America's Return to Corregidor and Bataan: October 1944-March 1945
William B. Breuer
By
THE SAME AUTHOR:
Bloody Clash at Sadzot Captain Cool They Jumped at Midnight Drop Zone Sicily Agony at Anzio Hitler's Fortress Cherbourg Death of a Nazi Army Storming Hitler's Rhine Operation Torch
RETAKING THE PHI.LIPPINES America's Return to Corregidor and Bataan, October 1944-March 1945
William B. Breuer
ST. MARTIN'S PRESS
NEW YORK
Dedicated to John Duncan Bulkeley Rear Admiral, United States Navy, a living legend in American history. Had it not been for his breaking through the Corregidor blockade in PT-41 to carry out General MacArthur, the epic events in these pages might never have happened.
Copyright @) 1986 by William B. Breuer. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information, address St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
RETAKING THE PHILIPPINES.
Library oj Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Breuer, William B., 1923Retaking the Philippines. 1. World War, 1939- 1945-Campaigns-Philippines. I. Title. D767.4.N74 1986 940.54'26 86-14257 ISBN 0-312-67802-9
First Edition 109 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Intrinsically, Corregidor is but a barren, war-worn rock, hallowed, as so many places, by death and disaster. Yet it symbolizes within itself that priceless, deathless thing, the honor of a nation. Until we lift our flag from its dust, we stand unredeemed before mankind. Until we claim again the ghastly remnants of its last gaunt garrison, we can but stand humble supplicants before Almighty God. There lies our Holy Grail. -General Douglas MacArthur Australia, 1942
Contents
Acknowledgments Prologue 1. Confrontation With "Mr. Big" 2. Guerrillas, Spies, and Saboteurs 3. Eagles Soar Over Manila 4. "The Empire's Fate Is at Stake" 5. "Believe It or Not, We're Back!" 6. Death of the Mighty Musasbi 7. "Where in Hell Are Their Carriers?" 8. Bloodbath at Breakneck Ridge 9. Japanese Paratroopers in Suicide Jump 10. Killer Typhoon 11. Rain of Human Bombs 12. On to Manila! 13. Rescuing the Ghosts of Bataan 14. A Mad Dash for the Capital 15. The Pacific War's Strangest Episode 16. Assault on the Genko Line
IX Xl
1 11
23 35 46
56 66
78 86 95 107
117 129
137 148 158 vu
17. 18. 19. 20. 21.
Angels From Heaven "We're Jumping on Corregidor!" Onslaught From the Sky Ape-Like Climb Up Malinta Hill No Qgarter Asked or Given
22. "Ban-zaif"
23. Holocaust at Monkey Point 24. "Sir, I Present Fortress Corregidor" Epilogue Notes and Sources Principal Participant Interviews and Contacts Selected Bibliography Index Maps The Philippines Northern Leyte Tunnel System Near Manila 11 th Airborne Landings Los Banos Area Corregidor Corregidor Flight Route Photo sections follow pages 80 and 180.
vUt
168 179 193 203 211
227 239 249 258 264 273
274 277
Vi
81 125 139
172
182 187
Acknowledgments
Creating this book would have been impossible without the dedicated assistance of scores of persons. Appreciation is expressed to those who took time from heavy schedules to read and critique drafts of this work: Brigadier General George M. Jones (Ret.), Lieutenant General John J. Tolson III (Ret.), Major General William E. Blake (Ret.), and Colonel Robert M. Atkins (Ret.), the Corregidor operation chapters; Major General George N. Pearson (Ret.), Colonel Henry A. Burgess (Ret.), and Colonel Kenneth Murphy (Ret.), the chapters concerning operations around Manila Bay and also the Japanese paratroop drop on the American airfields on Leyte; and Rear Admiral John Harllee (Ret.), naval operations and battles. Thanks is also given to Dr. John Slonaker of the U.S. Army Military History Institute and to Rear Admiral John D. H . Kane, Jr., U.S. Navy Historical Foundation, and their staffs for their invaluable research assistance. Likewise to Mrs. Linda P. Donnelly, of Woodbridge, Virginia, for data and other information regarding the 24th Infantry Division battalion commanded in the Corregidor operation by her late father, Colonel Edward Postlethwait. Appreciation is expressed to former Red ix
Cross Field Director Harold Templeman for permission (granted by 503rd Parachute Regiment Association officers) to draw on his booklet, Back to Corregidor. And to Lieutenant General Edward M. Flanagan (Ret.). Adding immeasurably to the vitality of this book are information, drawings, and other materials furnished by dedicated and highly knowledgeable history buffs Lou Varrone, Harry Pearlmutter, Laurence Maxton, and Keith Rose. Going above and beyond the call of duty in helping the author track down participants in the Philippines epic were Dr. Ralph Llewellyn, Major Rocco Narcise (Ret.), Harry Bailey, and Richard Hoyt, among others. The author was fortunate to have working with him in the production of this book Senior Editor Jared Kieling and Assistant Editor Shari Jee, and their associates at St. Martin's Press. -William B. Breuer Willowbrook, Illinois January 1986
x
Prologue
Seated at his desk in Tokyo, Japanese Premier Hideki Tojo sifted through reports from commanders of the rampaging Imperial Army. It was January 3, 1942. Tojo, the supreme warlord, was elated. Not only were his victorious armies fanning out over vast portions of the Pacific, scoring one stunning triumph after another, but the entire force of Americans and Filipinos defending the island of Luzon in the Philippine chain was trapped on the tiny peninsula of Bataan. Nicknamed "The Razor," Tojo was barely five feet four inches tall. His unkempt mustache and round, oversized horn-rimmed glasses gave him an owlish appearance. For ten years General Tojo, the strong man of the army, had been the principal architect of a strategic master plan designed to unleash a devastating series of invasions throughout the Pacific. A man of enormous ambition, drive, and dedication, Tojo had gained a reputation in the Imperial Army as a brilliant organizer and administrator, a skilled and daring strategist. He had a particular hatred for the United States. His master plan had called for launching the blitzkrieg with a bold sneak attack aimed at destroying or severely crippling the American fleet at Pearl Harbor. Xl
The commander of the Imperial Navy, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, had been outspokenly opposed to going to war with the United States. "America is militarily weak, but is a sleeping giant," Yamamoto had argued. T ojo had quickly silenced the navy chief and other hesitant military officers and statesmen, and on Sunday, December 7, 1941, swarms of Japanese naval carrier planes had virtually destroyed the United States fleet at Pearl Harbor and brought an ill-prepared America into global conflict. Three days later, on December 10, Japanese troops had stormed ashore on Luzon, the largest and most important island in the Philippine chain, five thousand miles west of Hawaii. Twin-engined Mitsubishi bombers had destroyed nearly half of America's warplanes in the Philippines in a one-hour attack on Clark Field near Manila. At the same time, Japanese heavy bombers had wiped out the Cavite Navy Yard, the United States fleet's only Asian base. In the Philippines, General Douglas MacArthur's resources were meager. His force of 15,000 American and 64,000 Filipino soldiers was poorly equipped and inadequately armed; most of the Filipinos were inadequately trained. MacArthur's men fought desperately, but outmoded weapons refused to fire, equipment wouldn't work, four out of five grenades failed to explode, and two-thirds of the mortar shells were duds. MacArthur's exhausted men were pushed back steadily toward Bataan, a desolate peninsula that formed the western shore of Manila Bay. Bataan was a montage of tangled jungle~ and rocky hills, a green wilderness infested by crocodiles, snakes, and huge pythons. All the while, MacArthur had been sending Washington frantic calls for help from Corregidor, a tiny fortress island perched in the mouth of Manila Bay two miles off Bataan. "Just three airplanes so I can see," he pleaded. "You can't fight them if you can't see them."l Army Chief of Staff General George Marshall cabled MacArthur: "A stream of four-engine bombers is en route . . .. Another stream of similar bombers started today from Hawaii . . .. Two bomber groups leave next week."2 And President Franklin D. Roosevelt signaled Philippine President Manuel L. Qgezon: "I can assure you that every vessel available is bearing the strength that will eventually crush the enemy and liberate your native land."3
xii
Buoyed by the encouraging words from Washington, MacArthur issued a statement on January 15 and ordered company commanders to read it to all troops on Bataan: "Help is on the way from the United States. Thousands of troops and hundreds of airplanes are being dispatched.... " Spirits soared among the men, who now called themselves the "Battling Bastards of Bataan." But not a single American soldier, airplane, or ship ever reached the beleaguered Philippines. Unknown to MacArthur, Roosevelt and his high command had already decided to give first priority to the defeat of Nazi Germany, after which America's full strength would be sent against the Japanese. Based on a recommendation by Brigadier General Dwight D. Eisenhower, a planner in the War Department, an agonizing decision had been reached. The force trapped on Bataan and Corregidor would be written off, and Australia, twenty-five hundred miles to the south, would be developed as a base for assembling troops and aircraft to eventually strike back at the Japanese. MacArthur, who had taken a vow to die with his men on Corregidor, -received a cable from Roosevelt on February 23 ordering him to Australia to "assume command of all U.S. troops [there]''' MacArthur was plunged into gloom. He told staff officers that he had been placed on the horns of a dilemma. If he disobeyed Roosevelt's direct order-an option he was considering-he could be court-martialed. If he followed the order, he would be deserting his men. He saw only one way out of his predicament: he would resign his commission and volunteer to fight on Bataan as a private. (That night he would dictate his resignation, but confidants would prevail on him not to submit it to Washington.) MacArthur's staff pleaded for MacArthur to go to Australia, pointing out that Roosevelt's order was the best hope for salvaging the situation in the Philippines. Clearly, they stressed, MacArthur was being sent to Australia to lead an army back to the Philippines. Still the general could not bring himself to withdraw. On March 6 he received a prodding from Roosevelt: "The situation in Australia indicates desirability of your early arrival there." Three days later MacArthur reached an anguished decision: he would shift his command post to Australia, take charge of the army there, and return quickly to xm
the Philippines-hopefully by July 1 and in time to rescue the Battling Bastards of Bataan. Four decrepit PT boats, barely running after numerous transfusions of cannibalized parts, would carry MacArthur and his party on the first six-hundred-mile leg to the large, southernmost island of Mindanao. The seventy-eight-foot-Iong boats, operating in total blackness through largely uncharted waters, would have to penetrate a Japanese naval and air blockade and slip past enemy-held islands to reach their destination, where aircraft dispatched from Australia were to pick up their special cargo. Few expected MacArthur and his escorts to survive the dash. On Corregidor, Navy officers were predicting that MacArthur faced fiveto-one odds-at best-of reaching Mindanao. The day after MacArthur made his decision to leave, he summoned Major General Jonathan M. "Skinny" Wainwright from Bataan and told him the news. Wainwright, a gaunt, leathery old cavalryman, would be placed in command on Luzon. As Wainwright prepared to depart, MacArthur put an arm around his old friend's shoulder and, in a voice choked with emotion, said, "If I get through to Australia, you know I'll come back as soon as I can with as much as I can." There were a few moments of silence. Off toward Bataan could be heard the muffled thunder of guns. Wainwright replied softly, "You'll get through, Douglas." MacArthur quickly added, "And back!"4 Two days later, at dusk, MacArthur, his wife Jean and four-year-old son Arthur, fourteen other generals, and a key sergeant climbed aboard Navy Lieutenant John D. "Buck" Bulkeley's four battered PT boats and headed for Mindanao. The escapees and crewmen were literally sitting on powder kegs. Every boat had on its deck twenty steel drums, each filled with fifty gallons of high-octane gasoline. A single bullet could turn the little craft into fireballs. There were many close calls. Several times the silhouettes of Japanese warships were seen on the horizon. The engine of one PT boat conked out, and its passengers had to crowd into the remaining three. s On reaching Mindanao, the group had to wait at Del Monte airfield for three tense days as Japanese forces launched repeated attacks in an attempt to overrun the base. XlV
Just as MacArthur landed at an Australian airfield near Darwin, he received the most shocking news of his career. The "army" that he was to lead in a swift return to rescue Wainwright and his troops did not exist. Counting Australians, there were only 32,000 Allied troops in the entire country, and most of them were noncombat soldiers. In addition, there were fewer than a hundred serviceable aircraft, and not a single tank in all of Australia. In a rare moment of despair, a grim-faced MacArthur muttered to an aide, "God have mercy on US!"6 Traveling by rail from Darwin to Melbourne, a trek of one thousand miles, General MacArthur paced the aisle of the decrepit, dusty, stiflingly hot and fly-infested wooden coach. His mounting fury was directed at "Washington," meaning President Roosevelt, who, the general was convinced, had betrayed him by implying that significant help was on the way to the Philippines. This had led MacArthur, in turn, to unknowingly deceive his beseiged men on Bataan and Corregidor. Never again would MacArthur trust Roosevelt. Arriving at a Melboume station, a cheering crowd of thousands buoyed the general's spirits. In a wrinkled, ribbonless, khaki bush jacket, he told the throng, "The President of the United States ordered me to break through Japanese lines . . . for the purpose, as I understand it, of organizing an offensive against Japan, a primary object of which is the relief of the Philippines. I came through and I shall return." The last three words captivated the American public and electrified the hard-pressed people of the Philippines, burning into them an invincible determination to bitterly resist the Japanese invaders. "I shall return!" became the battlecry of the Filipinos. It would sustain them during the blackest hours and eventually become the motto of victory. All the while, a bitter dispute had been raging in Washington between Army and Navy brass: Who would be the supreme commander in the Pacific? MacArthur, who had spent many years in the Pacific, seemed to many to be the logical choice and was supported for the post by most Army officers. But the admirals and their staffs had been feuding with MacArthur for years, and most of them hated him intensely. "Over my dead body will MacArthur be named," said an incensed Admiral Ernest J. King, the brusque Chief of Naval Operations. King declared that the Pacific war would be largely a naval operation,
xv
so why should an Army officer be appointed to command it? King's candidate for commander of Pacific operations was the able and steady Admiral Chester L. Nimitz, an old friend. But Nimitz was junior in rank to MacArthur. It was not until April 18, 1942, more than four months after America went to war with Japan, that the bitter command controversy was resolved-by compromise. Violating military doctrine, the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff-ground, sea, and air---created two theaters of operations. MacArthur, based in Australia, was appointed Supreme Commander of the Southwest Pacific Area, and Nimitz, whose headquarters were in Hawaii, five thousand miles east of the Philippines, was designated commander of the Pacific Ocean Area. In the meantime, a bloody curtain was being lowered on the drama in the Philippines. Weakened by disease-mainly malaria, dysentery, beriberi, and scurvy-and suffering hunger, Wainwright's men were losing their capacity to resist. To supplement meager rations-less than a cup of rice daily per man-they ate mule, dog, cat, lizard, monkey, and iguana meat, and gnawed on roots, bark, and leaves. On April 10, knowing that his exhausted men were nearly out of food and ammunition, General Wainwright surrendered. Corregidor's trapped garrison of 15,000 Americans, only 1,300 of whom were trained for combat, braced for the inevitable thunderclap. It struck on May 4, when Japanese artillery saturated the tiny island with 16,000 shells and an amphibious force stormed ashore. Heavy fighting ensued, but the American situation was hopeless. On May 6, a white flag was raised over the bastion known to Americans as "The Rock." There began what came to be known in America as the "Death March." The captives, all of them in abominable physical condition, were taken from Mariveles on Bataan fifty-five miles to the railhead at San Fernando under inhumane conditions. The 76,000 prisoners were a pitiful Jot. Their clothes hung on them like tattered rags. Many had no shoes; long bedraggled hair framed gaunt ashen faces. Some wore fixed grins-the ghastly, skeleton-like rictus of the dying. During the march, 2,300 Americans and from 8,000 to 10,000 Filipinos perished. By the spring of 1942, Japan had conquered the Philippines, Sinxvt
gapore, Hong Kong, the Dutch East Indies, Malaya, Borneo, the Bismarck Islands, Siam, Sumatra, the Gilberts, the Celebes, Timor, Wake, Guam, most of the Solomons, and half of New Guinea. Japanese bombers had pulverized the key Australian port of Darwin, and citizens of Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney feared an imminent invasion. The Japanese empire now radiated for five thousands miles from Tokyo in nearly every direction, and Emperor Hirohito, the diminutive and mildmannered father of six, reigned over one-seventh of the globe. In Washington, gloom contended with chaos. Generals and admirals were stunned by the power, speed, and skill of the Japanese advance, and reached a grim conclusion: with full mobilization of manpower and resources, and at a frightful cost in casualties, it would require at least ten years to reconquer the Pacific. When two partially trained U.S. divisions reached Australia in June 1942, filling in what had been a paper force, General MacArthur vowed to take the offensive. On July 20, only four months after his hair-raising escape from Corregidor,-he moved his headquarters fifteen hundred miles forward to Port Moresby, New Guinea. Despite meager manpower and resources, General MacArthur launched what he called a "hit-'em-where-they-ain't" campaign of speed and surprise aimed at "leapfrogging" the enemy_ During the next two years, in some of the most stunning camp<)jgns in history, MacArthur conducted eighty-seven amphibious landings-all of them successful, and all of them stepping stones to the Philippines. By late July 1944, MacArthur's troops had landed on Vogelkop Peninsula, the northwestern tip of New Guinea. Bataan, Corregidor, and Manila, by Pacific distances, were just over the horizon. Always Douglas MacArthur's thoughts had been on the Philippines. From there he could get his hands around the throat of the enemy and begin to throttle him; liberate seventeen million loyal Filipinos; restore tarnished American prestige in the Pacific; and avenge Bataan and Corregidor. All the while MacArthur's American and Australian troops had been leapfrogging northward, United States Marines and Army infantry under Admiral Chester Nimitz had been slugging it out with the Japanese in a bloody, brutal, island-hopping campaign westward across the
xvn
Pacific. Supported mainly by U.S. Navy carrier-based aircraft and naval guns, Nimitz's troops conquered such previously unheard-of islands as Guadalcanal, Tulagi, Makin, Tarawa, Kwajalein, Eniwetok, and Saipan. By July 1944, the Western Allies, having forged an iron ring around the Japanese Empire, were ready to screw it tight.
xviii
INDEX Abbott, Lt. Donald E., 194 Abdill, Capt. E. W., 101 Abrigon, Corp. Maurice, 218, 219 Allied Intelligence Bureau (AlB). See Intelligence Amaty, S/Sgt. Andrew J., 237, 244-45, 246, 247 Anderson, Maj. Don, 174 Anderson, Pfc Willie J. ("Andy"), 221-22 Arima, Rear Adm. Masafumi, 37-38 Arnold, Gen. Henry H . ("Hap"), 3-4, 27 Arrigo, Corp. Frank, 199-200 Atago, 60-<>1 Atkins, Capt. Robert M. ("Cracker"), 228, 235, 236, 251 Aulick, 99 Australia: Allied base, xiii-xvii, 12-13 Australia, 99, 112, 114, 119 Bailey, Lt. William T ., 219, 233, 234 Barbey, Vice Adm. Daniel E., 109, 118 Barham, Lt. Albert S. ("Tex"), 223 Barker, Lt. Jack G ., 97-99 Bartlett, Pfc John E., 207, 216-17 Bataan: Japanese assault and prisoners taken, xii, xiii, xiv, xvi, 3,47, 54, 55, 87, 130, 155, 180, 181, 190,254, 256, 262; retaking, 127, 128. See also prisoners of war and internees (Allied) Bates, Pfc Clyde 1., 199-200
Bauer, Corp. Donald G ., 256 Baughn, Lt. Ted, 162, 163 Baumea, Pvt. Clarence, 213 Bayug airstrip (Leyte), 86-91 Becker, Corp. William, III, 11-12 Beightler, Maj. Gen. Robert S., 124, 142, 153, 154 Berkey, Rear Adm. Russell S. ("The Count"), 109, 185, 191 Bigart, Homer, 205 Biggs, Lt. Col. Joseph W., 173, 178 Binningbam, 63 Blake, Lt. William E., 200--01, 221-22, 228, 230-31 Boise, 115-16 Bossard, First Sgt., 133 Bossert, Capt. William T., 232, 233, 242, 245-46, 247, 256 Bourque, Pvt. Rivers P., 212-13 Brady, Lt. Col. Charles E., 151-52, 153 Broniman, Sgt. Donald V., 222 Brostram, Pvt. Leonard c., 79 Bruce, Maj. Gen. Andrew E., 95-96 Brush, Maj. Gen. Rapp, 124 Bulkeley, Lt. John D. ("Buck"), xiv, 49, 255 Buracker, Capt. William H., 62, 63 Burdick, Pfc Charles, 247 Burgess, Maj. Henry A., 88, 91, 165, 169-73, 175-76, 177-78 Buri airstrip (Leyte), 86-94 Bums, PFC Jack S., 98, 99 Burris, Capt. Louis, 172
277
Cabanatuan: prison camp, 14, 128-36
Darter, 60, 61
Cabot, 99
Davidson, Rear Adm. R. E., 37, 38 Davis, Elmer, 2, 6 Davis, Comm. George F., 113-14 Davis, Maj. John N., 245, 247, 248 Dewey, Thomas E., 33-34 Dinagat, 40-41 Doherty, Lt. Daniel j., 220 Donovan, Capt. Francis X., 241, 246,
Calicoan, 40 California, 70, 114
Callan, Sister Patricia Marie, 169, 174, 175,177 Callaway, 116
Cannon, PFC Donald J., 40 Carnahan, Lt. David M., 91-92 Carney, Adm. Robert B. ("Mich"), 26, Carpenter, Seaman Doil, 104 Caskey, Maj. Lawrence B., 183-84, 194, 202, 206, 209, 216, 219, 220, 241
Cassie, Pvt., 213 Castenada, 18, 19 Cates, Lt. Wirt R., 242 Cebu, 258 Centenni, Capt. Frank, 204, 206, 210, 212,213,215,223
Chambers, Capt. W. L., 165 Chandler, Rear Adm. Theodore E., 112, 114
Chase, Brig. Gen. William
c.,
145, 151 Cbitbose, 74
Churchill, Winston S., 26, 30, 113, 260 Claggert, Comm. Bladen D., 60, 61 Clark, Maj. Ernest c., Jr., 232, 246 Clark Field (Manila), xii, 27-28, 110, 124, 153
Coastwatchers, 13 Codes. See Intelligence Colorado, 99, 119 Columbia, 114, 118-19
Conner, Lt. Col. Haskett ("Hack"), 142, 143-44, 145, 148, 149, 150
Conway, Capt. Joseph M., 222, 230 Corregidor: geography, 181, 183; Japanese assault and prisoners taken, xii, xiii, xiv, xvi, 3, 54, 55, 155, 180, 181, 256; retaking, 178-252, 256, 257. See also Prisoners of war and internees (Allied) Crenshaw, Pvt. Ray, 213 Curts, Capt. Maurice E., 118, 119 Dace, 60
Dacones, Corp. Ponciano, 48 Dallas, Sgt. Matt, 244, 246
36-37
Drews, Harry j., 233, 242-43 Duckworth, Col. James, 130 Dunckel, Brig. Gen. William, 101-02 Dutch East Indies, xvi-xvii, 31, 32, 259. See also Dutch New Guinea Dutch New Guinea, 10, 28, 29-30, 39 Edgar, Pvt. James j., 235 Egeberg, Dr. Roger 0., 116, 125, 126 Eggert, Pfc Francis D. ("Whitey"), 237-38
142, 144,
Chickering, William, 113
278
250
Doolittle, Lt. Col. James H. ("Jimmy"),
28, 74
Eichelberger, Lt. Gen. Robert L., 8, 83, 85, 106, 123, 259, 260
Eisenhower, Gen. Dwight D., xiii, 90, 259
Ellis, S/Sgt. William, 221 Erickson, Lt. Col. John L., 183, 184, 190, 191, 192, 193, 198,230,240, 241, 248 Espionage. See Guerrillas and espionage;
Intelligence Essex, 61, 64, 99
Evans, Comm. Ernest E., 72-73 Evans, Capt. James L., 22 Ewing, Capt. Nathaniel ("Bud"), 170, 171
Fahey, Seaman James H., 191 Fansbaw Bay, 73
Fechteler, Rear Adm. William M., 138 Fellers, Col. Bonner, 260 Finnegan, Col. Walter E., 47, 48, 52 Fisher, Capt. James c., 133, 135 Flash, Lt. Edward T., 208, 215-16 Fleming, Capt. R. W., 113 Folk, Comm. Winston, 63 Formosa: Allied attacks, 36, 37, 38,42; POWs held in, 54, 129; strikes against contemplated, 2, 4, 6, 7
Fort William McKinley (Manila), 158, 161--<i5, 169 Fraser, Adm. Bruce, 113 Fraser, Corp. James, 196 Friedman, Col. William F., 33 Fryar, PFC Elmer E ., 97 Fugitti, Lt. Robert J., 223 Fujishige, Col. Masatoshi, 140 Fukudome, Adm. Shigeru, 37
Gambier Bay, 73 Gandee, Lt. Jesse B., 218-19 Garrett, Maj. Robert W ., 40 Geiger, S/Sgt. Willter F., Jr., 237-38 Gerhart, Maj. James c., 146 Gibson, Capt. Henry W . ("Hoot"), 206-07, 235, 236, 249-50, 256 Gitnick, Lt. Henry G ., 223 Goen, Corp. Wilbur B., 189-90, 195 Goetzheimer, Sgt. Frank J., 189-90 Gonko, Julian ("Luke"), 194 Gonko, Corp. Walter, 189, 193-94, 211 , 212,217 . Goodbla, S/Sgt. Clinton, 136 Gordon, Pvt. Edward S., 132, 133-34 Green, Lt. George W., 130 Griswold, Maj. Gen. Oscar W ., 109, 122, 123, 124, 166, 178 Grochala, PFC Stanley j., 192 Guerrillas and espionage (USFIP /United States Forces in the Philippines; Filipinos), 14-21, 25, 35, 36, 40, 53, IlO, 122, 127-28, 130, 131, 134, 136, 171,175,178,183; Alamo Scouts, 130, 131, 183. See also Intelligence Guimaras, 258 Hall, Maj. Gen. Charles P. ("Chink"), 127, 128, 137, 209, 255 Halsey, Adm. William F. ("Bull"), 24, 27; at Leyte, 44, 59, 61, 67, 68-69, 74, 75, 77, 83; and makeup of forces, 31-32; at Mindoro and Luzon, 103, 104, 105; softening-up attacks, 25, 26, 27, 36, 37, 38-39,42
Haraden, 102 Hathaway, Comm. Amos T., 72 Haugen, Col. Orin D. ("Hardrock"), 96, 137-38, 140, 141, 158, 159, 179, 180 Hayashi, Col. Toshio, 151, 152, 153 Herb, Capt. Probert E., 188, 195-96
Hewitt, Frank, 149-50 Hewitt, Mrs. Frank (Virginia), 149 Hickman, Capt. Emery M., 150 Hill, Col. Bruce D., 101 Hill, Corp. Charles W., 231 Hill, Capt. Hudson c., 207 Hillman, Corp. Claude, 162 Hirohito, Emp., xvii, 9, 31, 32-33, 100; surrender of, 261 Hiroshima, 261 Hirota, Koki, 262 Hodak, Pfc Park A., 209, 212, 236 Hode, Gen. John, 89 Hodge, Maj. Gen. John R., 45, 48
Hodges, 118 Hoel, 73 Holcombe, Maj. Frank ("Hacksaw"), 165 Holley, Mrs. Elizabeth, 54 Hollingsworth, Pfc Roy, 207--{)8 Holmes, Christian R., 6 Homma, Lt. Gen. Masaharu, 102-03, 262 Homonhon, 40, 41 Honolulu ("Blue Goose"), 52, 53 Hoskins, Capt. John H., 62-63 Hovis, Capt. Logan W., 195-96, 236, 247 Hubbard, Maj. Ralph, 130 Hubbard, Mrs. Ralph, 136 Hughart, Pvt. Paul A., 219, 220, 224, 225, 233 Huks (Hukbalahaps), 14
Hull, 104 Impson, PFC Ammizon B., Jr., 202 Impson, PFC Jack N., 202 Inglis, Capt. Thomas B., 63 Inoguchi, Capt. Toshihei, 64-65 Intelligence, 12, 75; Allied Intelligence Bureau (AlB), 12-22, 35-36; BELCONNEN, HYPO, and NEGAT, 43-44; Coastwatchers, 13; Japanese codes broken and deciphered, 33-34, 43-44, 88-89, 245; Japanese forces on Corregidor grossly underestimated, 183, 202, 225, 250, Special Operations Australia, 12-13. See also Guerrillas and espionage Intramuros (Manila), 166
Intrepid, 99 Invasion plans. See Pacific command and strategy
279
.-' .
Irving, Maj. Gen. Frederick A., 82, 101 Itagaki, Capt. Akira, 181, 185, 198-99 Iwabuchi, Rear Adm. Sanji, 141-42, 164-65 Japan: bombing of Hiroshima, 261; bombing of Tokyo, 36-37; invasion plan of, 259--61; POWs sent to, 25, 129 Johnson, Sgt. Chris, 207, 216, 217 Jobnston, 72-73 Jones, Col. George M., 179, 180; command turned over to MacArthur, 256; and Corregidor assault, 179, 180, 183-89, 198, 202, 209,217-18,219,221,225,228,229, 231-32,235, 236, 239, 240-41, 243, 246, 247-48, 251-52, 255, 256, 257 Jones, Maj. Gen. Henry L. c., 127 Joson, Capt., 131, 134
Kamikaze (Special Attack Corps), 42-43, 52-53, 75-77,84,96,99, 101-02, 110-19, 194, 259, 260, 261; origin of term, 75-76; ritual, 76, 111; Song of tbe Warrior, 111 Kangleon, Col. Ruperto K., 36, 53 Kataoka, Lt. Gen. Tadasu, 81-82 Kelly, Pvt. Ova A., 93-94 Kempei Tai, 15, 16, 17, 19, 166 Kenney, Lt. Gen. George C.: invasion of Japan, 259--60; retaking the Philippines, 29,48, 50, 56-57, 58, 83, 106, 126, 185, 255 King, Adm. Ernest J., xv-xvi, 2, 6, 8, 23-24, 27 King, Sgt. Roy, 231 King II. See Pacific command and strategy Kinkaid, Adm. Thomas c.: composition of Seventh Fleet, 31; retaking the Philippines, 31, 32, 36, 39,40,41, 44,68,69-70, 71, 74, 75, 83-84, 109, 110, 115 Kintberger, Comm. L. S., 73 Kline, Maj. Arliss E., 197 Knapp, Pfc Glen R., 244 Knapp, Paul, 251 Knox, Frank, 2 Knudson, Maj. Melvin R., 197, 235, 242, 245
280
Koiso, Gen. Kuniaki ("The Korean Tiger"), 9, 30, 42, 100 Koyameda, Lt. Comm. Shoichi, 181 Krueger, Lt. Gen. Walter, 39-40, 108; at Corregidor, 180, 255; at Luwn, 108-09, 118, 121-22, 123; retaking the Philippines, 39, 40, 45, 48, 78, 79, 83, 88; tactics criticized, 121, 122, 123 Kurita, Adm. Takeo, 42, 58, 59, 6(H)1, 64, 67, 68, 69, 71, 72, 73, 77 Lackey, Col. John, 140, 184, 190, 192, 202, 206, 217 LaFlamme, Lt. Col. Ernest H ., 138, 173 Lahti, Lt. Col. Edward H., 159--60, 162, 165 Landes, Sgt. Maj. Karl H . ("Doc"), 196-97, 230 Lautrnan, Corp. Robert c., 189-90 Leahy, Adm. William D., 6-7, 8, 27 Ricbard P. Leary, 113 LeMay, Lt. Gen. Curtis, 259 Leutze, 121 Leyte: Breakneck Ridge, 81-82, 95; chosen as first invasion site, 22, 26-30, 37; geography, 78-79; guerrilla activity, 21-22, 35, 36,40; Japanese casualties, 259; preparatory operations and plan, 40-42, 44-45 retaking, 36,46-53, 66-67, 68, 78-82, 85-99, 106, 259 Leyte Gulf, battles of, 59-77 Lingayen Gulf (Luzon): landing site and sea battle, 108, 109, 110, 113-15, 117-21,123 Los Banos: prison camp, 14, 128, 168-78 Louisville ("Lady Lou"), 70, 112, 114 Lumsden, Lt. Gen. Herbert, 113 Lundy, Lt. Donald, 192 Lutryzykowsky, PFC Ervin ("Lip"), 194 Luzon: Allied bombing, 25-26, 27-28, 37-38; Allied espionage and resistance, 14-20, 22; Japanese occupation and defense, 8, 30, 31, 40, 78; retaking, 83, 100, 106-78. See also Bataan; Corregidor; Lingayen Gulf; Manila MacArthur, Arthur, xiv, 166 MacArthur, Lt. Gen. Arthur, 16,47, 167
MacArthur, Gen. Douglas: in Australia, xv, xvi, xvii; awarded Medal of Honor, 55; characteristics and descriptions, xv, 1, 3, 5, 30, 39, 54-55, 115, 116, 122, 124-25, 126, 260; earlier Army career of, 1, 3, 39, 47, 178; "I shall return!" and its propaganda value, xv, 14,21,51; Japanese attempts to kill, 55, 56, 82-83; Japanese commanders tried and executed, 262; New Guinea landings and headquarters, xvii, 3, 8, 28, 33; Pacific command for invasion of Japan, 259, 260; Philippine command, xii-xiv, xiv-xv, 1-3,7, 16,49, 55, 166-167, 255; promoted to General of the Army, 115 MacArthur, Gen. Douglas: retaking the Philippines: avenge fall of Bataan and Corregidor, xv, xvii, 3, 7, 9, 14, 49,51,178,179,180,192,254; Corregidor visited, 243, 251, 255-57; espionage and intelligence, 12-16 passim, 19, 20, 21, 33, 34, 35, 36,43, 44, 100, 110; government returned to Filipinos, 253-55; Japanese defense strategy, 78; joint command with Nimitz, xvi, 23-24; Leyte, 39, 41,45-58 passim, 82-85,88, 106; replaces Mindanao as invasion site, 22, 26, 27, 28, 29, 36; sets foot on Philippine soil and broadcast, 50-52, 53; Luzon and Manila, 115-16, 120-28; 154-55, 157, 166, 167, 253; Mindoro, 83, 84, 100-01, 103, 105; other islands, 258; strategy, 1-9, 24, 27, 28-29, 83-85,95, 109, 110, 137 MacArthur, Mrs. Douglas (Jean), xiv, 16, 166 McCain, Rear Adm. John S. ("Slew"), 71, 77 McCampbell, Comm. David, 61-62 McCarter, Pvt. Lloyd G., 234 McClintock, Comm. David H., 60, 61 McDaniel, C. Yates, 82 McKnight, Capt. Robert, 195 McLain, James, 207 McLain, Capt. William c., 247, 248 MacNider, Brig. Gen. Hanford, 123 Magsaysay, Capt. Ramon, 127-28
Makapili, 15 Makino, Maj. Gen. Shiro, 67 Malacaiian Palace (Manila), 150, 253 Manchuria: POWs held in, 54, 129 Manila: declared an "open city" by MacArthur, 154; declared an "open city" by Yamashita, 141-142; Japanese occupation, 15-21, 25-26, 27-28, 37, 253; retaking, 14, 58, 121-29, 142, 144-67, 253
Manila Bay, 112 Manila Hotel, 16, 166-67 Marquat, Maj. Gen. William, 243 Marshall, Gen. George, xii, 3, 4, 7, 27, 33-34, 55 Marston, Pfc Roy E., 244 Martha, Col. John T., 101 Maryland, 46, 70, 99
Maya, 61 Merrill, Lt. Col. Gyles, 127 Mesereau, Lt. Tom, 176, 177 Midway, Battle of, 245 Mikawa, Adm. Gizo, 37 Miles, Peter, 170 Mills, S/Sgt. Joseph, 244 Mindanao, xiv, 31; considered as return invasion site, 26, 27, 28, 66 Mindoro, 22; retaking, 83, 84, 100-06, 188 Mississippi, 46, 70, 119 Mitscher, Vice Adm. Marc A. ("Pete"), 64, 75 Miyasaki, Lt. Gen. Shuichi, 31
Monaghan, 104 Montpelier, 99, 119, 191 Ulvert H. Moore, 112-13
Morris, Sgt. C. c., 197 Moses, Lt. Col. Martin, 14-15 Moulton, Lt. H. Douglas, 67 Mount Olympus, 118 Mower, Sgt. Charles E., 80 Mucci, Lt. Col. Henry A., 130-34, 136 Mudge, Maj. Gen. Verne D., 56, 57, 142, 154, 160, 180, 253 Muller, Lt. Col. Henry J. ("Butch"), 170 Mullins, Maj. Gen. Charles L., 124-24 Murphy, Lt. John F., 130, 131, 132 Murphy, Capt. Kenneth A., 91, 92-93 Musashi, 60, 64-65, 69 Mydans, Carl, 115, 143, 149-50
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Nagato, 60, 64 Nagurney, Nicholas, 105 Nagy, Corp. Robert, 220 Naka, Lt. Shigeo, 87 Nansei Shoto islands, 36, 37 Nashville, 69, 70, 101-02, 194; as MacArthur's flagship, 39,41,45, 46-47,49, 55, 56,69, 70 Neamend, Pvt. Adolph, 213 Negros, 258 Nelson, S/Sgt. John W ., 133 Newcomb, 114 New Guinea: Allied forces, xvii, 3, 8, 28, 33! 39, ..188; Japanese occupation, XVI-XVll.
See also Dutch New Guinea New Jersey, 24, 38, 61, 68, 103, 104 Newman, Col. Aubrey S. ("Red"), 48, 79-80 New Mexico, 113 Newsome, Lt. Robert T ., 72 Newsweek, 252 Nichols Field (Manila), 17-18, 27-28, 38, 110, 142, 158, 161, 174 Nimitz, Adm. Chester L., xvi, 2, 4-8, 23-24, 33,44, 68, 74, 75, 84, 99, 259-60 Nishimura, Vice Adm. Teiji, 58-59, 61, 68, 70-71, 84 Noble, Lt. Col. Arthur, 14-15 O'Boyle, First Sgt. Bernard M., 251 O'Connell, Lt. Patrick D., 204 O'Connell, Lt. William J., 131 James O'Hara, 47,99 Okinawa, 37, 38, 42, 260 Old Bilibid prison (Manila), 14, 128, 129, 145, 151, 153, 154, 155 Oldendorf, Rear Adm. Jesse B., 70, 71, 84, 109-10, 111-12, 114-15, 118 Ommaney Bay, 111-12 Onishi, Adm. Takijiro, 42, 52-53, 76, 261 Operation Downfall, 259-61 Operation Ferdinand, 13 Operation Magic, 33-34, 43-44, 88-89, 245 Operation Victory, 30-31,43, 44 Operation Wa, 86-94 Osmena, Sergio, 49, 51 , 57, 121, 252, 253-54, 255
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Otsuka, Lt. Akio, 76 Ozawa, Vice Adm. Jisaburo, 59, 61, 67-68, 74, 75 Pacific command and strategy: Hawaii conference, 1-9; Japanese strategy, 30-31,43, 44, 78; King II (retaking the Philippines), 22, 26-30, 36-38; problem naming a supreme commander, xv-xvi; problems with divided command, 68, 71, 74-75, 84; reorganization for invasion of Japan, 259-60 Palawan, 258 Panay, 258 Parsons, Comm. Charles ("Chich"), 20, 21-22, 35-36 Parsons, Corp. Delbert L., 221-22 Pearl Harbor, xi, xii, 6, 12, 96, 104; "ghost ships" raised and used, 109-10; HYPO (Pacific Fleet Combat Intelligence Unit), 43-44 Pearson, Lt. Col. George N., 93 Perez, PFC Manuel, Jr., 163-64 Philip, 120-21 Phillips, Sgt. John, 189,216,217 Picotte, Mrs. Caryl, 136 Plantdon, S/Sgt. Eugene, 214 Polick, Sgt. Max, 163, 164 Postlethwait, Lt. Col. Edward M., 180, 184, 203, 204, 205, 206, 210, 214,215,221,228,229,238,239, 241 Potsdam Declaration, 260 Powers, Capt. John J., 188-89, 196, 237 Prettyman, PFC John P., 237 Price, Walter, 58 Prince, Capt. Robert W., 130-35 passim Princeton, 62, 63 Princiotti, Corp. Joe, 206 Prisoners of war and internees (Allied), xvi, 14, 24-25, 54, 155, 180, 190, 262; Cabanatuan, 14, 128-36; Los Banos, 14, 128, 168-78; moved outside the Philippines, 25, 54, 129; Old Bilibid, 14, 128, 129, 145, 151, 153, 154, 155; Santo Tomas, 14, 58, 128, 142, 144-55 Proud, Comm. J. c. R., 13 Pucci, Sgt. Amelio, 220
Q,!!andt, Lt. Col. Douglas N., 170 Q,!!ezon, Manuel L., xii, 9-10, 13,49, 51 Radio Tokyo, 33, 38, 55, 58, 102 ...m , 107, 121,261 Ramsey, Corp. 133 Richardson, Gen. Robert C. ("Nellie"), 4, 6 Richardson, Sgt. Theodore R., 132 Ringler, Lt. John B., 171, 172-74, 176 Roberts, Lt. Joseph, 255 Samuel B. Roberts, 73 Rochefort, Lt. Comm. Joseph J., 43-44 Romulo, Carlos, 49, 51, 82, 110 Roosevelt, Franklin D., 5; death, 260; election (1944), and Dewey, 2, 33-34; Philippines, xii, xiii, 1-9, 26-27, 260 Roosevelt, Mrs. Franklin D., 112 Roosevelt, Lt. Comm. Franklin D., Jr., 112-13 Rosenman, Sam 1.,2,6 Rostell, Sgt. Jerry, 206 Rouelle, Col. Frank, 35 Rucker, Capt. John P., 242, 244 Ruotolo, PFC Frank D., 189 Safford, Comm. Laurence F., 43 St. Lo, 77 San Pablo airstrip (Leyte), 86-93 passim, 106 Santo Tomas: prison camp, 14, 58, 128, 142, 144-55 Schimmelpfenning, Col. Irvin R., 158, 159 Schmidt, Lt. Melville, 131 Seki, Lt. Yukio, 43, 54, 75, 76 Shaw, First Sgt. Carl N ., 241 Shinyo squadrons (suicide craft), 120-21, 181, 185-86, 261 Shinyo Maru, 24-25 Shirai, Lt. Col. Tsunehiro, 89-93 Sho-Go I, 30-31,43,44 Shutt, Sgt. Thomas L., 212 Sibert, Maj. Gen. Franklin c., 45, 48, 81 Sibio, Sgt. Richard, 163, 164 Sinclair, Corp. Joseph W., 237 Singapore, capture of, xvi-xvii, 30 Skau, Lt. George E., 168, 171, 172, 174 Skobelewsky, Lt. Bill, 206 Slavinsky, Lt. Pete, 206
Smith, Corp. Sims H., 255 Smith, PFC Thomas J., 197-98 Smithback, Corp. Arthur 0., 192 Soule, Col. Robert H. ("Shorty"), 138, 140,141,170,172-73 Soviet Union: invasion plans leaked to Japanese, 29; Pacific aid diverted to, 126-27; Potsdam Declaration, 260 Special Operations Australia, 12-13 Spence, 104 Spicer, Capt. Emmet R., 199, 236 Sprague, Rear Adm. Clifton A. ("Ziggy"), 72, 73-74, 76 Stafford, 113 Stalin, Josef, 260 Stassen, Comm. Harold E., 26 Stearns, Lt. Lewis, 204, 206 Stevens, Maj. Thomas, 246 Stevenson, Dr. Theodore, 154-55 Stievenart, Lt. Rene E., 247 Stimson, Henry L., 2 Stone, Lt. B. H., 197 Stowe, Sgt. Nelson, 220 Struble, Rear Adm. Arthur D., 95, 96, 101, 102, 127 Suicide forces (Japanese), 210, 224, 226, 231,241-42,246-48; Bushido code, 226; hara-kiri, 232, 261; home guard in case of invasion, 261; kamikaze pilots, 42-43, 52-53, 75-77, 84, 96, 99, 101-02, 110-19, 194, 259, 260, 261; paratroops, 86-94, 106; Shinyo boat squadrons, 120-21, 181, 185-86, 261; swimmers with explosives, 214, 250, 261 Suluan, 40, 41 Sutherland, Lt. Gen. Richard K., 50, 51, 122 Sulton, Lt. James P., 146 Suzuki, Lt. Gen. Sosaku, 41-42, 48, 67, 87, 88, 95, 96, 106 Swift, Maj. Gen. Inis P. ("Bull"), 109, 122, 123 Swing, Maj. Gen. Joseph L., 88-89, 90-91,93, 137, 138, 140, 141, 158, 159, 165, 169, 170 Tacloban (Leyte), 36, 46, 47-48, 52, 57-58, 82-83, 88 Tarluc, Luis, 14 Tassafaronga, Battle of, 114
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Tawitawi, 258 Taylor, Sgt. Herman, 223 Taylor, PFC Robert, 214 Taylor, 115 Templeman, Harold, 189,217 Terauchi, Field Marshal Hisaichi, 16, 31, 66--67 Thomas, Lt. James R., 250 Thomas, PFC Silas, 48 Thurber, Capt. H. Ray, 52 Tibbetts, Col. Paul, 261 Time, 40, 113, 123 Todd, Robert F., 204 Tojo, Gen. Hideki ("The Razor"), xi, 9, 30, 262 Tokyo, bombing of, 36--37 Tokyo Rose, 32, 101 Tolson, Lt. Col. John ]., III, 180, 209-10, 235 Tominaga, Lt. Gen. Kyoji, 90 Toyoda, Adm. Soemu, 29, 31, 37, 58, 59, 72,77 Truman, Harry S., 260 Tulao, Benedicto, 27 Turinsky, Lt. Joseph A., 219, 220, 233, 234 Ugaki, Adm. Matome, 69 Upton, PFC Ancel]., 163 Vignola, Sgt. James V., 139--40 Villamor, Maj. Jesus (Ramon Hernandez; Monching), 18 Vlaminck, PFC Jerard, 160--61, 162-63 Volckmann, Lt. Col. Russell W., 15, 110 Wachi, Lt. Gen. Takaji, 86 Wainwright, Maj. Gen. Jonathan M. ("Skinny"), xiv, xv, xvi, 54, 55, 145, 181 Wainwright, Mrs. Jonathan (Adele), 54 Walke, 113-14
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Ward, 96,99 West, Gen. George, 155, 156 West Virginia, 46, 70 Weyler, Rear Adm. G. L., 113 White, Col. Lawrence K. ("Red"), 153, 154 Whitehead, Maj. Gen. Ennis P., 94 Whitney, Courtney, Jr. ("Sonny"), 19-20 Whitney, Maj. Gen. Courtney, Sr., 12, 13-14, 16, 19, 20, 35,41,46--47,49, 51,254 Wilkerson, Glenn, 105 Wilkinson, Vice Adm. Theodore S., 109, 118 Williams, Lt. Dick, 189-90, 229 Willoughby, Maj. Gen. Charles, 12, 124, 127 Wing, Maj. Gen. Leonard F., 123 Woodruff, Corp. George W., 189-90, 194-95 Woods, Maj. Robert H. ("Pug"), 184, 209,217-18,219,237-38,241,242, 243--44 Yamamoto, Adm. Isoroku, xii Yamashiro, 70-71 Yamashita, Lt. Gen. Tomoyuki ("Tiger of Malaya"), 30; Philippines defense, 30, 31,40, 66--67, 78, 81, 85, 87-88, 94, 96, 100, 106--10 passim, 123, 124, 127, 141, 144,258; trial and hanging, 262 Yamoto, 60, 61, 64, 69, 71 Yonai, Mitsumasa, 259 Young, Capt. H. L., 112 Zamboanga, 258 Zapanta, Maj. Vincent, 22 Ziler, Lt. William, 195 Zufall, PFC Darwin c., 40 Zuikaku, 67-68, 74, 75
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