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The Japanese invasion of the Philippines in World War II led to the defeat of thousands of US troops and Filipino allies. The Philippine Commonwealth was an American possession, and the Philippine Army, led by General Douglas MacArthur, appeared strong. However, the artillery was outdated and poorly trained. The American units were mostly peacetime garrison troops, while the Philippine troops were inadequately trained. MacArthur’s vision for defense was also flawed, as he believed he had until 1946 to build a planned army of 12 divisions and 120,000 men. The Japanese forces were undertrained, poorly armed, and aging, with many being Taiwanese. The Japanese attacked Clark and Iba Airfields on Luzon, destroying 18 bombers and 53 fighters, and losing only seven of their own planes to American interceptors.
The amphibious invasion of the Philippines began with a halfhearted response by B-17s and their Boeing P-26 Peashooter escorts. However, General MacArthur focused on mobilizing his army and getting his forces into the field. The Japanese invaded Manila on December 22, with the 16th Division landing at Lamon Bay and the 48th Division at Lingayen Gulf. General Wainwright’s forces, led by the 11th and 71st Infantry Divisions and the 26th Cavalry Regiment, successfully pushed the Japanese out of Damortis and Rosario. The Japanese then attacked the Philippines, leading to the surrender of 2nd Lt. Benjamin Morin and the rest of the war. MacArthur’s forces eventually retreated to the Bataan Peninsula, where they held a line running from Borac to Guagua. The main line of resistance (MLR) ran from Abucay to Mauban, with the island fortress of Corregidor occupied by the 4th Marine Regiment.
General Homma’s forces occupied Manila and moved to the borders of Bataan. The Japanese believed the attack would meet little resistance, so the 48th Division was withdrawn and replaced by the 65th Brigade. The Japanese attack fell on the 41st Division, and the Filipino lines were finally breached. The Japanese attack shifted inland, gaining ground against the 51st Division. After absorbing the American/Filipino counterattack, Homma renewed the offensive and abandoned the main line of resistance. The Japanese first attempt was intercepted and scattered, but the Japanese continued to attack. MacArthur hoped for a national effort to relieve his isolated outpost, but Washington wanted him to leave the Philippines to avoid a propaganda coup.
Despite American and Filipino successes in January and February, the situation in the Philippines was dire. American bases were isolated, and troops needed to relieve the Philippines were not yet available. The army was running out of food and medicine. General Homma planned a two-pronged offensive, with the 65th Brigade attacking I Corps and the 4th Infantry Division advancing on II Corps. The offensive began on April 3, 1942, with a massive artillery barrage supported by bombers. The Japanese continued to fight through disheartened Filipino troops. On April 9, General King surrendered American forces on Bataan and planned an amphibious assault on Corregidor, known as “the Rock.” The battle for Corregidor hinged on the fighting at Battery Denver, but the outcome was never in doubt.
General MacArthur’s actions in the Philippines during World War II were criticized for mismanaging the training of the Filipino army and mishandling his air force. Critics argue that MacArthur should have trained the Philippine Army to fight as mobile, semi-independent battalions. The fighting retreat to Bataan was well executed, but credit must go to General Wainwright for managing a series of phased withdrawals and turning back the initial Japanese assault. The campaign was relatively costly for both sides, with Wainwright losing approximately 800 killed, 1,000 wounded, and 11,000 captured, while Japanese losses numbered 900 killed and 1,200 wounded. Many of Wainwright’s men were taken to prison camps or used as slave laborers throughout the Japanese Empire.
The Philippines remained under Japanese control until 1945, when General MacArthur declared his return. American forces invaded Luzon in January 1945, and in February, Japanese forces at Bataan were cut off. Manila was liberated in March, and MacArthur announced his offensive operations to liberate the Philippines were at an end in June. The archipelago was a lonely outpost close to Japan and far from the United States, and thousands of American troops and Filipino allies were doomed from the start. MacArthur made the mistake of leaving behind a vast supply of rice at Cabanatuan, and Filipino troops received little recognition after the war.
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