78S/^-/V 2/jnoo THE TRUE FACTS OF THE LEYTE OPERATION by MAJOR GENERAL YOSHIHARU TOMOCHIKA TRANSLATED BY 166th LANGUAGE DETACHMENT SPECIAL STAFF U. S. ARMY HISTORICAL DIVISION y (HISTORICAL MANUSCRIPT FILE) / / FILE NO. 8-5 3S-lll ACC. NO, 786/2-11. Yoshiharu Tomochika ******$ ; AGENCY OF ORIGIN 10th I&H Service, Eighth Army fgffBt vmcmo?mxwmm KEVipra -j DEWSTMENT Or THE ARMY 3ft .,-v-— WASK«i 25, D. G. W Que 41 13304 REPRODUCED BY IOTH INFORMATION AND HISTORICAL SERVICE HEADQUARTERS EIGHTH ARMY AGO MICROFILM lint kos,.-3/61- L 1 A \ * '4 • ' iTY CLASSIP"•iCATlON 11 (If any) IWOm I DISPOSITION FORM FILE NO. SUBJECT CSIIIS Historical Manuscript- The True Facts of the Leyte Operations TO FROM DATE COMMENT NO. 1 Chief, Security Classification Historical Division Wioe/5955 Review Board SSTJSA 8 APK \94ft Room 53 527 1. Request that the attached historical manuscript, title as shown above, be considered for downgrading from present classification to UNCLASSIFIED. FOR THE CHIEF, HISTORICAL DIVISION 1 Incl E. M. HARRIS The True Facts of the Lt. Colonel, GSC Leyte Opns Executive AGAD 312.1/Security (49-162) TOs Chief, Historical Division FROM: OTAG DATEs 18 April 1949 COMMENT No. 2 SSUSA, Rm 5E 867, Pentagon Mr. Parise/73255/meg Subject document has been declassified as requested. FOR THE DIRECTOR OF PERSONNEL AND ADMINISTRATION: L. L. CLAYTON,/Colonel, CAC, Chief, Security Classification Review Branch 1 Incl. n/c ^.k £ \<S % W \ \ \ LU i mi {} Mi ££1 16—54801-2 U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE NME t°0CT 48 96 Replaces DA AGO Form 897, 1 Oct 47, which may be used. hiA 17 March 19k9 MEMORANDUM FOR! CHIEF, HISTORICAL DIVISION SUBJECT: Review of "The True Facts of the Layte Operations" ayyt supporting tactical interrogations (Access Ho. 786/2-14) 1. a. The material covered by this review consists of 9$ pages, mimeographed, on legal-sise sheets. The classification is RESTRICTED. b. Timet 16 October 19UU - 8 September I9h$ Placet Leyte & Mindanao, P.I. Unitt 35th Japanese Ara^ e. These notes were written by MaJ. Gen. Tomochika, Chief of Staff, 35th Japanese Any after his surrender, pins a transcript of supporting tactical interrogation. 2. Scope of the study: This volume covers the activities of the 35th Japanese Irxqr from the opening of the Loyte Campaign until the Japanese sur­ render. It brings into sharp focus the difficulties the Japanese faced in attempting to contain the American offensive, both tacti­ cally and administratively, the gradual disintegration of the Jap aorale and command, and their eventual utter defeat. 3. Consents on source aaterial and their usei The only sources called upon are the personal reminiscenci and opinions of the author and those interrogated. it. Consents on presentation* a. The whole is written in a clear, concise Banner. b. The subject appears to be covered adequately. Key problems are noted, as well as failures and successes. o. The approach to the subject is objective, but personal, and there appears to be evidence of some defeatism and bias. How­ ever, the accompanying interrogations bear out stueh of the author's thesis and gives support to the objectivity of the whole. 5. Appraisal of valuer The subject is related to the Department of the Arcgr historical program. The manuscript will be extremely valuable to one writing on the Leyte Campaign or on the organization and break­ down of the Jap Army system. It gives an excellent example of poor overall organisation and planning, with emphasis on inadequacy of supply, communications, and intelligence, both tactical and admin­ istrative. It is a superb example of why the Jap Aray never won a major victory over a force of equal size. 6. Classification! Classification should be reduced to UNCLASSIFIED. 7. Disposition recommendedt a. File for reference. b. This material has been sent to the naciflc Section. 8. Reviewed 17 March 19h9t byj E. M. HOWELL Historian 2 '.CSfUS - 1st I&d* ; SO/ffl.af/3657 : . \ , Historical Division, SSUSA, Room 52-367* Pentagon, Washington 25, 0.C. ' • . • - . 3 1 MAR ;T^49; TQi .Chief, Applied Studies Group, Historical Division, SSUSA, Washington if>, i>.C. • 1, fhe title of this study alone ie an'-indication of the type of un- couscious bias one is eure to find i'a a snort history *rittaa by a.-defeated .mm/. It r.eesae to be essentiai that aoaa "sort of general warning about tsia. mxu& of -such studies toe- sa&d© available to uo©rs. £..• I concur in the revi©*. ST1TE.I COSS Acting Chief Historian ft ft t +SQ J*-jU 0002536 HEADQUARTERS EIGHTH ARMY Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff, G-2 APO 343 3 December 19/4-6 SUEJECT: Translation of Japanese Booklet, "The True Facts of the Leyte Operation" and supporting Tactical Interrogations. TO s Historical Section, Headquarters Eighth Arry, APO 343. 1. Inclosed, for your information and file, is a translation of a recently published booklet entitled "The True Facts of the Leyte Operation" by ex-Ilajor General TOMOCriKA, former Chief of Staff of the Thirty Fifth i Japanese Artiy (equivalent to a U.S. Corps Headquarters). This arny con­ ducted the defense of the Island of Leyte and certain of the subsequent operations in Central and Southern Philippines. 2. Tactical interrogations of General TOMOCKIKA, author of the subject patrphletj HARADA, C.G. of the 100th Division, and HOROZUMI, C.G. 30th Division are inclosed as supporting documents. The interro- were conducted by officers of the G-2 Section of X Corps Headquarters immediately following the surrender of the Japanese forces on Mindanao in September 1945. GEORGE A. A. JONES * Colonel, GSC AC of S, G-2 4 Incls. 1. Translation of Japanese Booklet, , "The True Facts of the Leyte Operation" 2. Interrogation of Torochika 3. Interrogation of Morozumi 4. Interrogation of Karada ^SgiiNO^. REVIEWED -n By JtJfyi&ff Date TFE TRUE FACTS OF THE LF.YTE OPERATION BY Major General YOSKIHARU TOMOCHIKA Consisting of Notes on the Mindanao and Leyte Campaigns Translated by 166th Language Detachment Under the supervision of AC of S, G-2 Eighth Army, APO 343 5 November 194-6 INTRODUCTION EY KEISUKE SAITO FORMER DOiffil FLWS CORRESPONDENT REPRODUCED BY 10TH Ii.FORiiATION AliD HISTORICAL SERVICE (G-2 Comment: Saito describes prison camp and relates the circum­ stances of receiving General Tomochika1s memoirs.) There was a total of eighteen concentration camps located in DAIIAO, MINDANAO, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. The site covered an area two miles square and contained forty thousand Japanese, both soldiers and civilians who had fought on MINDANAO and escaped with their lives. All were eager to return to their native land. My camp, Number 3, contained one thousand persons, arny and naval officers, and included eome civilians. Among the army officers in this camp was the former Chief of Staff of the 35th ARMY*, Major General Yoshiharu Tomochika. ^he 35th ARMY had been defeated in Leyte. Although I had known Tomochika during the IEYTE operations, I had not had the opportunity to become acquainted with him. At the IEYTE Headquarters they had been thirty staff officers but only twelve of these arrived at the concentration camp after the surrender. Of the fourteen news correspondents in the field at IEYTE, nine were killed and one died of starvation. I was the only correspon­ dent in the concentration camp. General Tomochika and I would sit and discuss the war, and it was at this time that he commenced writing his memoirs. When, after fifteen days, he had completed them, I asked his permission to read them. He replied, "Yes, and when you return to the homeland, if you feel that the people there would like to read such memoirs as these, you have my permission to publish them1." I read it at once with a reporters instinct and it 'became apparent to me that this report was tantamount to a true confession of the causes of the defeat in IEYTE. I feel that by reading these memoirs one can obtain a clear understanding of the true picture of the Japanese defeat in the PHILIPPINES. I can definitely prove that the reports of the LEYTE Operation which were disseminated in the homeland were the inventions of the TOKYO Intelligence Section and did not emanate from the MANILA Head­ quarters, The true story did not reach the homeland because the two sets of radio transmitters carried b; the fourteen correspondents, originally dispatched to IEYTE, were destroyed before they could be used. These memoirs are the first publication dealing with the LEYTE Operation that has been offered to the public. Although certain officers in the concentration camp demanded that this r-anuscript be destroyed or turned over to them, I refused their demands and told them that I would accept full responsibility for this account. (I have added many of my own notes and references. I repeat again that I accept all the responsibility for this publication.) * Japanese avnty equivalent Former Domei News Correspondent to U.S. Corps Keisuke Saito PAGE 2 INTRODUCTION TO THE REPORT BY MAJOR GENERAL YOSFIHARU TOMOCHIKA INTRODUCTION General Tomochika descrilbes his feelings in defeat, and explains his reasons for writing his memoirs. \ (The subject matter is addressed to a former Domei News 1 Correspondent.) Dear Saitc: You, who have accompanied ny troops, have gone through many difficulties, haven't you? Those of us who escaped from IEYTE to MINDANAO saved our lives in a miraculous manner and survived only after escaping death several times. Under the circumstances, I'm sure we did not expect to be able to meet each other today. Personnally, I actually do not know whether I am living or am a ghost'.