Page 52 - History of War - Issue 01-14

THE US PACIFIC CAMPAIGN

Getty
US troops land on Iwo Jima, 19 February 1945.
The ensuing battle involved around 100,000 men

Japanese revenge was conspicuous after
that MacArthur’s pressure on him to advance MacArthur’s forces landed, especially in the
General Yamashita, the Commander on Luzon rapidly was infl uenced by a desire to be back capital. Yamashita had not intended to defend
who had objected in vain to defending Leyte in in Manila by his birthday on 26 January. This Manila, but Navy Rear Admiral Iwabachi Sanji
strength, knew that he could not hope to defeat was probably unfair on the General. MacArthur ordered his men to fi ght on in the city. The
the forces heading his way. He would withdraw wanted to liberate Allied prisoners and seize the remaining Army units felt obliged to join them,
with 152,000 men – the bulk of his troops – to port of Manila before the Japanese destroyed making a force of 19,000 men. As these troops
the hills of northern-central Luzon. A force of it. While a detachment of US Rangers, aided withdrew to the centre, they destroyed bridges
30,000 would defend the air bases around Clark by Filipino guerrillas, freed 486 US prisoners of and buildings. Fires spread in the poorer areas,
Field, while 80,000 in the hills above Manila war from a camp near Cabantuan, MacArthur where houses were made of wood and bamboo.
would deprive the capital of its water supplies. grew impatient because of the slow progress, In the centre, however, most were concrete and
MacArthur intended to invade the island caused more by the rivers and rice paddies than could be turned into defensive positions.
from the Lingayen Gulf in the north-west, with by Japanese resistance. He sent the 1st Cavalry MacArthur, who wanted to organise a victory
a subsidiary landing to the south of the capital. Division ahead and, on 4 February, their tanks parade, was dismayed by the battle in the city,
This roughly followed the Japanese invasion smashed through the perimeter walls of the with more than 700,000 civilians trapped in the
plan of three years before. During the fi rst week Santo Tomás University in Manila, where 4,000 war zone. The 1st Cavalry, the 37th Infantry and
of January, his escorting fl eet suffered waves Allied civilians were interned. the 11th Airborne Division became involved in
of kamikaze attacks. An escort carrier and a house-to-house fi ghting, while US engineers
fl eet destroyer were sunk, while another carrier, Public beheadings used armoured bulldozers to clear roadblocks.
fi ve cruisers, and the battleships USS California The Philippines, with some 7,000 islands, had The Japanese, knowing they were all going to
and New Mexico were damaged. Many attackers offered ideal terrain for guerrilla resistance, die, massacred Filipinos and raped the women
were shot down by anti-aircraft fi re, but it was and the Filipinos had begun to prepare for their before killing them. Around 100,000 citizens
impossible to deal with them all. The landing liberation soon after the Japanese occupation died in the fi ghting, which lasted until 3 March.
ships were let off lightly, and the invasion itself began. Partly out of trust in the Americans The most urgent priority for Krueger’s troops
was virtually unopposed. Filipino guerrillas had and partly out of hatred for the Japanese, with was to eliminate the Japanese east of Manila,
informed the US that there were no Japanese in their torture and public beheadings, guerrilla who controlled the city’s water supplies. They
the area, so there was no need to pummel the groups had formed on most of the islands. had constructed caves in the hillsides, and
sector fi rst, but Rear Admiral Jesse B Oldendorf A few were led by US offi cers who had been the Americans had to clear them out with
felt obliged to stick to his orders. Great cut off there in 1942. In the areas where phosphorus grenades and fl amethrowers.
destruction was wreaked on homes and farms. Japanese troops seldom ventured, local groups Even while the fi ghting continued in Manila,
While I Corps on the left encountered organised civic life and issued their own MacArthur launched a drive with Lieutenant
strong Japanese resistance in the hills, XIV currency, which was preferred to the Japanese General Eichelberger’s 8th Army to retake the
Corps on the right pushed south over fl atter occupation banknotes, while coastwatchers central and southern islands of the Philippines,
country towards Manila. Krueger suspected passed information on Japanese shipping. secure in the knowledge that the Japanese
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