert. The main part of Grunert's force was the US Army's Philippine Division, which included a substantial number of Filipinos, in Philippine Scouts (PS) units. The garrison had been augmented by 8,500 personnel from National Guard units on the US mainland, including the only armoured forces present, two tank battalions.

The US Army Air Corps Far East Air Force (FEAF), under Maj. Gen. Lewis H. Brereton, was the largest US air formation outside the United States, and included 107 P-40 fighters and 35 B-17 bombers.

MacArthur organized the defenders into four separate commands. The North Luzon Force, under Maj. Gen. Jonathan M. Wainwright, defended the most likely sites for amphibious attacks and the central plains area. This included Bataan Peninsula, the designated fallback position, which adjoined Manila Bay. Wainwright's forces included the PA 11th, 21st, and 31st Infantry Divisions, the US 26th Cavalry Regiment (a PS unit), a battalion of the 45th Infantry (PS), two batteries of 144mm guns and one of 2.95 inch mountain guns. The Philippine 71st Infantry Division served as a reserve and could be committed only on the authority of MacArthur.

The South Luzon Force, under Brig. Gen. George M. Parker Jr., controlled a zone east and south of Manila. Parker had the PA 41st and 51st Infantry Divisions and two batteries from the US 86th Field Artillery (PS).

The Visayan-Mindanao Force under Brig. Gen. William F. Sharp comprised the PA 61st, 81st, and 101st Infantry Divisions.

A reserve force, under MacArthur's direct command, was composed of the Philippine Division, the Far East Air Force, and headquarters units from the PA and Philippine Department, stationed just north of Manila. Four US artillery regiments guarded the entrance to Manila Bay, including Corregidor Island.

The Far East Air Force controversy

After the outbreak of war on December 7, Brereton urged his superiors to launch bombing missions against Formosa, which was then a Japanese territory, and from which an attack was likely to come, but the request was denied. This proved to be a fatal error, as there were few anti-aircraft guns in the Philippines, and FEAF was all but destroyed on the ground, in air raids over the next few days.

The invasion

From 11 to 23 December, most of Luzon gradually fell to the Japanese, following landings on the southern tip of Luzon at Legazpi, as well as in Lingayen Gulf and on on Mindanao. Most of the Allied forces gradually surrendered, or were overrun. The US Philippine Division moved into the field to cover the withdrawal of troops to Bataan and to resist Japanese advances in the Subic Bay area. On 23 December, MacArthur notified his field commanders that he was reactivating an old prewar plan to defend only Bataan and Corregidor; both the military headquarters and the Philippines government were moved to Corregidor. Nevertheless substantial forces remained in other areas for several months.

On 30 December, the Philippine 31st Infantry Division moved to the vicinity of Zigzag Pass to cover the flanks of troops withdrawing from central and southern Luzon, while the US Philippine Division organized positions at Bataan. The 31st Division then moved to a defensive position on the west side of the Olongapo-Manila road, near Layac Junction — at the neck of Bataan Peninsula — on 5 January 1942. The junction was lost on the 6th, but the withdrawal to Bataan was a relative success. The 31st Division assumed a reserve position on the peninsula to recover from its losses in the rearguard action.

The Battle of Bataan

From 7 to 14 January 1942, the Japanese concentrated on reconnaissance and preparations for an attack on the main battle position on the Abucay line. US and Filipino forces repelled night attacks near Abucay, 10-12 January, and elements of the US Philippine Division counterattacked on 16 January. However this failed and the division withdrew to a reserve position in the Casa Pilar-Bagac area, on 26 January.

For several weeks the Japanese, made cautious by heavy losses, engaged in patrols and limited local attacks. Because of the worsening Allied position in the Asia-Pacific region as a whole, US President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered MacArthur to re-locate from Corregidor to Australia, as Supreme Allied Commander South West Pacific Area. (MacArthur's famous speech regarding the Philippines, in which he said "I came out of Bataan and I shall return", was made at Terowie, South Australia on March 20.) Wainwright assumed control of Allied forces in the Philippines on 12 March. During this period elements of the US Philippine Division were shifted to assist in the defense of other sectors.

A new wave of Japanese attacks, from 28 March, hit Allied forces now severely weakened by malnutrition, sickness, and prolonged exposure to combat. On 3 April, the Japanese began to break through gaps in the Allied lines alongside Mount Samat. The US Philippine Division, no longer operating as a coordinated unit, was unable to counterattack against heavy enemy assaults. On 8 April, the US 57th Infantry Regiment (PS) and the Philippine 31st Division were overrun near the Alangan River. The US 45th Infantry Regiment (PS) finally surrendered on 10 April 1942.

The Battle of Corregidor

Corregidor was now defended by 11,000 personnel, comprising the US 4th Marine Regiment, other miscellaneous infantry, US Army artillery units and US Navy personnel, deployed as infantry. The Japanese began their assault on Corregidor with an artillery barrage on 1 May. On the night of 5-6 May, two battalions of the Japanese 61st Infantry Regiment landed at the northeast end of the island. Despite strong resistance, the Japanese established a beachhead that was soon reinforced by tanks and artillery. The defenders were quickly pushed back toward the stronghold of Malinta Hill.

Late on 6 May, Wainwright asked Homma for terms of surrender. Homma insisted that surrender include all Allied forces in the Philippines. Believing that the lives of all those on Corregidor would be endangered, Wainwright accepted. On 8 May he sent a message to Sharp, ordering him to surrender the Visayan-Mindanao Force. Sharp complied but many individuals carried on the fight as guerrillas.

The defeat was the beginning of three and a half years of harsh treatment for the Allied survivors, including atrocities like the Bataan Death March and the misery of Japanese prison camps.

External link

US Army, 2003, "Philippine Islands: The U.S. Army Campaigns of World War II"