The Battle for the Recapture of Bataan from 31 January to 8 February 1945, by the Filipino & U.S. forces and Allied Filipino guerrillas 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. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Combatants China Allies (entered 1941):  United States  United Kingdom  Australia Free France  Netherlands  New Zealand  Canada  Soviet Union (1945) Japan  Germany (from 1941)  Manchukuo Thailand (from 1942) Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Franklin D. Roosevelt Winston Churchill John Curtin Charles de Gaulle Hirohito Hideki Tojo Kuniaki Koiso Kantaro Suzuki Campaigns and... is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 39th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... The Bataan Peninsula is a rocky extension of the Zambales Mountains, on Luzon in the Philippines. ... Image File history File links US_flag_48_stars. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Philippines. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan_(bordered). ... Lieutenant General Charles P. Hall was an American general most notable for being the commander of the XI Corps during World War II and the principal commander during the Battle of Bataan to take retake the Philippines from Japanese forces. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Combatants United States, Australia, The Philippines Empire of Japan Commanders Douglas MacArthur Walter Krueger Franklin C. Sibert John R. Hodge Ruperto C. Kangleon Tomoyuki Yamashita Sosaku Suzuki Shiro Makino Strength 200,000 U.S. troops 153,000 Australian troops 856,000 Filipino troops 3,189 Filipino guerrillas 55,000 Japanese... Combatants  United States  Australia Empire of Japan Commanders William Halsey, Jr (3rd Fleet) Thomas C. Kinkaid (7th Fleet) Takeo Kurita (Centre Force) Shoji Nishimura â€  (Southern Force) Kiyohide Shima (Southern Force) Jisaburo Ozawa (Northern Force) Strength 17 aircraft carriers 18 escort carriers 12 battleships 24 cruisers 141 destroyers and destroyer escorts... The Battle of Ormoc Bay was a series of air-sea battles between Imperial Japan and the United States in the Camotes Sea in the Philippines between 11 November 1944 and 21 December 1944, part of the Battle of Leyte in the Pacific campaign of World War II. The battles... Combatants United States Japan Commanders George M. Jones (503rd PRCT) Roscoe B. Woodruff (24th Infantry Division) Rikichi Tsukada (Kembu Group, Japanese Army) Strength 10,000 U.S. troops 1,200 Japanese troops Casualties 148 killed and 271 wounded 200 killed and 375 wounded The Battle of Mindoro presaged the main... Combatants United States Empire of Japan Commanders Walter Krueger Tadamichi Kuribayashi Strength 68,000 unknown Casualties none none The Invasion of Lingayen Gulf was an American amphibious operation of WWII carried out in the Phillipines. ... Luzon, home to the Filipino capital Manila, saw the showdown between Japanese commander Tomoyuki Yamashita and General Douglas MacArthur on December 15, 1944. ... Combatants United States and The Philippines Empire of Japan Commanders Henry Mucci Robert Prince Juan Pajota Eduard Jonson unknown Strength 127 U.S. troops Alamo Scouts & 6th Ranger Battalion 200 Filipino guerrillas est. ... Combatants United States Japan Commanders Robert S. Beightler (37th Infantry Division) Verne D. Mudge (1st Cavalry Division) Oscar W. Griswold (U.S. XIV Corps) Joseph M. Swing (11th Airborne Division) Iwabuchi Sanji (Manila Naval Defense Forces) Strength 35,000 US troops 16,000 Japanese sailors, marines, and Army troops Casualties... Combatants United States Japan Commanders George M. Jones Edward M. Postlethwait Rikichi Tsukada Strength 7,000 U.S. troops 6,650 Japanese troops Casualties 207 killed 684 wounded 6,600 killed 50 wounded 19 prisoners The Battle for the Recapture of Corregidor , from February 16 to 26, 1945 , on the... Combatants United States and Philippines Japan Commanders Edward Lahti John Ringler Robert Soule Gustavo Ingles Sadaaki Konishi Strength 130 U.S. paratroopers 800 Filipino guerrillas 243 Japanese guards 8,000 Japanese marines near camp Casualties 2 U.S. paratroopers killed 2 wounded 2 Filipino guerrillas killed 4 wounded 80 Japanese... The Invasion of Palawan was part of the final phases of the liberetion of the Philippines from occupation by the Imperial Japanese Army. ... Combatants United States Japan Commanders Robert Eichelberger (U.S. Eighth Army) Rapp Brush (U.S. 40th Division) William H. Arnold (Americal Division) Sosaku Suzuki (35th Japanese Army) Takeo Manjome (Japanese forces in Cebu) Strength 17,000 U.S. troops, 18,500 Filipino guerrillas 32,000 Japanese troops Casualties 835 killed... Combatants United States and Philippines Japan Commanders Franklin C. Sibert Albert G. Noble Roscoe B. Woodruff Clarence A. Martin Wendell W. Fertig Gyosaku Morozumi Strength 35,000 U.S. troops 400,00 Filipino Troops 24,000 Filipino guerrillas 43,000 Japanese troops Casualties 820 killed 2,880 wounded 10,000... is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 39th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... A representation of the changes in territory controlled by Allies and Axis powers over the course of the war. ... Guerrilla (also called a partisan) is a term borrowed from Spanish (from guerra meaning war) used to describe small combat groups. ... Photography sunset in Bay City, Pasay (near SM Mall of Asia) Manila Bay is one of the finest natural harbors in the world which serves the port of Manila (on Luzon), in the Philippines. ... Combatants United States Japan Commanders Robert S. Beightler (37th Infantry Division) Verne D. Mudge (1st Cavalry Division) Oscar W. Griswold (U.S. XIV Corps) Joseph M. Swing (11th Airborne Division) Iwabuchi Sanji (Manila Naval Defense Forces) Strength 35,000 US troops 16,000 Japanese sailors, marines, and Army troops Casualties...

The Bataan peninsula's recapture also avenged the surrender of the defunct United States Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) to invading Japanese forces in 9 April 1942. REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES Province of Bataan Region: Central Luzon (Region III) Capital: Balanga City Founded: —1754 Population: 2000 census—557,659 (46th largest) Density—406 per km² (12th highest) Area: 1,373. ... Combatants United States and Philippines Japan Commanders Vicente Lim Tomas Capinpin Douglas MacArthur Jonathan Wainwright George M. Parker Edward P. King Masaharu Homma Susumu Morioka Kineo Kitajima Kameichiro Nagano Strength 30,000 U.S. troops 870,000 Filipino troops 75,000 Japanese troops Casualties 10,000 killed, 20,000 wounded... is the 99th day of the year (100th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Background

The rapid advance of U.S.and Philippine 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. Nickname: Map of Metro Manila showing the location of Manila Coordinates: 14°35 N 121° E Country Philippines Region National Capital Region Districts 1st to 6th districts of Manila Barangays 897 Incorporated (city) June 10, 1574 Government  - Mayor Alfredo Lim (GO)  - Vice Mayor Isko Moreno (Asenso Manilenyo/PDP-Laban) Area... 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 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 (40 km) northwest of Bataan and drive rapidly east across the base of the peninsula, and then sweep south, clearing Bataan including its eastern coast. General of the Army Douglas MacArthur KCB (January 26, 1880 – April 5, 1964), was an American general and Field Marshal of the Philippines Army. ... Walter Krueger (1881-1967) was a German-American soldier and general in the first half of the 20th century. ... Corregidor and the entrance to Manila Bay Corregidor in 1941 Corregidor is an island in the entrance of the Philippines Manila Bay. ... Combatants United States, Australia, The Philippines Empire of Japan Commanders Douglas MacArthur Walter Krueger Franklin C. Sibert John R. Hodge Ruperto C. Kangleon Tomoyuki Yamashita Sosaku Suzuki Shiro Makino Strength 200,000 U.S. troops 153,000 Australian troops 856,000 Filipino troops 3,189 Filipino guerrillas 55,000 Japanese... Shoulder Sleeve Insignia of the 38th Infantry Division. ... The 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized)—also known as the Victory Division—was an infantry division of the United States Army with base of operations at Fort Riley, Kansas originally organized out of the old Hawaiian Division. ... 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 well 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. Symbol of the Polish 1st Legions Infantry Division in NATO code A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of around ten to twenty thousand soldiers. ... Tomoyuki Yamashita, 1945 General Tomoyuki Yamashita (山下 奉文 Yamashita Tomoyuki) (November 8, 1885 – February 23, 1946) was a general of the Japanese Army during the World War II era. ...

March to the peninsula

On 29 January 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 by the 34th Regiment Combat Team on 30 January as well as Grande Island in Subic Bay after an amphibious landing. Elsewhere, surprise was complete, and there was one U.S. 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. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... Ramon del Fierro 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. ... is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... A 1902 nautical chart of Subic Bay Subic Bay is a bay on the west coast of the island of Luzon in Zambales, Philippines, about 100 kilometers northwest of Manila Bay. ...

The 38th Division's 151st Infantry Regiment secured the entrance to Subic Bay from the south and was ordered into XI Corps reserve. Meanwhile, the 152nd Infantry Regiment was given the mission to pass through positions held by the 34th and drive eastward along an irregular and unimproved Route 7 about twenty miles (30 km) to Dinalupihan while the 149th Infantry Regiment was ordered to move eastward, north of and parallel to the 152nd, link up with XIV Corps, then turn south and west along Route 7 to meet up with the 152nd. Gen. Hall of XI Corps believed that Route 7 could be taken in less than a week.

Battle

Struggle on Zig Zag Pass

Nagayoshi had decided to make a stand in the rugged Zambales mountains at the northern base of the Bataan peninsula, which the Americans named Zig Zag 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. Nonetheless, Nagayoshi and his 39th Infantry Regiment intended to hold out indefinitely. Zig Zag Pass was described as few pieces of ground combined to the same degree to roughness and dense jungle. The main road, Route 7 twists violently through the pass, following a line of least terrain resistance that wild pigs must originally have established. The jungle flora in the region is so thick that one can step five yards off the highway and not be able to see the road. The Japanese had honey-combed every hill and knoll at the Zig Zag with foxholes linked by tunnels or trenches; at particularly advantageous Points they had constructed strong points centered on log or dirt pillboxes. All the defenses were well camouflaged, for rich, jungle foliage covered most positions, indicating that many had been prepared with great care and had been constructed well. In effect, a small force could hold off an entire army from this position indefinitely. “Flanking” redirects here. ...

On 31 January 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. But on the morning of 1 February, after about three miles (5 km) of steady progress, the 152nd Regiment ran into Japanese strongpoints at Horseshoe Bend, the first known major Zig Zag Pass obstacles. In two days of heavy fighting, resulting in high casualties for the regiment, all eastward progress had stopped. The unfavorable, twisting terrain, communications difficulties in the thick jungle, and relocation of battalions to try to find the main line of resistance, along with the determined resistance of the Japanese, all contributed to difficulty in correctly identifying all units of the 152d at all times with respect to their exact locations. The northwest to southeast line of Japanese defenses, definitively unknown at the time, also contributed to the confusion. With his offensive effectively stalled, Gen. Jones relieved the 152nd's regimental commander. is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... British regiment A regiment is a military unit, consisting of a variable number of battalions - commanded by a colonel. ... Symbol of the Austrian 14th Armoured Battalion in NATO military graphic symbols A battalion is a military unit usually consisting of between two and six companies and typically commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel. ...

The 34th Regimental Combat Team was then ordered to resume the unsuccessful eastward offensive of the 152nd on Zig-Zag Pass. However, after six days of severe fighting, despite heavy supporting artillery barrages and napalm bombing runs by the Army Air Force, the 34th RCT sustained heavy casualties, and its offensive bogged down, barring any further progress. Gen. Jones then directed the 152nd to resume the attack on the Japanese right to the north of Route 7, while on 6 February, the 151st Regiment rejoined the battle to relieve the disengaging 34th RCT. But further confusion and frustration on the pass reigned and on day's end, Gen. Hall relieved Gen. Jones of command and temporarily replaced by Brig. Gen. William C. Chase. A simulated Napalm explosion during MCAS Air Show in 2003. ... is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

On the day Gen. Chase assumed command, the 149th Infantry Regiment completed its eastward march north of Route 7 and linked up with XIV Corps. It then turned westward astride Route 7 to link up with the rest of the 38th Division. In tandem, the 151st and 152nd Regiments began making progress eastward through the pass. Gradually, the Japanese were pushed back and eventually overrun on 8 February. Three days later, 11 February the 151st was withdrawn for another mission, while the 152nd continued the offensive, and by 14 February 1945, the 149th and 152nd Regiments finally linked up. is the 39th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... February 11 is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 45th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ...

After mopping up operations against scattered small pockets of resistance, Zig Zag Pass was securely in the hands of the 38th Division. As a testament to the ferocity of the struggle, XI Corps killed about 2,400 of the 2,800-man Japanese force while taking only 25 prisoners.

Landings at Southern Bataan

By 15 February, two 38th Division task forces under XI Corps were employed for the southern Bataan amphibious landings. One, the South Force commanded personally by Gen. Chase, consisted of the 151st Infantry Regiment reinforced by a battalion of the 34th RCT, the 139th Field Artillery Battalion, and other attached elements. The other, the East Force consisted of the reinforced 1st Infantry Regiment of the 6th Infantry Division, was attached to the 38th Division for the mission. Brigadier General William Spence, the 38th Division Artillery commander, led the force. is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

On 11 February, the South Force sailed south off the west coast north of Bataan, spent the night of 14 February at sea, and went ashore at 10:00 on 15 February at Mariveles Harbor. Bullet-pierced American and Philippine World War I type steel helmets were found that had been there for three years, along with whitened remains of American soldiers the Japanese had not buried. From Mariveles the force split, part moving up the west coast toward Bagac, and the other part moving up the east coast toward Pilar. February 11 is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 45th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ...

Meanwhile, the East Force moved on 12 February from Dinalupihan south toward Pilar. It was soon augmented by elements of the 149th Infantry Regiment. At Pilar the force split, part continuing south past the town, and part turning west astride Route 111. On 18 February the two forces linked up near Bagac. A final major engagement occurred during the night of 15 February, and mopping up operations continued throughout the peninsula for about another week. Finally, on 21 February, after three years, Bataan was again secure in American and Filipino hands. February 12 is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 49th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Aftermath

The Japanese lost heavily on the defense of ZigZag Pass, with more than 2,400 killed and 75 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 brutal 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. and Filipino forces retaking Manila.

See also

• Military History of the Philippines during World War II
• Military history of the United States
• Military history of Japan
• History of the Philippines

In September of 1940, Germany, Italy, and Japan had allied under the Tripartite Pact. ... The military history of the United States spans a period of over two centuries. ... The military history of Japan is characterized by a long period of feudal wars, followed by domestic stability, and then foreign conquest. ... The history of the Philippines begins with the arrival of the first humans in the Philippines by land bridges at least 30,000 years ago. ...

References

• World War II in the Pacific: An Encyclopedia (Military History of the United States) by S. Sandler (2000) Routledge ISBN 0-8153-1883-9

External links

• U.S. Army Center of Military History: World War II Commemorative Brochures, Luzon