11/5/2017 Philippines Campaign (1944–1945) - Wikipedia Philippines Campaign (1944–1945) The Philippines campaign, the Battle of the Philippines or the Liberation of the Philippines Philippines Campaign (1944– (Filipino: Kampanya ng Pilipinas, Labanan sa Pilipinas & 45) Liberasyon sa Pilipinas), (Operation Musketeer I, II, and III) (Filipino: Operasyon Mosketero I, II, at III), was the Part of the Pacific Theatre of World American and Filipino campaign to defeat and expel the Imperial Japanese forces occupying the Philippines during War II World War II. The Japanese Army overran all of the Philippines during the first half of 1942. The liberation of the Philippines commenced with amphibious landings on the eastern Philippine island of Leyte on October 20, 1944. United States and Philippine Commonwealth military forces were progressing in liberating territory and islands when the Japanese forces in the Philippines were ordered to surrender by Tokyo on August 15, 1945, after the dropping of the atomic bombs on mainland Japan and the Soviet invasion of Manchuria. General Douglas MacArthur, Contents President Osmeña, and staff land at Palo, Leyte on October 20, 1 Planning 2 Leyte 1944. 3 Mindoro Date October 20, 1944 – 4 Luzon 5 Finishing up the campaign September 2, 1945 6 Casualties Location Philippines 7 See also 8 Notes Result Allied victory 9 References Territorial 10 Further reading Second Philippine Republic changes deposed Planning Liberation of the Philippines By mid-1944, American forces were only 300 nautical miles from Japan (560 km) southeast of Mindanao, the largest island in the Restoration of the southern Philippines – and able to bomb Japanese positions there using long-range bombers. American forces under Commonwealth Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz had advanced across the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippines_Campaign_(1944%E2%80%931945) 1/10 11/5/2017 Philippines Campaign (1944–1945) - Wikipedia Central Pacific Ocean, capturing the Gilbert Islands, some of Later, the establishment of the Marshall Islands, and most of the Marianas Islands, bypassing many Japanese Army garrisons and leaving them the Third Philippine behind, with no source of supplies and militarily impotent. Republic (1946) Aircraft carrier-based warplanes were already conducting air strikes and fighter sweeps against the Japanese in the Belligerents Philippines, especially their military airfields. U.S. Army and United States Japan Australian Army troops under the American General Douglas MacArthur, the Supreme Commander of the Commonwealth Second Southwest Pacific Theater of Operations, had either overrun, or else isolated and bypassed, all of the Japanese Army on of the Philippines Philippine Republic New Guinea and the Admiralty Islands. Before the invasion Australia (air and naval of the Philippines, MacArthur's northernmost conquest had support) been at Morotai in the Dutch East Indies on September 15– Mexico (air support) 16, 1944. This was MacArthur's one base that was within Non-government militias bomber range of the southern Philippines. U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Army as well as Australian Hukbalahap and New Zealand forces under the command of Admiral Nimitz and Admiral William F. Halsey, Jr. had isolated the Commanders and leaders large Japanese South Pacific base at Rabaul, New Britain, by Douglas MacArthur Tomoyuki Yamashita capturing a ring of islands around Rabaul, and then building Sergio Osmeña José P. Laurel air bases on them from which to bomb and blockade the Japanese forces at Rabaul into military impotence. Akira Mutō Chester W. Shigenori Kuroda With victories in the Marianas campaign (on Saipan, on Nimitz Guam, and on Tinian, during June and July 1944), American Soemu Toyoda Takeo Kurita forces were getting close to Japan itself. From the Marianas, Walter Jisaburō Ozawa the very long-range B-29 Superfortress heavy bombers of the Krueger U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) could bomb the Japanese home islands from well-supplied air bases – ones with direct William Sanji access to supplies via cargo ships and tankers. (The earlier Halsey, Jr. Iwabuchi † B-29 bombing campaign against Japan had been from the end of a very long and tortuous supply line via British India Thomas C. and British Burma – one that proved to be woefully Kinkaid inadequate. All B-29s were transferred to the Marianas during the fall of 1944.) George C. Although Japan was obviously losing the war, the Japanese Kenney Government, and the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy, Basilio J. showed no sign of capitulation, collapse or surrender. Valdez There had been a close relationship between the people of Ramon the Philippines and the United States since 1898, with the Philippines becoming the Commonwealth of the Philippines Magsaysay in 1935, and promised their independence in mid-1946. Luis Taruc Furthermore, an extensive series of air attacks by the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippines_Campaign_(1944%E2%80%931945) 2/10 11/5/2017 Philippines Campaign (1944–1945) - Wikipedia American Fast Carrier Task Force under Admiral William F. Units involved Halsey against Japanese airfields and other bases on the Philippines had drawn little Japanese opposition, such as Sixth Army Fourteenth Area interceptions by Japanese Army fighter planes. Upon Army units include: Admiral Halsey's recommendation, the Combined Chiefs of I Corps Staff, meeting in Canada, approved a decision to not only 1st Infantry Division move up the date for the first landing in the Philippines, but 10th Infantry Division also to move it north from the southernmost island of 6th Infantry Division Mindanao to the central island of Leyte, Philippines. The 43rd Infantry Division 19th Infantry Division new date set for the landing on Leyte, October 20, 1944, was two months before the previous target date to land on 23rd Infantry Division Mindanao. XIV Corps 26th Infantry Division The Filipino people were ready and waiting for the invasion. 103rd Infantry After General MacArthur had been evacuated from the 37th Infantry Division Philippines in March 1942, all of its islands fell to the Division 40th Infantry Division Japanese. The Japanese occupation was harsh, accompanied by atrocities and with large numbers of Filipinos pressed 105th Infantry into slave labor. From mid-1942 through mid-1944, X Corps Division MacArthur and Nimitz supplied and encouraged the Filipino guerrilla resistance by U.S. Navy submarines and a few 2nd Tank Division parachute drops, so that the guerrillas could harass the 1st Cavalry Division 1st Special Forces Japanese Army and take control of the rural jungle and 24th Infantry Division mountainous areas – amounting to about half of the Division archipelago. While remaining loyal to the United States, many Filipinos hoped and believed that liberation from the XXIV Corps 68th Infantry Brigade Japanese would bring them freedom and their already- 55th Mixed Brigade promised independence. 7th Infantry Division 58th Mixed Brigade The Australian government offered General MacArthur the 96th Infantry Division use of the First Corps of the Australian Army for the Liberation of the Philippines. MacArthur suggested that two 35th Army Australian infantry divisions be employed, each of them Sixth Army attached to a different U.S. Army Corps, but this idea was 16th Infantry Division not acceptable to the Australian Cabinet, which wanted to Reserves have significant operational control within a certain area of 30th Infantry Division the Philippines, rather than simply being part of a U.S. Army 25th Infantry Division Corps.[14] No agreement was ever reached between the 100th Infantry Australian Cabinet and MacArthur – who might have 11th Airborne Division wanted it that way. As a result, the Australian Army played Division virtually no part in the Philippines. However, units from the 102nd Infantry Royal Australian Air Force and the Royal Australian Navy, 158th Infantry Division such as the heavy cruiser HMAS Australia, were involved. Regiment 54th Mixed Brigade During the American re-conquest of the Philippines, the 13th Armored Group guerrillas began to strike openly against Japanese forces, carried out reconnaissance activities ahead of the advancing 6th Ranger Battalion 41st Army https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippines_Campaign_(1944%E2%80%931945) 3/10 11/5/2017 Philippines Campaign (1944–1945) - Wikipedia regular troops, and took their places in battle beside the Eighth Army 9th Artillery HQ advancing American divisions.[15][16] XI Corps 8th Infantry Division Leyte 39th Mixed Brigade On October 20, 1944, the U.S. Sixth Army, supported by 23rd Infantry Division 65th Infantry Brigade naval and air bombardment, landed on the favorable eastern 31st Infantry Division shore of Leyte, one of the islands of the Visayas island group, Aerial elements: northeast of Mindanao. The Japanese miscalculated the 41st Infantry Division relative strength of the naval and air forces, and they Fourth Air attempted to destroy the landing. This brought about the 93rd Infantry Division massive sequence of battles called the Battle of Leyte Gulf, Army 503rd Infantry fought on October 23 through October 26. This decisive victory by the U.S. Navy, its Fast Carrier Task Force, its Regiment 6th Air Division surface fleet, and its submarines effectively destroyed the Philippine remainder of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), which had 7th Air Division Commonwealth Military already lost all of its effective aircraft carrier forces. The IJN had four of its carriers sunk (ships with depleted air Philippine squadrons – which were used only as decoys), numerous 1st Naval Air battleships and heavy cruisers, and a large number of light Commonwealth Fleet cruisers and destroyers. The IJN was never able to fight a Army major battle after this. 2nd Naval Philippine Air Fleet The U.S. Sixth Army continued its advance from the east, as the Japanese rushed reinforcements to the Ormoc Bay area Constabulary (from Naval elements: on the western side of the island. While the Sixth Army was 1944) continually reinforced, the U.S. Fifth Air Force was able to devastate the Japanese attempts at air attacks, and also Philippine Army 2nd Fleet provide much support to the Army's ground troops.