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The Battle of Bataan represented the most intense phase of Imperial Japan's invasion of the Philippines. The Empire of Japan ( {{unicode|Kyūjitai}}: ja 大日本帝國 Shinjitai: ja 大日本帝国 pronounced Dai Nippon Teikoku The Battle of the Philippines was the invasion of the Philippines by Japan in 1941–42 and the defense of the islands by Filipino and United The capture of the Philippine Islands was crucial to Japan's effort to control the Southwest Pacific, seize the resource-rich Dutch East Indies, and protect its Southeast Asia flank. Natural resources are naturally occurring substances that are considered valuable in their relatively unmodified ( natural) form See http//enwikipediaorg/wiki/WikipediaFootnotes for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the tags and the template below It was the largest surrender in American military history.
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Invasion
As Japanese carrier planes devastated the United States Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor in the morning of 7 December 1941 (8 December, Manila time), Taiwan-based aircraft simultaneously pounded the main bases of the American Far East Air Force at Clark Field in Pampanga, Iba Field in Zambales, Nichols Field near Manila, and the headquarters of the U. Pearl Harbor is a Harbor on the Island of O{{okina}}ahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Events 43 BC - Marcus Tullius Cicero assassinated 1696 - Connecticut Route 108, one of the oldest highways Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1609 - Biblioteca Ambrosiana opens its reading room the second public library of Europe. The City of Manila Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. Clark Air Base is a former United States Air Force base on Luzon Island in the Philippines, located 3 miles west of Angeles City, about 40 miles Pampanga is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. For the mountain chain see Zambales Mountains. For the ethnic group see Sambal people. Nichols Field was a former US military airfield located south of Manila in Pasay City and Parañaque City, Metro Manila, Luzon, The City of Manila S. Asiatic Fleet in the Philippines at Cavite. Cavite is a province of the Philippines located on the southern shores of Manila Bay in the Calabarzon region in Luzon,
From 8 to 10 December, scattered resistance by ground troops and remaining American air and naval forces failed to stop preliminary landings to seize airfields at Batan Island, Aparri, and Vigan. There are two Batan Islands in the Philippines The first Batan island is the main island of the Batanes Province, in the Philippines. The City of Vigan is a 3rd class city in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. Army Air Force B-17s, often with fighter escort, attacked Japanese ships offloading at Gonzaga and the Vigan landings on Luzon. Submarines of the Asiatic Fleet were also assigned to the effort.
In one last coordinated action by the Far East Air Force, U. S. planes damaged two Japanese transports, the flagship Nagato, a destroyer and sank one minesweeper. Construction Nagato was laid down at the Kure Naval Arsenal on 28 August 1917 launched on 9 November 1919 and completed on 15 November 1920 A minesweeper is a Naval Warship designed to counter the threat posed by Naval mines The dedicated purpose-built minesweeper first appeared during These air attacks and naval actions, however, did not significantly delay the Japanese assault.
These small-scale landings preceded the main assault on 22 December 1941 at Lingayen Gulf in Pangasinan and Lamon Bay, Tayabas by the 14th Japanese Imperial Army, led by Lieutenant General Masaharu Homma. Events 1790 - The Turkish fortress of Izmail is stormed and captured by Suvorov and his Russian armies Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Lingayen Gulf is an extension of the South China Sea on Luzon in the Philippines stretching. Pangasinan is one of the provinces of the Republic of the Philippines. Tayabas redirects here This page refers to the former province was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army. He is noteworthy for his role in the invasion and occupation of the Philippines during World War II in which he earned the nick-name
By effectively neutralizing U. S. air and naval power in the Philippines within the first crucial days of the war, the Japanese gained supremacy that isolated the Philippines from reinforcement and resupply, and provided itself with both airfields for support of its invasion forces and staging bases for operations in the Netherlands East Indies. See http//enwikipediaorg/wiki/WikipediaFootnotes for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the tags and the template below
War Plan Orange-3
After securing the beachheads, the Japanese launched a massive pincer attack and the three PA divisions assigned to contain the beachhead were pushed back by the invading forces. Events 366 - The Alamanni cross the frozen Rhine River in large numbers invading the Roman Empire. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Beachhead is a Military term used to describe the line created when a unit (by sea reaches a beach and begins to defend that area of beach while other reinforcements (it In the face of this onslaught, Gen. MacArthur realized that the beachhead defense plan had failed. On December 26, he notified his commanders that War Plan Orange-3 was now in effect, thereby reactivating a prewar plan to defend only Bataan and Corregidor in a delaying action. Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht. War Plan Orange (commonly known as Plan Orange or just Orange) refers to a series of United States Joint Army and Navy Board war plans for dealing A fighting retreat by units to the Bataan peninsula, whereupon the defending forces, in accordance with WPO-3, would regroup and hold out for six months, at which time the plan assumed (but did not specify) that relief would arrive from the United States. Bataan is a province of the Philippines occupying the whole of Bataan Peninsula on Luzon. They hoped that with this change in strategy, the Japanese invasion plans might be altered.
The concept of WPO-3 was to delay invading Japanese 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 arrived. For the Spanish historical administrative position see Corregidor (position Corregidor is an island in the entrance of the Philippines The U. S. Navy had estimated that the Pacific Fleet would need two years to fight its way across the Pacific, but in any case, 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 government staff were evacuated to Corregidor along with MacArthur's USAFFE headquarters on the night of 24 December 1941, while all USAFFE military personnel were removed from the major urban areas. Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina (b August 19, 1878 in Baler Aurora, Philippines - d Events 563 - The Byzantine church Hagia Sophia in Constantinople is dedicated for the second time after being destroyed by Earthquakes Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. That same day, Manila was declared an open city, and Japanese forces occupied it on 2 January 1942. The City of Manila Events 366 - The Alamanni cross the frozen Rhine River in large numbers invading the Roman Empire. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
The Fighting Retreat
Gen. MacArthur intended to move his men with their equipment and supplies in good order to their defensive positions. He charged the North Luzon Force under Maj. Gen. Jonathan Wainwright with holding back the main Japanese assault and keeping the road to Bataan open for use by the South Luzon Force of Maj. Jonathan Wainwright is the name of several men from the same family (see Wainwright family) Jonathan Mayhew Wainwright I (1792–1854 Episcopal Gen. George Parker, which proceeded quickly and in remarkably good order, given the chaotic situation. To achieve this, Wainwright deployed his forces in a series of five defensive lines outlined in WPO-3:
- D1 - Aguilar to San Carlos to Urdaneta,
- D2 - Agno River,
- D3 - Santa Ignacia to Gerona to Guimba to San Jose,
- D4 - Tarlac to Cabanatuan, and
- D5 - Bamban to Sibul Springs. Agno River is a river in the Philippine island of Luzon, in the province of Pangasinan. Santa Ignacia is a 4th class municipality in the province of Tarlac, Philippines. Guimba is a 1st class municipality in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. For the city see Tarlac City. For the river see Tarlac River. The City of Cabanatuan ( Ilokano: Ciudad ti Cabanatuan; Kapampangan: Lakanbalen ning Cabanatuan/Siudad ning Cabanatuan; Bamban is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Tarlac, Philippines.
Porac-Guagua Line
From 1 January–5 1942, as the entire USAFFE converged from south and north, delaying actions were fought to allow the struggling withdrawal to Bataan. The Light Tank M3 was an American light Tank of World War II in use with British and Commonwealth forces prior to the entry of The bloodiest occurred at the hastily emplaced Porac-Guagua line, where the 11th Division and 21st Division, respectively led by Brig. Generals William E. Brougher and Mateo Capinpin with the 26th Cavalry Regiment 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.
Abucay-Mauban Line
WPO-3 called for two defensive lines across Bataan. The first extended across the peninsula from Mauban in the west to Mabatang, Abucay in the east. Gen. Wainwright, commanding the newly-organized I Philippine Corps of 22,500 troops, held the western sector. I Corps included the Philippine Army's 1st Regular, 31st, and 91st Infantry Divisions, the 26th Cavalry (PS)and a battery of field artillery and self-propelled guns. Gen. Parker and the new II Philippine Corps, which included the Philippine Army's 11th, 21st, 41st, and 51st Divisions and the 57th Infantry (PS), and numbered 25,000 men, defended the eastern sector. All of the divisions, understrength at the onset of war, had suffered serious combat losses, particularly to desertions. The U. S. Army's Philippine Division, made up of the 31st Infantry, the 45th Infantry (Philippine Scouts), and supporting units became the Bataan Defense Force Reserve. The 31st Infantry Regiment ( 31st INF) of the United States Army was formed on August 13, 1916, and was part of USAFFE 's Philippine Mount Natib, a 4,222-foot (1,287 m)-high mountain that split the peninsula, served as the boundary line between the two corps. The commanders anchored their lines on the mountain, but, since they considered the rugged terrain impassable, they did not extend their forces far up its slopes. The two corps were therefore not in direct contact with each other, leaving a serious gap in the defense line. With the fighting withdrawal completed, the Abucay-Mauban line, the USAFFE's main battle position was now finally in place.
The Stand
On 9 January, Japanese forces under Lt. Events 475 - Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople. 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 (PS) who held out ferociously. On 12 January, amid fierce fighting, 2nd Lt. Events 475 - Basiliscus becomes Byzantine Emperor, with a coronation ceremony in the Hebdomon palace in Constantinople Alexander R. Nininger, a platoon leader in the 57th Infantry, with uncommon valor, sacrificed his life and earned the Medal of Honor when, armed with only a rifle and hand grenades, he forced his way into enemy foxholes during hand-to-hand fighting, permitting his unit to retake Abucay Hacienda. Alexander R Nininger Jr (1918 - January 12 1942 was a Second Lieutenant of the Philippine Scouts who received the Medal of Honor during World War One other extreme act of bravery was put forth by a Filipino named Narcisco Salbadin. He was on a heavy water-cooled machine gun when the Japanese burst out of a canebreak in a banzai attack. He shot down dozens of the Japanese with his machine gun, then pulled out his Colt . 45 and shot down five more when the machine gun jammed. Then, when one Japanese soldier stabbed at him with a bayonet, he desperately tried to grab the gun, but got his thumb cut off. But he still held on, and then with a sudden burst of adrenaline he turned the gun on the enemy soldier and stabbed him in the chest. When another Japanese soldier swung a bayonet at him, he turned his rifle on the soldier and shot him dead. Narcisco received the Silver Cross. Another attack on 14 January at the boundary of positions held by the 41st Division and 51st Divisions of Brig. Events 1129 - Formal approval of the Order of the Templar at the Council of Troyes. Generals Vicente Lim and Albert M. Brigadier General Vicente Lim (1889 – 1944 was a World War II general Jones, respectively, aided by the 43rd and 23rd Infantry, stubbornly refused the Japanese their left flank. The Japanese 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 attackers 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 15 January, the reinforced 1st Regular Division of Brig. During World War II the term " dragon's teeth " came to designate square-pyramidal fortifications used to impede the progress of mechanized armies Bataan is a province of the Philippines occupying the whole of Bataan Peninsula on Luzon. Events 588 BC - Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem under Zedekiah 's reign Gen. Fidel Segundo, defending the Morong sector came under heavy bombardment, but held the line. The Japanese 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 Division and 71st Division, and 92nd Infantry failed to dislodge the Japanese. The attackers' 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 22 January. Events 565 - Eutychius is deposed as Patriarch of Constantinople by John Scholasticus.
Battle of Trail 2
Within four days, the Orion-Bagac line was formed. But the defenders had yet to complete their withdrawal to the reserve battle position when the Japanese struck again, through a gap held by I Corps. General Bluemel hastily organized a defense along Trail 2, consisting of 32nd Infantry, 41st Infantry and 51st Division reinforcements, in time to stop a major offensive and plugged the gap.
Battle of the Pockets
The remaining Japanese troops managed to get through, however, and 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 23 January–17 February, coordinated action by the defenders, to eliminate these salients of resistance, became known as the Battle of the Pockets. Events 393 - Roman Emperor Theodosius I proclaims his nine year old son Honorius co-emperor Events 1500 - Battle of Hemmingstedt. 1600 - Philosopher Giordano Bruno is burned alive at Campo de' Fiori Salient Salients can be formed in a number of ways An attacker can produce a salient in the defender's line by either intentionally making a Pincer movement around the Fierce fighting marked the action. Capt. Alfredo M. Santos of the 1st Regular Division outmaneuvered and outsmarted the enemy during their attempt to pocket their area. General Alfredo M Santos was born on July 13 1905 and was Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in 1962 to 1965 making him the first four-star general In both attempts, his unit successfully broke through the Gogo-Cotar and Tuol Pockets, thus earning for himself the moniker "hero of the pockets". For his heroic feat in battle, he was promoted to Major in the field. Major Santos was then given the hazardous mission of closing the gaps and annihilating the enemy troops who had infiltrated the lines as the gap posed a serious threat to the positions and the security of the division. General Alfredo M Santos was born on July 13 1905 and was Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in 1962 to 1965 making him the first four-star general With utter disregard for his personal safety, he led a counter-attack against the strong and numerically superior Japanese forces positioned between the MLR and the Regimental Reserve Line (RRL). The fighting began at dawn of 29 January 1942. Events 904 - Sergius III comes out of retirement to take over the papacy from the deposed Antipope Christopher. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. With dogged determination, the defenders fought assiduously and without pause against all odds to restore the defensive sector assigned to the 1st Regular Division. On 3 February 1942, 1st Lt. Events 1112 - Ramon Berenguer III of Barcelona and Douce I of Provence marry uniting the fortunes of those two states Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Willibald C. Bianchi of the 45th Infantry, Philippine Scouts voluntarily led a reinforced platoon forward against two enemy machine-gun nests, silenced them with grenades, and then manned an antiaircraft machine gun until his wounds disabled him. Willibald C Bianchi ( March 12 1915 − January 9 1945) was an officer in the Philippine Scouts who received the Medal of Honor His Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously. Of the 2,000 Japanese soldiers engaged, only 377 were reported to have escaped.
General Homma on 8 February ordered the suspension of offensive operations in order to reorganize his forces. Events 421 - Constantius III becomes co- Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. This could not be carried out immediately, because the 16th Division remained engaged trying to extricate the pocketed 3d Battalion 20th Infantry. With further casualties, the remnants of the 3d Battalion, 378 officers and men, were extricated on 15 February. Events 590 - Khosrau II is crowned as king of Persia 1637 - Ferdinand III becomes Holy Roman Emperor On 22 February the 14th Army line was withdrawn a few miles to the north, with USAFFE forces re-occupying positions evacuated by the Japanese. Events 1495 - King Charles VIII of France enters Naples to claim the city's throne
Battle of the Points
In an attempt to outflank I Corps and isolate the Service Command Area commanded by USAFFE Deputy Commander Brig. Gen. Allan C. McBride, Japanese troops of the 2nd Battalion, 20th Infantry, 16th Division, were landed on the west coast of southern Bataan on the night of 22 January. Events 565 - Eutychius is deposed as Patriarch of Constantinople by John Scholasticus. Intercepted by U. S. PT boat PT-34, two barges were sunk and the rest scattered into two groups, neither of which landed on the objective beach. PT Boats were a variety of motor Torpedo boat ( Hull classification symbol "PT" for "Patrol Torpedo" a small fast vessel used by the The Japanese forces were contained on their beachheads by members of Philippine Constabulary units and by personnel of several U.S. Army Air Corps pursuit squadrons fighting as infantry. The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC was the predecessor of the U Japanese commanders, in an attempt to hold onto their lodgments, reinforced the beachheads piecemeal but could not break out. Battles were fought ferociously against a company-sized group at the Lapay-Longoskawayan points from 23 January to 29 January, at the Quinawan-Aglaloma points from 22 January–8 February, and at the Silalim-Anyasan points from 27 January–13 February. Events 393 - Roman Emperor Theodosius I proclaims his nine year old son Honorius co-emperor Events 904 - Sergius III comes out of retirement to take over the papacy from the deposed Antipope Christopher. Events 565 - Eutychius is deposed as Patriarch of Constantinople by John Scholasticus. Events 421 - Constantius III becomes co- Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Events 98 - Trajan becomes Roman Emperor after the death of Nerva. Events 1258 - Baghdad falls to the Mongols, and the Abbasid Caliphate is destroyed Out of the 2,000 Japanese troops committed to these battles, only 43 wounded returned to their lines. These engagements were collectively termed the "Battle of the Points".
The Fall
On the night of 12 March, General MacArthur, his family, and several USAFFE staff officers left Corregidor for Mindanao aboard four PT boats commanded by Lieutenant Commander John Duncan Bulkeley. Events 538 - Witiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost Island in the Philippines. PT Boats were a variety of motor Torpedo boat ( Hull classification symbol "PT" for "Patrol Torpedo" a small fast vessel used by the Vice Admiral John Duncan Bulkeley (19 August 1911&ndash6 April 1996 was a United States Navy officer who received the Medal of Honor for actions in the For this and a number of other feats over the course of four months and eight days, Bulkeley was awarded the Medal of Honor, the Navy Cross, the Distinguished Service Cross and other citations. The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. The Navy Cross is the second highest medal that can be awarded by the Department of the Navy and the second highest award given for valor. The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, awarded for extreme
MacArthur was eventually flown to Australia where he broadcast to the Filipino people his famous "I Shall Return" promise. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Filipinos or the Filipino people are the citizens of the Philippines. MacArthur's departure marked the end of the USAFFE and by 22 March, the defending army was renamed United States Forces in the Philippines (USFIP) and Lt. Events 238 - Gordian I and his son Gordian II are proclaimed Roman emperor. Gen. Jonathan Wainwright IV was placed in command. Jonathan Mayhew "Skinny" Wainwright IV (August 23 1883 &ndash September 2 1953 was a career American army officer and the commander of Allied forces
After the failure of their first attack against Bataan, the Japanese General Headquarters sent strong artillery forces to the Philippines in order to smash the American fortifications. They had 190 artillery pieces, which included bigger guns like 150 mm cannons or the rare Type 96 240mm field howitzer, with Bataan being its only known campaign. The 1st Artillery Headquarters under Maj. Gen. Kineo Kitajima, who was a known authority on IJA artillery, also moved to the Philippines along with the main forces to command and control these artillery units. Also the Japanese High Command reinforced Gen. Homma's 14th Imperial Army and toward the end of March, the Japanese forces prepared for the final assault.
On 3 April, the entire Orion-Bagac line was subjected to incessant bombings by 100 aircraft and artillery bombardment by 300 artillery pieces from 9:00 a. Events 1043 - Edward the Confessor is crowned King of England. m. to 3:00 p. m. , which turned the Mount Samat stronghold into an inferno. Mount Samat is a mountain in the Town of Pilar Province of Bataan, Republic of the Philippines that is the site of the Dambana ng Kagitingan or "Shrine Thereafter, over the course of the next three days (Good Friday to Easter Sunday, 1942), the Japanese 65th Brigade and 4th Division spearheaded the main attack at the left flank of II Corps. Good Friday, also called Holy Friday or Great Friday, is the Friday preceding Easter Sunday ("Pascha" Easter ( Greek: Πάσχα Pascha or Pasxa) is the most important religious feast in the Christian Liturgical year. Everywhere along the line, the exhausted American and Filipino defenders were driven back by masses of Japanese tanks and infantry.
Based on his two prior attempts, General Homma had estimated that the final offensive would require a week to breach the Orion-Bagac line and a month to liquidate two final defense lines he believed had been prepared on Bataan. When the opening attack required just three days, he pushed his forces on 6 April to meet expected counterattacks headon. Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato in the Battle of Thapsus The Japanese launched a drive into the center, penetrated into flanks held by the 22nd and 23rd Regiments of the 21st Division, captured Mt. Samat and outflanked all of II Corps. Counterattacks by the U. S. Army and Philippine Scout regulars held in reserve, all less than 50% combat effective, were futile; only the relatively rested 57th Infantry gained any ground, soon lost.
All along the battle front, units of I Corps together with devastated remnants of II Corps, crumbled and straggled to the rear. The commanders on bataan lost all contact with their units except by runner in a few instances. In the last two days of the defense of Bataan, the entire Allied defense progressively disintegrated and collapsed, clogging all roads with refugees and fleeing troops. By 8 April, the senior US commander on Bataan, Maj. Events 217 - Roman Emperor Caracalla is Assassinated (and succeeded by his Praetorian Gen. Edward P. King, saw the futility of further resistance, and put forth proposals for capitulation. Edward P King (1884 - 1958 was a Major General in the United States Army who gained prominence for leading the defense of the Bataan Peninsula in the
The next morning, 9 April 1942, Gen. Events 193 - Septimius Severus is proclaimed Roman Emperor by the army in Illyricum (in the Balkans) Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. King met with Maj. Gen. Kameichiro Nagano and after several hours of negotiations, the remaining weary, starving and emaciated American and Filipino defenders on the battle-swept Bataan peninsula surrendered.
Radio Broadcast - Voice of Freedom - Malinta Tunnel - Corregidor - 9 April 1942 Bataan has fallen. The Malinta Tunnel is a Tunnel complex built by the United States Army Corps of Engineers on the island of Corregidor in the Philippines Events 193 - Septimius Severus is proclaimed Roman Emperor by the army in Illyricum (in the Balkans) Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Philippine-American troops on this war-ravaged and bloodstained peninsula have laid down their arms. With heads bloody but unbowed, they have yielded to the superior force and numbers of the enemy.
The world will long remember the epic struggle that Filipino and American soldiers put up in the jungle fastness and along the rugged coast of Bataan. They have stood up uncomplaining under the constant and grueling fire of the enemy for more than three months. Besieged on land and blockaded by sea, cut off from all sources of help in the Philippines and in America, the intrepid fighters have done all that human endurance could bear.
For what sustained them through all these months of incessant battle was a force that was more than merely physical. It was the force of an unconquerable faith--something in the heart and soul that physical hardship and adversity could not destroy! It was the thought of native land and all that it holds most dear, the thought of freedom and dignity and pride in these most priceless of all our human prerogatives.
The adversary, in the pride of his power and triumph, will credit our troops with nothing less than the courage and fortitude that his own troops have shown in battle. Our men have fought a brave and bitterly contested struggle. All the world will testify to the most superhuman endurance with which they stood up until the last in the face of overwhelming odds. But the decision had to come. Men fighting under the banner of unshakable faith are made of something more that flesh, but they are not made of impervious steel. The flesh must yield at last, endurance melts away, and the end of the battle must come. Bataan has fallen, but the spirit that made it stand--a beacon to all the liberty-loving peoples of the world--cannot fall!
Outcome and historical significance
The surrender of Bataan would hasten the fall of Corregidor, a month later. For the Spanish historical administrative position see Corregidor (position Corregidor is an island in the entrance of the Philippines However, without this stand, the Japanese might have quickly overrun all of the U. S. bases in the Pacific. Bataan forced them to slow down, giving the allies valuable time to prepare for conflicts such as the Battle of the Coral Sea and the Battle of Midway which followed closely thereafter. The Battle of the Coral Sea, fought from May 4 – May 8, 1942, with most of the action occurring on May 7 and May 8, was The Battle of Midway was a major Naval battle, widely regarded as the most important one of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Ultimately, more than 60,000 Filipino and 15,000 American prisoners of war were forced into the infamous Bataan Death March. The Bataan Death March (also known as The Death March of Bataan) took place in the Philippines in 1942 and was later accounted as a Japanese war
American & Filipino liberation forces finally retook the Bataan peninsula on 8 February 1945. The Battle for the Recapture of Bataan from 31 January to 8 February 1945, by U Events 421 - Constantius III becomes co- Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar
Historical commemoration
- The Mt. Samat Shrine or the Dambana ng Kagitingan ("Shrine of Valor") in Pilar, Bataan in the Philippines was erected as a war memorial featuring a colonnade that houses an altar, esplanade, and a museum. Mount Samat is a mountain in the Town of Pilar Province of Bataan, Republic of the Philippines that is the site of the Dambana ng Kagitingan or "Shrine Pilar is Portuguese and Spanish for pillar. It may also refer to People: Nuestra Señora del Pilar (Our Lady of the Bataan is a province of the Philippines occupying the whole of Bataan Peninsula on Luzon. There is also a memorial cross standing about 311 ft (95 m) high.
- The United States Navy Wasp Class Multi-Purpose Amphibious Assault Ship USS Bataan (LHD-5), commissioned on 20 September 1997, commemorates those who served and sacrificed in the Philippines in the name of freedom in the Pacific. Iraq War The Bataan was one of many vessels in the Middle East region at the beginning of the Iraq war on or about March 20, 2003. Events 451 - The Battle of Chalons takes place in North Eastern France. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar
- 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 Kelley Hester and is located in Veterans Park along Roadrunner Parkway, New Mexico. New Mexico ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States of America.
- The bridge in Chicago, Illinois where State Street crosses the Chicago River is named the Bataan-Corregidor Memorial Bridge. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. State Street is a major north-south thoroughfare in Chicago, Illinois, USA. The Chicago River is 156 miles (251 km long and flows through downtown Chicago.
See also
- Battle of Corregidor
- Battle of the Philippines (1941-42)
- History of the Philippines
- Military History of Japan
- Military History of the Philippines
- Military History of the United States
- Wartime film dramatization, So Proudly We Hail! (1943)
References
- Bartsch, William H. The Battle for Corregidor was the culmination of the Japanese campaign for the conquest of the Philippines. The Battle of the Philippines was the invasion of the Philippines by Japan in 1941–42 and the defense of the islands by Filipino and United Timeline of Philippine history The History of The Philippines is believed to have begun with the arrival of the first humans via Land bridges at least The military history of Japan is characterised by a long period of Feudal Wars, followed by domestic stability and then foreign conquest Pre-Colonial Period (Pre-1565 Battle of Mactan See also Battle of Mactan The Battle of Mactan on April 21 1521 is the earliest reported resistance of the The military history of the United States spans a period of over two centuries (2003). December 8, 1941: MacArthur's Pearl Harbor. College Station, TX, USA: Texas A&M University Press.
- Burton, John (2006). Fortnight of Infamy: The Collapse of Allied Airpower West of Pearl Harbor. US Naval Institute Press. ISBN 159114096X.
- Connaughton, Richard (2001). MacArthur and Defeat in the Philippines. New York: The Overlook Press.
- Mallonee, Richard C. (2003). Battle for Bataan : An Eyewitness Account. I Books. ISBN 0743474503.
- Rottman, Gordon L. (2005). Japanese Army in World War II: Conquest of the Pacific 1941-42. Osprey Publishing. ISBN -84176-789-1.
- Whitman, John W. (1990). Bataan: Our Last Ditch : The Bataan Campaign, 1942. Hippocrene Books. ISBN 0870528777.
- Young, Donald J. (1992). The Battle of Bataan: A History of the 90 Day Siege and Eventual Surrender of 75,000 Filipino and United States Troops to the Japanese in World War. McFarland & Company. ISBN 0899507573.
External links
- "Marines in the Defense of the Philippines" Photos and Text
- U.S. Army Center of Military History: The Fall of the Philippines
- U.S. Army Center of Military History: World War II Medal of Honor Recipients A-F
- U.S. Army Center of Military History: World War II Medal of Honor Recipients M-S
- Animated History of The Battle of Bataan and Corregidor
- Battle for Bataan
- [1] Info on the Dambana ng Kagitingan Shrine.
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