South Luzon Force moving from the areas around Manila to Bataan. Route 3 was a pivotal axis of retreat for the Which sat along the main intersection between Routes 5 and 3. General Tsuchibashi’sĤ8 th Division moved south on Route 5 toward the town of Plaridel New Year’s Eve 1941, the situation for USAFFE was dire. The battle to hold the door open for theīataan garrison would prove to be a pivotal display of American willingness toįight ferociously and demonstrate one of the great rear-guard actions in the To Manila Bay and hold until relieved by reinforcements from America. Mouth of Manila Bay could be held, the Americans could deny the Japanese access Luzon Force (SLF) south of Manila, to safely withdraw into the BataanĬorregidor (nicknamed the Rock or the American Gibraltar) at the Jonathan Wainwright’s North LuzonĪctions for all forces, especially Brig. WPO-3 (War Plan Orange-3), requiring Gen. USAFFE (United States Army Forces Far East), authorized the implementation of After a failure of American and Filipinoįorces to defeat Homma at the water’s edge, General MacArthur, the commander of Far East Air Forces), the Japaneseġ4th Army under the command of General Masaharu Homma began landing units at Preceded by a devastating air attack,ĭestroying the majority of the FEAF (U.S. Of American military forces outside the continental United States. Were notified of the Japanese attack on America’s Pacific Fleet at PearlĪmerican Commonwealth of the Philippines was home to the largest concentration Story takes us to the battle for the Philippines in which American tank crewsīattled Japanese tanks at a small Filipino town called Baliuag.Īcross the international date line, General Douglas MacArthur and his staff We will explore a little-known engagement that takes place in America’s opening Remote islands, but they were used in great numbers by both the Allies and theĪxis in the Pacific theatre. War, we picture a naval struggle, supplemented by massive waves of amphibiousĪssault craft landing Marines and Army troops onto a fanatically defendedĪfterthought in our minds when it comes to battles in tropical jungles or When one thinks of the nature of the Pacific Pearl Harbor, and the loss of the Philippines often overshadow victoriesĪgainst Imperial Japan’s Centrifugal Offensive across the Pacific. The Dutch East Indies, the surprise attack against the US Pacific Fleet at The fall of Malaya and Singapore, Hong Kong, The Pacific War, the Allied efforts were characterized by defeats. Offer considerable lessons to the joint force today. Struggles like Normandy and Midway often overshadow other contests that can Throughout American military history are unknown or undervalued to students of The Battle of Baliuag & Doctrinal Lessons for the 21stīrendan H.J. While the aircraft were returning, the Japanese navy became aware of the presence of US naval forces in the area.The First U.S. After their initial attacks, the Japanese aircraft headed back to their carriers to rearm and refuel. Unbeknownst to the Japanese, the US carrier forces were just to the east of the island and ready for battle. Station Hypo (where the cryptanalysts were based in Hawaii) was able to also give the date (June 4 or 5) and the order of battle of the Imperial Japanese Navy.Įarly on the morning of June 4, aircraft from four Japanese aircraft carriers attacked and severely damaged the US base on Midway. Japan then sent a message that “AF” was short of fresh water, confirming that the location for the attack was the base at Midway. The attack location and time were confirmed when the American base at Midway sent out a false message that it was short of fresh water. The United States was aware that the Japanese were planning an attack in the Pacific (on a location the Japanese code-named “AF”) because Navy cryptanalysts had begun breaking Japanese communication codes in early 1942. Japan hoped to defeat the US Pacific Fleet and use Midway as a base to attack Pearl Harbor, securing dominance in the region and then forcing a negotiated peace. One of Japan’s main goals during World War II was to remove the United States as a Pacific power in order to gain territory in east Asia and the southwest Pacific islands. (Image: National Archives and Records Administration, 80-G-414423.) Top Image: The USS Yorktown is hit on the port side by a torpedo launched from a plane off the Japanese aircraft carrier Hiryu during the Battle of Midway on June 4, 1942.
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