The Philippines are the First to Fall
The day following the attack on Pearl Harbor, eight hours after the Japanese unleashed their surprise they began air raids on U.S. air bases in the Philippines which destroyed most of the U.S. airpower in the area. Shortly after the air attacks stopped, Japanese forces landed at multiple points on the Philippines and quickly overwhelm U.S. and Philippine resistance led by General Douglas MacArthur. The allied forces retreat to the Bataan Peninsula and hold on desperately, waiting for reinforcements from the U.S.
The main objective for the Japanese in attacking the Philippine Islands was a strategic move to build a barrier in the Pacific of islands they controlled to keep the Allied forces from reaching mainland of Japan.
Once the Japanese had taken control of the Philippine Islands and neutralized the United States bases in these areas denying the United States of the airfields and army bases near the capital of Manila it would be easier for them to launch attacks on islands between the Philippines and Japan to solidify the extended barrier they desired.
To the north, on the island of Luzon in the Philippines, the Japanese drove US and Filipino forces, back to the Bataan Peninsula and captured Manila. In early January, the Japanese began attacking the Allied line across Bataan. Though stubbornly defending the peninsula and inflicting heavy casualties, U.S. and Filipino forces were slowly pushed back and supplies and ammunition began to dwindle. With the U.S. position in the Pacific crumbling, President Franklin Roosevelt ordered MacArthur to leave his headquarters on the fortress island of Corregidor and relocate to Australia. Departing on March 12, 1942 MacArthur turned over command of the Philippines to General Jonathan Wainwright. Arriving in Australia, MacArthur made a famous radio broadcast to the people of the Philippines in which he promised "I Shall Return."
Once the Japanese had taken control of the Philippine Islands and neutralized the United States bases in these areas denying the United States of the airfields and army bases near the capital of Manila it would be easier for them to launch attacks on islands between the Philippines and Japan to solidify the extended barrier they desired.
To the north, on the island of Luzon in the Philippines, the Japanese drove US and Filipino forces, back to the Bataan Peninsula and captured Manila. In early January, the Japanese began attacking the Allied line across Bataan. Though stubbornly defending the peninsula and inflicting heavy casualties, U.S. and Filipino forces were slowly pushed back and supplies and ammunition began to dwindle. With the U.S. position in the Pacific crumbling, President Franklin Roosevelt ordered MacArthur to leave his headquarters on the fortress island of Corregidor and relocate to Australia. Departing on March 12, 1942 MacArthur turned over command of the Philippines to General Jonathan Wainwright. Arriving in Australia, MacArthur made a famous radio broadcast to the people of the Philippines in which he promised "I Shall Return."
Animated map of the Battle of the Philippines
Follow the link below to view an animated map of the Battle of the Philippines
http://www.pacificwaranimated.com/Philippines.html
This is an alternate map of the Battle of the Philippines and relates the starting strength and the ending strength of the conflict.
http://www.pacificwaranimated.com/Philippines.html
This is an alternate map of the Battle of the Philippines and relates the starting strength and the ending strength of the conflict.
Bataan Death March
On April 3, 1942 the Japanese launched a major offensive against the Allied lines on Bataan. Trapped and with his lines shattered, Major General Edward P. King surrendered his remaining 75,000 men to the Japanese on April 9, 1942. These prisoners endured the "Bataan Death March" which saw approximately 20,000 die (or in some cases escape) en route to POW camps elsewhere on Luzon.
The Bataan Death March was a 70-mile forced march of American and Filipino prisoners of war by Japanese forces during World War II.
Approximately 72,000 American and Filipino soldiers were forced to surrender to Japan's Imperial Army after their defeat in the grinding, three-month-long Battle of Bataan (January 7 - April 9, 1942). The Allied soldiers had not been resupplied for a couple of months, and many were sick and malnourished.
Despite the poor condition of the prisoners, the Japanese command calculated that it would take them only 3 days to march 70 miles through the jungle. Local officers took this order to heart, driving the wounded, ill and malnurished prisoners relentless through the tropical heat.
The prisoners also were routinely denied food and water.
Approximately 72,000 American and Filipino soldiers were forced to surrender to Japan's Imperial Army after their defeat in the grinding, three-month-long Battle of Bataan (January 7 - April 9, 1942). The Allied soldiers had not been resupplied for a couple of months, and many were sick and malnourished.
Despite the poor condition of the prisoners, the Japanese command calculated that it would take them only 3 days to march 70 miles through the jungle. Local officers took this order to heart, driving the wounded, ill and malnurished prisoners relentless through the tropical heat.
The prisoners also were routinely denied food and water.
Anyone who fell behind, complained, had a souvenir taken from a fallen Japanese soldier, or even looked at one of the Japanese wrong was bayoneted or shot. Some prisoners were shot for stopping to fill their canteens at a road-side ditch.
Rifle-butt beatings were common, for offenses such as helping a faltering comrade. Many prisoners were bayoneted for no apparent reason, or for fun. Filipino civilians along the path who offered food or water to the prisoners were also summarily killed by the Japanese.
In total, some 18,000 - 20,000 of the POWs died on the Bataan Death March, which ended up taking one week. Some simply collapsed and died of illness or starvation, but most were murdered. A large but unknown number of the POWs died shortly thereafter in the internment camps as well, from the after-effects of their forced march.
In 1945, the Japanese commander in charge of Bataan, General Homma, was put on trial for atrocities including the Bataan Death March. He stated that he had been unaware of the high death toll from the march until some time later. Nonetheless, he was convicted. General Homma was executed in the Philippines on April 3, 1946.
Rifle-butt beatings were common, for offenses such as helping a faltering comrade. Many prisoners were bayoneted for no apparent reason, or for fun. Filipino civilians along the path who offered food or water to the prisoners were also summarily killed by the Japanese.
In total, some 18,000 - 20,000 of the POWs died on the Bataan Death March, which ended up taking one week. Some simply collapsed and died of illness or starvation, but most were murdered. A large but unknown number of the POWs died shortly thereafter in the internment camps as well, from the after-effects of their forced march.
In 1945, the Japanese commander in charge of Bataan, General Homma, was put on trial for atrocities including the Bataan Death March. He stated that he had been unaware of the high death toll from the march until some time later. Nonetheless, he was convicted. General Homma was executed in the Philippines on April 3, 1946.
Battle of Corregidor
With Bataan secure, the Japanese commander, Lieutenant General Masaharu Homma, focused his attention on the remaining US forces on Corregidor. A small fortress island in Manila Bay, Corregidor served as the Allied headquarters in the Philippines. Japanese troops landed on the island on the night of May 5/6 1942 and met fierce resistance. Establishing a beachhead, they were quickly reinforced and pushed the American defenders back. Later that day Wainwright asked Homma for terms and by May 8, 1942 the surrender of the Philippines was complete. Though a defeat, the valiant defense of Bataan and Corregidor bought valuable time for Allied forces in the Pacific to regroup.