Page 51 - History of War - Issue 01-14

PACIFIC INVASION

Second World War: Having conquered the Pacifi c, Japan’s resources were depleted.
So, as Antony Beevor explains in his book The Second World War, the Allies regrouped,
mounting a mission to liberate the occupied islands and fi nally defeat the Empire…

apan had established control “I will return.” He insisted on a drive through sodden to construct airfi elds, after 35 inches
of the Pacifi c with victories in New Guinea to clear the remaining Japanese of rain had fallen. Although the Japanese
Malaya, Thailand, Burma and the forces, then he intended to prepare for the had intended to reserve their strength for the
Philippines, but its resources had invasion of the Philippines. With his brilliant defence of Luzon, the main island of the
Jbeen left stretched by its exploits manipulation of the press, he managed to Philippines, Imperial General HQ insisted that
as well as international embargoes. President convince US public opinion that their moral more reinforcements be sent to Leyte. Aircraft
Franklin D Roosevelt, Prime Minister Winston duty before all else was to liberate their semi- arrived from as far afi eld as Manchuria but,
Churchill and Chinese Generalissimo Chiang colonial ally from Japanese occupation. The by then, fi ve US airstrips were in action and
Kai-shek met in Cairo on 22 November 1943 US Navy, with a much more practical plan, William Halsey’s fl eet carriers had returned.
and, following the conference, a statement was wanted to advance, island group by island Fighting on Leyte continued into December,
issued declaring that “Japan shall be stripped group, towards Japan, cutting off supplies partly due to excessive caution displayed by
of all the islands in the Pacifi c which she has from all its far-fl ung garrisons and forces of Walter Krueger, who commanded the 6th Army.
seized or occupied since The fi ercest fi ghting was
the beginning of the AFTER JAPAN HAD CONQUERED THE for “Breakneck Ridge”,
First World War in 1914, near Carigara in the
and all the territories PHILIPPINES, THE DEFEATED GENERAL north, furiously defended
Japan has stolen from DOUGLAS MACARTHUR HAD FLED, by Japanese troops.
the Chinese shall be Krueger was, however,
restored to the Republic VOWING, “I SHALL RETURN” helped by a disastrous
of China. Japan will Japanese counter-attack
also be expelled from BACKSTORY occupation, and creating air bases from which against the airstrips. By the end of December,
all other territories 1944. Japan has they could bomb Tokyo. Unable to resolve the the Americans estimated that they had killed
which she has taken become one of the impasse with MacArthur, the joint Chiefs of 60,000 Japanese. Some 3,500 Americans
by violence and greed.” Axis nations along Staff compromised with a “Twin Axis” policy were killed and 12,000 wounded. MacArthur
A clash of personalities with Germany and that would follow both courses of action at proclaimed it “perhaps the greatest defeat in
had contributed to Italy and, after two once. Only the US, with its astonishing output the annals of the Japanese Army”.
the lack of a coherent years of military of ships and aircraft, was capable of operating The insistence of Imperial General HQ on
strategy in the Pacifi c, offensives, now with such a prodigal dispersal of forces. continuing to reinforce Leyte with troops from
almost entirely due occupies most of the Luzon made the Allied invasion of the main
to General Douglas Pacifi c. But the Allies, Furiously defended island, now planned for 9 January 1945, much
MacArthur’s fi xation with initially overcome After MacArthur landed on Leyte, his 6th easier. But fi rst the island of Mindoro, south
in the area, have
the Philippines after the regrouped. Their Army faced a much harder fi ght than he had of the main bulk of Luzon, had to be taken to
Japanese victory there, immediate priority expected. The Japanese reinforced the island create more airfi elds. The landings and ground
and his determination is winning back and rapidly established air superiority. Halsey’s operation went well, but the invasion task
to honour his promise conquered territory carriers had departed and the ground was too force suffered heavily from kamikaze attacks.

HISTORY WAR 51
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