The Battle for Manila from 3 February to 3 March 1945, fought by American, Filipino and Japanese forces, was part of the Philippines' 1945 campaign. The one-month battle, which culminated in a terrible bloodbath and total devastation of the city, was the scene of the worst urban fighting in the Pacific theater, and ended almost three years of Japanese military occupation in the Philippines (1942–1945). The city's capture was marked as General Douglas MacArthur's key to victory in the campaign of reconquest. 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... For other uses, see Pacific War (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links Manila_attack. ... The 37th Infantry Division was a unit of the United States Army in World War I and World War II. It was a National Guard division from Ohio, hence its nickname the Buckeye Division. // Activated: August 1917 (National Guard Division from Ohio) Overseas: June 1918 Major operations: Meuse-Argonne, Ypres... The Pasig River is a river in the Philippines that drains Laguna de Bay (via the Napindan Channel) into Manila Bay. ... Nickname: Motto: Linisin Ikarangal Maynila Map of Metro Manila showing the location of Manila Coordinates: 14°35 N 121° E Country Region Districts 1st to 6th districts of Manila Barangays 897 Incorporated (city) June 10, 1574 Government  - Mayor Alfredo Lim (2007-2010; GO)  - Vice Mayor Isko Moreno (AM/PDP-Laban... is the 35th 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 34th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 62nd day of the year (63rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... Nickname: Motto: Linisin Ikarangal Maynila Map of Metro Manila showing the location of Manila Coordinates: 14°35 N 121° E Country Region Districts 1st to 6th districts of Manila Barangays 897 Incorporated (city) June 10, 1574 Government  - Mayor Alfredo Lim (2007-2010; GO)  - Vice Mayor Isko Moreno (AM/PDP-Laban... 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_-_variant. ... Oscar Wollverton Griswold (22 October 1886-28 September 1959) was an American soldier and general in the first half of the 20th century. ... GENERAL ALFREDO M. SANTOS was Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in 1962 to 1965, making him the first four-star general of the Philippines armed forces. ... Combatants United States Australia Commonwealth of the Philippines Mexico[1] Empire of Japan Commanders Douglas MacArthur Tomoyuki Yamashita Casualties 14,000 killed, 48,000 wounded 336,000 killed, 12,000 prisoners The Philippines campaign of 1944–45 was the Allied campaign to defeat Japanese forces occupying The Philippines, during World... Combatants United States, 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 3,189 Filipino guerrillas 55,000 Japanese troops Casualties 3,500 killed 12,000 wounded 49... Combatants  United States  Australia  Philippines 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... 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. ... Combatants United States 44px Philippines Japan The Battle of Luzon, on the island of 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 Eduardo Joson unknown Strength 127 U.S. troops Alamo Scouts & 6th Ranger Battalion 200 Filipino guerrillas est. ... Combatants United States and Philippines Japan Commanders Charles P. Hall Henry L.C. Jones Aubrey S. Newman Rikichi Tsukada Nagayoshi Sanenobu Strength 200,000 Filipino troops 35,000 U.S. troops 2,800 Japanese troops Casualties 338 killed 688 wounded 2,400 killed 75 wounded 25 prisoners The Battle for... 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 34th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 62nd day of the year (63rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... Urban warfare is a modern warfare conducted in urban areas such as towns and cities. ... For other uses, see Pacific War (disambiguation). ... This article is about the American general; for the municipality in the Philippines, see General MacArthur, Eastern Samar. ...

Background

On 9 January 1945, the U.S. Sixth Army under Lt. Gen. Walter Krueger waded ashore on Lingayen Gulf and began a rapid drive south. is the 9th 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 number of nations have had a Sixth Army: US Sixth Army German Sixth Army This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Walter Krueger (26 January 1881-20 August 1967) was a German-American soldier and general in the first half of the 20th century. ... The Lingayen Gulf is an extension of the South China Sea on Luzon in the Philippines. ...

Three weeks later on 31 January, the U.S. Eighth Army of Lt. Gen. Robert L. Eichelberger, consisting of the 187th and 188th Glider Infantry Regiments of Col. Robert H. Soule, components of the U.S. 11th Airborne Division under Maj. Gen. Joseph M. Swing landed unopposed at Nasugbu in southern Luzon and began moving toward Manila. Meanwhile, the 11th A/B Division's 511th Regimental Combat Team of Col. Orin D. "Hardrock" Haugen parachuted into Tagaytay Ridge on 4 February and spearheaded the northern advance. is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... A number of nations have an Eighth Army: 8th Route Army British Eighth Army US Eighth Army This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Robert Lawrence Eichelberger (9 March 1886 – 26 September 1961) was a general in the United States Army, who commanded the US Eighth Army in the Pacific during World War II. Eichelberger was born at Urbana, Ohio, on 9 March 1886. ... (Redirected from 11th Airborne Division) Shoulder sleeve patch of the 11th Airborne Division. ... Nasugbu is a 1st class municipality in the province of Batangas, Philippines. ... Map of the Philippines showing the island groups of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. ... Tagaytay City is located in the province of Cavite in the Philippines. ... is the 35th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

By 4 February, the rapid drive to Manila by U.S. forces began. Using intelligence provided by Filipino guerrillas, American units were able to find intact bridges and shallow rivers everywhere they went. is the 35th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Guerrilla (also called a partisan) is a term borrowed from Spanish (from guerra meaning war) used to describe small combat groups. ...

Japanese defense

Map of the capture of Manila

As the Americans converged on Manila from different directions, the bulk of the defending enemy troops had earlier engaged on a tactical move to the outskirts on orders of General Tomoyuki Yamashita, commander in chief of Japanese forces in the Philippines. Yamashita had withdrawn his main forces to Baguio City, where he planned to hold back the Filipino & U.S. forces in northern Luzon, poised for the invasion of Japan. Image File history File links Manila_capture. ... Image File history File links Manila_capture. ... Tomoyuki Yamashita, 1945 General Tomoyuki Yamashita (山下 奉文 Yamashita Tomoyuki,) (November 8, 1885 – February 23, 1946) was a general of the Japanese Imperial Army during the World War II era. ... Nickname: Benguet Province map locating Baguio City Coordinates: , Country Region Province Benguet Barangays 129 Congressional Districts 1 Incorporated (city) September 1, 1909 Government  - Congressman Mauricio Domogan (Elect)  - Mayor Reinaldo Bautista, Jr. ...

In 1942, President Manuel L. Quezon had declared Manila an open city before its capture. Although Yamashita had not done so in 1945, he had not intended to defend Manila; he did not think that he could not feed about a million city residents and defend a large area with vast tracts of flammable wooden buildings. Gen. Yamashita had originally ordered the commander of Shimbu Group, Gen. Yokoyama Shizuo, to evacuate the city and destroy all bridges and other vital installations as soon as any large American forces made their appearance. Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina (b. ...

However, Rear Admiral Iwabuchi Sanji was entrusted with the holding of the city, and he was committed to defending it to the last man. Disobeying Yamashita, he ordered his Manila Naval Defense Forces, a motley assembly of sailors, marines and Army troops, into the city. They discovered several good defensive positions, including Intramuros and other nearby buildings. After blowing up every outline facility with even marginal value, like bridges and footpaths, Iwabuchi had set up minefields, barbed wire, interlocking trenches, and hulks of trucks and trolleys, to create bottlenecks and traps. He then ordered his ragtag troops into the defensive zone. Intramuros circa 1920s Walls of Intramuros, located along the southern bank of the Pasig River, is the oldest among the districts of the city of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. ...

Battle

Santo Tomas internees liberated

On 3 February, elements of the U.S. 1st Cavalry Division under Maj.Gen. Verne D. Mudge pushed into the northern outskirts of Manila and seized a vital bridge across the Tuliahan River, which separated them from the city proper. A squadron of Brig. Gen. William C. Chase's 8th Cavalry Brigade, the first unit to arrive in the city, began a drive towards the sprawling campus of the University of Santo Tomas which had been turned into an internment camp. is the 34th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The 1st Cavalry Division (1st Cav Div) is a heavy armored division of the United States Army with base of operations in Fort Hood, Texas. ... A Squadron is a small unit or formation of cavalry, aircraft (including balloons), or naval vessels. ... The Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippines (or simply the University of Santo Tomas, UST or affectionately, Ustê), is a private Roman Catholic university run by the Order of Preachers in Manila. ... A concentration camp is a large detention centre created for political opponents, aliens, specific ethnic or religious groups, civilians of a critical war-zone, or other groups of people, often during a war. ...

U.S. 1st Cavalry Division troops on the outskirts of Manila

Since 4 January 1942, a total of thirty-seven months, the university’s main building was used to hold civilians. Out of 4,255 prisoners, 466 died in captivity, three were killed while attempting to escape on 15 February 1942, but one made a successful breakout in early January 1945. Image File history File links Towards_manila. ... Image File history File links Towards_manila. ... is the 4th day of the year 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. ... is the 46th day of the year 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. ...

At 21:00, a lead jeep crashed into the main gate, triggering a firefight, and its driver, Capt. Manuel Colayco, a USAFFE guerrilla officer, became the first known Allied casualty for the city's liberation. He and his companion Lt. Diosdado Guytingco guided the American First Cavalry. Both were unarmed. Colayco died seven days later in Legarda Elementary School, which became a field hospital. Simultaneously, a single M4 Sherman tank of the 44th Tank Battalion, named "Battlin' Basic," rammed through the university walls, while four others entered through the Calle España entrance. American troops and Filipino guerrillas immediately followed and, after a brief skirmish, freed many of the internees. 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). ... The M4 Sherman was the primary tank produced by the United States for its own use and the use of its Allies during World War II. Production of the M4 Medium tank exceeded 50,000 units, and its chassis served as the basis for thousands of other armored vehicles such...

The Japanese, commanded by Lt. Col. Toshio Hayashi, gathered the remaining internees together in the Education Building, as hostages, exchanging pot shots with the Americans and Filipinos. The next day, 4 February, they negotiated with the Americans to allow them to rejoin Japanese troops to the south of the city. The Filipinos and Americans agreed but only allowed them to carry their rifles, pistols and swords. That same day, a patrol from the 37th Infantry Division and 31st Infantry Division came upon more than 1,000 prisoners of war, mostly former defenders of Bataan and Corregidor held at Bilibid Prison, which was abandoned by the Japanese. is the 35th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The 37th Infantry Division was a unit of the United States Army in World War I and World War II. It was a National Guard division from Ohio, hence its nickname the Buckeye Division. // Activated: August 1917 (National Guard Division from Ohio) Overseas: June 1918 Major operations: Meuse-Argonne, Ypres... Geneva Convention definition A prisoner of war (POW) is a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict. ... 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. ... Corregidor and the entrance to Manila Bay Corregidor in 1941 Corregidor is an island in the entrance of the Philippines Manila Bay. ...

On the morning of 5 February, forty-seven Japanese were escorted out of the university to the spot they requested. Each group saluted each other and departed. The Japanese were unaware the area they requested was near the American-occupied Malacañang Palace and soon afterwards were fired upon and several were killed including Hayashi. Later in the afternoon, the survivors of the same group returned to Santo Tomas, captured as prisoners in the same day. is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Image:Malacanang palace. ...

In total, 5,785 prisoners were freed: 5,000 Filipinos, 2,870 Americans, 745 British, 100 Australians, 61 Canadians, 50 Dutch, 25 Poles, 7 French, 2 Egyptians, 2, Spanish, one Swiss, one German, and one Slovak.

Encirclement and massacres

Earlier on 4 February, General MacArthur had announced the imminent recapture of the capital while his staff planned a victory parade. But the battle for Manila had barely begun. Almost at once the 1st Cavalry Division in the north and the 11th Airborne Division in the south reported stiffening Japanese resistance to further advances into the city. is the 35th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Following the initial American breakthrough on 4 February, fighting raged throughout the city for almost a month. The battle quickly came down to a series of bitter street-to-street and house-to-house struggles. In the north, General Griswold continued to push elements of the XIV Corps south from Santo Tomas University toward the Pasig River . Late on the afternoon of 4 February, he ordered the 2nd Squadron, 5th Cavalry, to seize Quezon Bridge, the only crossing over the Pasig that the Japanese had not destroyed. As the squadron approached the bridge, enemy heavy machine guns opened fire from a formidable roadblock thrown up across Quezon Boulevard, forcing the cavalry to stop its advance and withdraw until nightfall. As the Americans and Filipinos pulled back, the Japanese blew up the bridge. is the 35th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Pasig River is a river in the Philippines that drains Laguna de Bay (via the Napindan Channel) into Manila Bay. ... is the 35th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

On 5 February, the 37th Infantry Division began to move into Manila, and Griswold divided the northern section of the city into two sectors, with the 37th responsible for the western half and the 1st Cavalry Division responsible for the eastern sector. By the afternoon of 8 February, 37th Division units had cleared most of the Japanese from their sector, although the damage done to the residential districts was extensive. The Japanese added to the destruction by demolishing buildings and military installations as they withdrew. is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The 37th Infantry Division was a unit of the United States Army in World War I and World War II. It was a National Guard division from Ohio, hence its nickname the Buckeye Division. // Activated: August 1917 (National Guard Division from Ohio) Overseas: June 1918 Major operations: Meuse-Argonne, Ypres... is the 39th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The most bitter fighting for Manila—which proved costliest to the 37th—occurred on Provisor Island, a small industrial center on the Pasig River. The Japanese garrison, probably less than a battalion, managed to hold off Beightler's infantrymen until 11 February. is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Mudge's 1st Cavalry Division had an easier time, encountering little opposition in the suburbs east of Manila. Although the division's 7th and 8th Cavalry Regiments fought pitched battles near two water supply installations north of the city, by 10 February, the cavalrymen had extended their control south of the river. That night, the XIV Corps established for the first time separate bridgeheads on both banks of the Pasig River. is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The final attack on the outer Japanese defenses came from the 11th Airborne Division, under XIV Corps control since 10 February. The division had been halted at Nichols Field on 4 February and since then had been battling firmly entrenched Japanese naval troops, backed up by heavy fire from concealed artillery. The airfield finally fell to the paratroopers the next day, and the acquisition allowed Maj. Gen. Swing's division to complete the U.S. encirclement of Manila on the night of 12 February. Nichols Field (Luzon, the Philippines), during the World War II era, was the location of the Far East Air Forces U.S. 20th Air Base Group. ... is the 35th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

In an attempt to protect the city and its civilians, MacArthur had placed stringent restrictions on U.S. artillery and air support. But massive devastation to the urban area could not be avoided. Iwabuchi's sailors, marines and Army reinforcements, having initially successfully resisted American infantrymen armed with flamethrowers, grenades and bazookas, faced direct fire from tanks, tank destroyers, and howitzers, who attacked one building after another and killed the Japanese—and often the trapped civilians—inside the structures. Riverboat of the U.S. Brownwater Navy shooting ignited napalm from its mounted flamethrower during the Vietnam war. ... Grenade may refer to: The well-known hand grenade commonly used by soldiers. ... For other uses, see Bazooka (disambiguation). ... 19th century 12 pounder (5 kg) mountain howitzer displayed by the National Park Service at Fort Laramie in Wyoming, USA A howitzer is a type of artillery piece that is characterized by a relatively short barrel and the use of comparatively small explosive charges to propel projectiles at trajectories with...

Subjected to incessant pounding and facing certain death, the beleaguered Japanese troops took out their anger and frustration on the civilians caught in the crossfire, committing multiple acts of severe brutality, which later would be known as the Manila Massacre. Violent mutilations, rapes, and massacres on the populace accompanied the battle for control of the city, which lay practically in ruins. Slain children in the ruins of Manila The Manila massacre, February 1945, refers to the atrocities conducted against Filipino civilians in Manila, Philippines by retreating Japanese troops during World War II. Various credible Western and Eastern sources agree that the death toll was at least 100,000 people. ... Massacres are individual events of deliberate mass killing, especially of noncombatant civilians or other innocents. ...

Intramuros devastated

Sherman tank at the Fort Santiago gate, Intramuros, February 28, 1945

The fighting for Intramuros continued from 23 February to 28 February. Already having decimated the Japanese forces by bombing, Filipino and American forces used artillery to try and root out the Japanese defenders. However, the centuries-old stone ramparts, underground edifices, the Sta. Lucia Barracks, Fort Santiago, and villages within the city walls all provided excellent cover. Image File history File links Sherman_intramuros. ... Image File history File links Sherman_intramuros. ... Intramuros circa 1920s Walls of Intramuros, located along the southern bank of the Pasig River, is the oldest among the districts of the city of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. ... is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... February 28 is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The front entrance of Fuerza de Santiago towering 40 metres high Fuerza de Santiago is a defence fortress built for Spanish conquistador, Miguel López de Legazpi. ...

The last pocket of Japanese resistance at the Finance Building, which was already reduced to rubble, was flushed out by heavy artillery on 3 March. is the 62nd day of the year (63rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

A U.S.and Philippine battle report stated: "That the artillery had almost razed the ancient Walled City could not be helped. To the XIV Corps and the 37th Division at this state of the battle for Manila, American lives were understandably far more valuable than historic landmarks. The destruction stemmed from the American decision to save lives in a battle against Japanese troops who had decided to sacrifice their lives as dearly as possible"

Before the fighting ended, MacArthur summoned a provisional assembly of prominent Filipinos to Malacanang Palace and in their presence declared the Commonwealth of the Philippines to be permanently reestablished. "My country kept the faith," he told the gathered assembly. "Your capital city, cruelly punished though it be, has regained its rightful place—citadel of democracy in the East." Depiction of the Malacañang Palace at the back of the 20-peso bill. ...

Aftermath

For the rest of the month the Americans and Filipino Troops and guerrillas mopped up resistance throughout the city. With Intramuros secured on 4 March, Manila was officially liberated, but large areas of the city had been leveled. The battle left 100,010 Filipino and American soldiers dead and 8,565 wounded. An estimated 100,000 Filipinos civilians were killed, both deliberately by the Japanese and accidentally by crossfire. About 16,000 Japanese soldiers died, mostly sailors from the Japanese Manila Defense Force. is the 63rd day of the year (64th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

In the month-long battle, the Americans and Japanese inflicted worse destruction on Manila than the German Luftwaffe had exacted upon London^{[citation needed]}, which resulted in the destruction of the city and in a death toll comparable to that of the Tokyo firebombing or the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. The Deutsche Luftwaffe or   (German: air force, literally Air Weapon, pronounced lufft-va-fa, IPA: ) is the commonly used term for the German air force. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... B-29 bombers were used to drop hundreds of thousands of tons of explosives onto Japanese cities during the war. ... The mushroom cloud over Hiroshima after the dropping of Little Boy. ...

Destruction of the city

Aerial view of the Walled City of Manila in May 1945

The battle for Manila was the first and fiercest urban fighting in the entire Pacific War, from the time MacArthur started his leapfrogging campaign from New Guinea in 1942, leading to the invasion of Japan in 1945. Few battles in the closing months of World War II exceeded the destruction and the brutality of the massacres and savagery of the fighting in Manila. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... For other uses, see Pacific War (disambiguation). ... 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...

A steel flagpole at the entrance to the old U.S. Embassy building in Intramuros, which was pockmarked by numerous bullet and shrapnel hits, and still stands today, a testament to the intense, bitter fighting for the walled city. In this category, Manila joined the company of Warsaw as the most devastated cities of World War II, as well as being the host to some of the fiercest urban fighting since Stalingrad. For other uses, see Warsaw (disambiguation) and Warszawa (disambiguation). ... Combatants Germany Romania Italy Hungary Croatia Soviet Union Commanders Adolf Hitler Friedrich Paulus # Erich von Manstein Hermann Hoth Petre Dumitrescu Constantin Constantinescu Italo Garibaldi Gusztav Jany Vasiliy Chuikov Aleksandr Vasilyevskiy Georgiy Zhukov Semyon Timoshenko Konstantin Rokossovskiy Rodion Malinovskiy Andrei Yeremenko Strength Army Group B: German Sixth Army # German Fourth Panzer...

Filipinos lost an irreplaceable cultural and historical treasure in the resulting carnage and devastation of Manila, remembered today as a national tragedy. Countless government buildings, universities and colleges, convents, monasteries and churches, and their accompanying treasures dating to the founding of the city, were decimated. The cultural patrimony (including art, literature, and especially architecture) of the Orient's first truly international melting pot - the confluence of Spanish, American and Asian cultures - was eviscerated. Manila, once touted as the "Pearl of the Orient" and famed as a living monument to the meeting of Asian and European cultures, was virtually wiped out.

Historical commemoration

The Memorare Manila Monument at Intramuros, Manila.

On 18 February 1995, the Memorare Manila Monument was erected in dedication and memory to the war victims. This monument is located at the Plaza de Santa Isabel, also known as the Plaza Sinampalukan, located at the corner of General Luna and Anda Streets in Intramuros, Manila. The inscription reads: Image File history File links Memorare_manila_monument. ... Image File history File links Memorare_manila_monument. ... is the 49th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ...

"This memorial is dedicated to all those innocent victims of war, many of whom went nameless and unknown to a common grave, or even never knew a grave at all, their bodies having been consumed by fire or crushed to dust beneath the rubble of ruins."

"Let this monument be the gravestone for each and every one of the over 100,000 men, women, children and infants killed in Manila during its battle of liberation, February 3 - March 3, 1945. We have not forgotten them, nor shall we ever forget."

"May they rest in peace as part now of the sacred ground of this city: the Manila of our affections."

See also

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

Slain children in the ruins of Manila The Manila massacre, February 1945, refers to the atrocities conducted against Filipino civilians in Manila, Philippines by retreating Japanese troops during World War II. Various credible Western and Eastern sources agree that the death toll was at least 100,000 people. ... In September 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

• Battle of Manila Footnotes: Battle for Manila by Richard Connaughton, John Pimlott and Duncan Anderson (2002) Presidio Press ISBN 0-89141-771-0
• World War II in the Pacific: An Encyclopedia (Military History of the United States) by S. Sandler (2000) Routledge ISBN 0-8153-1883-9
• By sword and fire: The Destruction of Manila in World War II, 3 February-3 March 1945 (Unknown Binding) by Alphonso J. Aluit (1994) National Commission for Culture and the Arts ISBN 971-8521-10-0
• History of United States Naval Operations in World War II. Vol. 13: The Liberation of the Philippines--Luzon, Mindanao, the Visayas, 1944-1945 by Samuel Eliot Morison (2002) University of Illinois Press ISBN 0-252-07064-X

External links

• Ibiblio.Org: The U.S. Army Campaigns of World War II, Luzon
• The Liberation of Manila