Battle of Bataan
The Battle of Bataan represented the most intense phase of Imperial Japan's invasion of the Philippines, in the early stages of the Pacific War.
Invasion
As Japanese carrier planes devastated the United States Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor in the morning of December 7, 1941,( December 8 , Manila time) Formosa-based aircraft pounded the main bases of the American Far East Air Force and Asiatic Fleet in the Philippines. From December 8-10, scattered but heroic resistance by ground troops and remaining American air and naval forces failed to stop diversionary landings at Batan Island,Aparri, Vigan, Legaspi, Davao and Jolo, preceding the main landings on December 21 , 1941 at Lingayen Gulf in Pangasinan and Lamon Bay, Tayabas by the 14th Japanese Imperial Army led by Lt. Gen. Masaharu Homma. After securing the beachheads, the Japanese launched a massive pincer attack.
War Plan Orange-3
The United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) commanded by General Douglas MacArthur were hurled back by the advance of the enemy. In the face of this onslaught, Gen. MacArthur ordered a fighting retreat by all USAFFE units to the Bataan peninsula, whereupon the defending forces, in accordance with War Plan Orange-3, would regroup and make an indefinite stand.
The concept of WPO-3 was to delay invading enemy forces until the US Pacific Fleet could be mustered at full strength and fight its way to the Philippines. At the Bataan peninsula, with its defensive terrain, and backed by artillery from the harbor defenses in Manila Bay and the nearby island fortress of Corregidor, the defenders were expected to hold out until reinforcements arrive. But with the Pacific Fleet having been crippled at Pearl Harbor, no aid would be forthcoming.
Meanwhile, Manuel L. Quezon, the president of the Philippine Commonwealth , together with his family and staff were evacuated to Corregidor, as well as all USAFFE military personnel were removed from the major urban areas. On December 24, 1941 , Manila was declared an open city, and Japanese forces occupied it on January 2, 1942 .
The Battling Bastards
From January 1-5, 1942 , as the entire USAFFE converged from south and north, delaying actions were fought to allow the struggling withdrawal to Bataan. The bloodiest occurred at the Porac-Guagua line, where the 11th and 21st Divisions, respectively led by Brig. Generals William E. Brougher and Mateo Capinpin with the 26th Cavalry of Col. Clinton A. Pierce in reserve,held the line, mostly on open and unprepared ground, against massive aerial and artillery bombardment,strong tank assaults, and infantry banzai attacks by the Takahashi and Tanaka Detachments. Both sides suffered heavy casualties.
On January 6 , at the first defensive line from Dinalupihan to Layac Junction, the only approach to Bataan, the 31st Infantry Regiment of Col. Charles A. Steel, the 71st Division led by Brig. Gen. Clyde A. Selleck and the 26th Cavalry stood fast against relentless artillery fire and assaults of the pursuing Imai Detachment. In this action, Medal of Honor Sgt. Jose Calugas of the Philippine Scouts dashed about one thousand yards along the fire-swept ground, and without orders, helped mobilize a stunned 75mm gun crew, which they kept firing on the onrushing enemy. After a fighting withdrawal, the Abucay-Mauban line , the USAFFE's main battle position was now finally in place, with equally defensive sectors, held by Maj. Gen. Jonathan M. Wainwright 's I Philippine Corps in the east and by the II Philippine Corps of Maj. Gen. George M. Parker in the west.
On January 9 , the enemy under Lt. Gen. Susumu Morioka assaulted the eastern flank of the Abucay-Mauban line,and was repulsed by the 91st Division of Brig. Gen. Luther Stevens and Col. George S. Clark's 57th Infantry. Another attack on January 14 at the boundary of positions held by the 41st and 51st Divisions of Brig. Generals Vicente Lim and Albert M. Jones, respectively, aided by the 43rd and 23rd Infantry, stubbornly refused the enemy their left flank. The enemy advanced to the Salian River valley through a gap made by the 51st Infantry's withdrawal. But a patrol discovered the infiltration, and units of the 21st Division rushed to the valley, and repulsed the enemy after a savage encounter.
At another engagement farther to the west, a Japanese force surprised and routed the 53rd Infantry of Col. John R. Boatwright. This force also penetrated deep behind the Abucay-Mauban line along the Abo-Abo river valley. But their advance was held up by combined units of the 21st and 51st Divisions, the 31st Division of Brig. Gen. Clifford Bluemel ,and Col. John H. Rodman's 92nd Infantry at the Bani-Guirol forest area. The 31st Infantry and the 45th Infantry, Philippine Scouts of Col. Thomas W. Doyle partially restored the abandoned line of the 51st Division.
On January 15 , the reinforced 1st Regular Division of Brig. Gen. Fidel Segundo , defending the Morong sector came under heavy bombardment, but held the line. The enemy penetrated through a huge gap in the Silangan-Natib area, established a roadblock on Mauban ridge, threatening to cut off the division's rear. Repeated attacks by the 91st and 71st Divisions, and 92nd Infantry failed to dislodge the enemy. The enemy's nightly raids and infiltration tactics became more frequent. Previously, Gen. Parker's II Corps had prevented a similar encirclement at the Salian river battle, but the position of Gen. Wainwright's I Corps was deemed indefensible, and the Abucay-Mauban line had to be abandoned on January 24.
Battles of the Points and Pockets
Within two days, the Orion-Bagac line was formed. But the defenders had yet to complete their withdrawal to the reserve battle position when the enemy struck again, through in a gap held by I Corps. Bluemel organized a defense along Trail 2 consisting of 32nd Infantry, 41st Infantry and 51st Division reinforcements, in time to stop a major enemy offensive and plugged the gap. The remaining enemy troops held out at some rear sectors of the Orion-Bagac line at the Tuol River valley behind the 11th Division, and in the Gogo-Cotar River behind the 1st Regular Division. From January 23-February 17, coordinated action by the defenders, to eliminate these salients of resistance, became known as the Battles of the Pockets. Of the 2,000 Japanese soldiers engaged, only 377 were reported to have escaped.
The Japanese were getting desperate, and in an attempt to outflank I Corps and isolate the Service Command sector of Brig. Gen. Allan C. McBride , crack enemy marines were landed on the west coast of southern Bataan. Battles were fought ferociously at the Lapay-Longoskawayan points from January 23 - 29, at the Quinawan-Aglaloma points from January 22 - February 8, and at the Silalim-Anyasan points from January 27 - February 13. Out of the 2,000 enemy troops committed to these battles, only 34 wounded returned to their lines. These engagements were named the Battles of the Points.
After the battle of the points, pockets and Trail 2, which were splendid victories by the USAFFE, the defenders dug in along the line, used the interlude in battle to train and to improve their positions. Food and medicine were urgently needed, but none was forthcoming. With all attacks on the allied line stalled, Gen. Homma ordered a general withdrawal from the frontline on February 8, to regroup and wait for reinforcements.
The Fall
On March 12 , General MacArthur, his family, and several USAFFE staff officers left Corregidor on four PT boats for Mindanao, and were eventually flown to Australia where he broadcast to the Filipino people his famous "I Shall Return" promise. MacArthur's departure marked the end of the USAFFE and by March 22, the defending army was renamed United States Forces in the Philippines (USFIP) and Lt. Gen. Jonathan Wainwright was placed in command.
The Japanese High Command reinforced Gen. Homma's 14th Imperial Army and toward the end of March, the enemy prepared for the final assault. On April 3, the entire Orion-Bagac line was subjected to incessant air and artillery bombardment, which turned the Mt. Samat stronghold into an inferno. The Japanese 4th Division and 65th Brigade spearheaded the main attack at the left flank of II Corps. Everywhere along the line, the gallant but starving defenders were driven back by masses of Japanese tanks and infantry. The enemy launched a drive into the center, penetrated into flanks held by the 22nd and 23rd Regiments of the 21st Division and by April 6, Mt. Samat was captured.
All along the battle front, units of I Corps together with devastated remnants of II Corps, crumbled and straggled to the rear. Other units disappeared into the jungle, never to be heard from again. In the last two days of the defense of Bataan, the entire Allied defense progressively disintegrated and collapsed. By April 8 , the senior US commander on Bataan, Maj. Gen. Edward P. King , saw the futility of further resistance, and put forth proposals for capitulation.
The next morning , April 9, 1942, King met with Maj. Gen. Kameichiro Nagano and surrendered the weary, starving and emaciated American and Filipino defenders on the battle-swept Bataan peninsula.
Outcome and Historical Significance
The surrender of Bataan would hasten the fall of Corregidor, a month later. More than 15,000 American and 60,000 Filipino prisoners of war were forced into the infamous Bataan Death March, perhaps the most heinous of war crimes ever committed by a modern military power.
American liberation forces finally retook the Bataan peninsula on February 8 , 1945.
The Mt. Samat Shrine in Pilar , Bataan was erected as a war memorial featuring a cross standing about 311-ft or 90 meters high.
The United States Navy Wasp Class Multi-Purpose Amphibious Assault Ship USS Bataan (LHD-5) , commissioned on September 20 , 1997 , is commemorated those who served and sacrificed in the Philippines in the name of freedom in the Pacific.
The Bataan Death March Memorial Monument, erected in April , 2001 is the only funded monument by the US Federal Government dedicated to the victims of the Bataan Death March during World War II. The Memorial was designed and sculpted by Las Cruces artist Kelly Hester and is located in Veterans Park along Roadrunner Parkway, New Mexico .