The Battle for the Recapture of Bataan from January 31 to February 8, 1945 by U.S. Forces from the Japanese, part of the campaign for the liberation of the Philippines was waged to secure the western shore of Manila Bay to enable the use of its harbor and open new supply lines for American troops engaged in the crucial battle for the liberation of Manila. World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons like the atom bomb World War II, also known as the Second World War, was by far the bloodiest, most expensive, and most significant war in... US landings in the Pacific, 1942–1945 The Pacific War, which is known in Japan as the Greater East Asia War, occurred in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in Asia. ... January 31 is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... February 8 is the 39th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1945 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Bataan is a province of the Philippines occupying the whole of Bataan Peninsula on Luzon. ... The Battle of Leyte in the Pacific campaign of World War II was the invasion and conquest of Leyte in the Philippines by Allied forces under the command of General Douglas MacArthur between October 20 and December 31, 1944. ... The Battle of Leyte Gulf was a naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II, fought in the seas around the island of Leyte in the Philippines from 23 October to 26 October 1944. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Luzon, home to the Filipino capital Manila, saw the showdown between Japanese commander Tomoyuki Yamashita and General Douglas MacArthur on December 15, 1944. ... The Battle of Mindoro presaged the main invasion of Luzon in the northern Philippines by US forces in the penultimate campaign for the liberation of the archipelago. ... The Great Raid on Cabanatuan in the Philippines on 30 January 1945 by US Army Rangers and Filipino guerrillas resulted in the liberation of more than 500 American prisoners of war (POWs) from a Japanese POW camp near Cabanatuan, was a celebrated, historic achievement involving Allied special warfare operations during... The Battle for the Liberation of Manila from February 3 to March 3, 1945, which culminated in a terrible bloodbath and total devastation of the city, ended almost three years, 1942-1945, of Japanese military occupation in the Philippines and its so-called Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. ... The Battle for the Recapture of Corregidor , from February 16 to 26 , on the island fortress used by the USAFFE , which was the last bastion to surrender to invading Japanese forces. ... January 31 is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... February 8 is the 39th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1945 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Manila Bay Ü is the harbor which serves the port of Manila (on Luzon), in the Philippines. ... The Battle for the Liberation of Manila from February 3 to March 3, 1945, which culminated in a terrible bloodbath and total devastation of the city, ended almost three years, 1942-1945, of Japanese military occupation in the Philippines and its so-called Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. ... REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES City of Manila Region: National Capital Region Province: — Dates: Founded—June 24, 1571 Cityhood—June 10, 1574 Population: 2000 census—1,581,082 Density—41,014 per km² Area: 38. ...

The Bataan peninsula's recapture also avenged the surrender of the defunct USAFFE or United States Forces in the Far East to invading Japanese forces in April 9, 1942. (See also the Battle of Bataan). Bataan is a province of the Philippines occupying the whole of Bataan Peninsula on Luzon. ... USAFFE (United States Army Forces - Far East) included the Philippine Department, Philippine Army (2 regular and 10 reserve divisions), and the Far East Air Force (formerly, Philippine Army Air Corps). ... April 9 is the 99th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (100th in leap years). ... This article is about the year. ... The Battle of Bataan represented the most intense phase of Imperial Japans invasion of the Philippines, in the early stages of the Pacific War. ...

Pushing Supply Lines South

The rapid advance of U.S. forces heading towards Manila had strained the capability of their supply lines at Lingayen Gulf, which had so ably supplemented their push south on the capital, almost to the breaking point. The Lingayen Gulf is an extension of the South China Sea on Luzon in the Philippines. ...

While the capture of Manila was significant for both military and psychological reasons, the seizure of Manila Bay was specially crucial from a logistical point of view. Its harbor was in American hands but would remain unused unless the Bataan peninsula in the west was secured.

Gen. Douglas MacArthur bestowed on Lt. Gen. Walter Krueger's Sixth Army, the task to seize Bataan, and later Corregidor. The U.S. XI Corps, fresh from the Leyte Campaign, under Maj. Gen. Charles P. Hall, augmented Sixth Army. Comprising of the 38th Infantry Division commanded by Maj. Gen. Henry L.L. Jones and Col. Aubrey "Red" S. Newman's 34th Infantry, 24th Infantry Division, the XI Corps was to land on the Zambales coast some twenty-five miles northwest of Bataan and drive rapidly east across the base of the peninsula, and then sweep south, clearing Bataan including its eastern coast. General Douglas MacArthur aboard a battle ship toward the end of World War II, 1945 Douglas MacArthur (26 January 1880-5 April 1964) was an American military leader. ... Walter Krueger (1881-1967) was a German-American soldier and general in the first half of the 20th century. ... The Place Corregidor is an island in the entrance of the Philippines Manila Bay. ... The Battle of Leyte in the Pacific campaign of World War II was the invasion and conquest of Leyte in the Philippines by Allied forces under the command of General Douglas MacArthur between October 20 and December 31, 1944. ... Zambales is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. ...

But American intelligence had badly overestimated the enemy strength on Bataan, thinking that the Japanese had a full division on the peninsula. Meanwhile, Lt. Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita, the commander of Japanese forces in the Philippines had decided that defending Manila Bay was way beyond the capabilities of his forces, thus only some 4,000 Japanese troops of Maj. Gen. Rikichi Tsukada's Kembu Group, which had been dispersed to now captured Mindoro, Corregidor and Southern Luzon was left to oppose the Americans. The principal unit was the Nagayoshi Detachment under Col. Nagayoshi Sanonebu. Tomoyuki Yamashita General Tomoyuki Yamashita (山下 奉文 Yamashita Tomoyuki) (November 8, 1885 – February 23, 1946) was a general of the Japanese Army during the WWII era. ...

March To The Peninsula

On January 29, 1945, the 38th Division landed in the San Narciso area of the southern province of Zambales, Luzon, without opposition. They promptly dashed to the San Marcelino airstrip, but found out that Filipino guerrillas under the command of Capt. Ramon Magsaysay, later president of the Republic of the Philippines had already secured the field three days earlier. The port facilities at Olongapo were captured on January 30 as well as Grande Island in Subic Bay after an amphibious landing. Elsewhere, surprise was complete, all except with one US casualty, an enlisted man gored by an angry bull. By the end of January, Zambales province was liberated. January 29 is the 29th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1945 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Ramón Magsaysay Ramón Magsaysay (August 31, 1907 - March 17, 1957) was the third President of the Third Republic of the Philippines from December 30, 1953 until his death. ... Olongapo City is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the province of Zambales, Philippines. ... January 30 is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Subic Bay is a bay on the west coast of the island of Luzon in the Philippines, about 100km northwest of Manila Bay. ...

Struggle on ZigZag Pass

Nagayoshi had decided to make a stand in the rugged Zambales mountains at the northern base of the peninsula, which the Americans named ZigZag Pass. Abundance in supplies and ammunition had him prepared for a long battle, but his main defensive lines were stretched thin, at 2,000 yards, which left his position vulnerable to flanking maneuvers.

On January 31, 1945, driving west of Olongapo, the 38th Division advanced east on the intricate maze of enemy fortifications in Zig-Zag Pass, at the same time seeking out both Japanese flanks. The next two weeks saw the 38th encountering determined enemy resistance, further hampered by unfavorable terrain. Gradually, the Japanese were pushed back and eventually overrun on February 8. January 31 is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1945 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... February 8 is the 39th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ...

By February 15, XI Corps elements landed at Mariveles on the southern tip of the peninsula, while other units pushed down the east coast road to Pilar , Bataan and across the neck of land to Bagac along the route of the March of Death. The Bataan Peninsula was finally secured on February 21, although mopping-up activities remained. February 15 is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Nuestra Señora del Pilar(Spanish for Our Lady of the Pillar) is an advocation of Mary, mother of Jesus, whose shrine is in Zaragoza, Spain, by the river Ebro. ... Bataan is a province of the Philippines occupying the whole of Bataan Peninsula on Luzon. ... February 21 is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ...

Outcome and Historical Significance

The Japanese lost heavily on the defense of ZigZag Pass, with more than 2,400 killed and 1,700 wounded. Col. Nagayoshi escaped with about 300 men and joined other defenders farther south of the peninsula, holding out until mid-February. The 38th Infantry Division lost 270 men and had 420 wounded, while the 34th Regiment suffered 68 dead and 268 wounded.

Except for the 38th Division's struggle at ZigZag Pass, the swift and easy recapture of the province of Zambales and the Bataan peninsula, enabled the Americans full use of Manila Bay and its world-class deepwater port. This development subsequently allowed the easy resupply of U.S. forces retaking Manila.

See Also

• Military History of the Philippines
• Military history of the United States
• Military history of Japan
• History of the Philippines