Chapter 49
Philippines Campaign
January - April 1942
With the retreat into Bataan Peninsula, it was only a matter of time until the Japanese came knocking for the 80,000 trapped Americans. However, after the conquest of Luzon, such an attack was delayed, time for the Japanese to regroup and launch their assault.
It wouldn’t be until January 15th that the first Japanese troops came into contact with the first defence line, around Porac, at the edge of the Peninsula. Judged impractical by McArthur, this defensive position only held a mere 24 hours before the Japanese pierced it. Likewise, the following delaying position at Layac was swept away in much of the same fashion.
It wouldn’t be until January 19th that the Japanese troops of the 48th Division attacked the main American defence line anchored around Mount Natib. Expecting little resistance, the Japanese were struck by a deluge of fire from the American artillery, as well as tank support. The Filippino troops holding the line, encouraged by McArthur, heroically resisted. Try as they might, the Japanese broke their teeth on the Mount Natib line, just as they had on the fortresses of Cao Bang and Lang Son, just across the Sea. The Japanese tried to commit their armoured reserves, but these were countered by the American M2s and M3s, with deadly effect. Not only that, but on January 25th, air support came to support a localized counter-attack by the Filipinos which drove the Japanese back four kilometres!
However, while the situation seemed fine on the surface, the Filipinos were getting exhausted. The Japanese were starting to commit more and more troops, signifying that a general assault on the Peninsula was near. Fort Wint fell on January 31st, with Japanese artillery soon being able to strike positions at Moron, on the coast.
McArthur then grew concerned, notably with the food situation. The good news came on February 2nd, when a strange visitor docked in Mariveles. It was the French submarine
Surcouf, which had ditched its armament and carried no less than 15,000 boxes of K-rations: in all, 180 thousand “daily” rations. In other words: it allowed to hold for two more days. In exchange, the French submarine would take several civilians and wounded to Miri, in Borneo. The arrival of the French submarine marked the beginning of the “Singapore Express”, which would help supply Bataan, ration by ration, munition by munition [1].
Although the French submarine’s reinforcement was not large, it raised morale amongst the troops quite heavily: neither Washington nor their other allies had abandoned them. For McArthur, it strengthened his resolve to stay and fight even harder, just like Alexander in Singapore or Catroux in Hanoi. On February 4th, a massive assault on the slopes of Mount Natib by the 48th Infantry Division spectacularly failed.
To try and break this nut, the Japanese devised a plan to outflank the Americans. They sent several battalions to land behind enemy lines, in the hopes of outflanking the defenders of the Mount Natib line. However, these forces were intercepted by PT-boat patrols, and surprise was lost. As they landed, they were immediately set upon by McArthur’s reserves, members of the Filippino militia and police, as well as the guns of the American ships still present around Corregidor. Overall, these landings were a complete failure. Immediately contained, they were then methodically eradicated. By early February, seeing that the operation was a failure, the Japanese resumed their mass assaults against the Mount Natib line.
Finally, the line broke in several places on February 9th, forcing McArthur to order his troops to pull back towards the Bagac-Orion line, north of Mount Mariveles. Thinking they had the upper hand, the Japanese immediately assaulted it on February 15th, breaking through along the Tuol River. Unfortunately for the Japanese, General Jonathan Wainwright had lured the Japanese in. Quickly filling in the breach, the Japanese were contained in two large pockets, which were then dutifully eliminated by the Filipino Scouts on February 24th.
General Masaharu Homma had been forced to concede that the Bagac-Orion line was tough, and that his units needed rest. The 48th Infantry Division was at the end of the line, and was needed by the 16th Army for future operations in the Dutch East Indies. Thus, it was sent back for rest, and the 16th Infantry Division was brought on the line. This one was supposed to now be cleaning the Visayas, but in front of the increased resistance in Bataan, Homma had no choice but to commit it if he wanted the Peninsula to fall soon.
On the other side, the American government finally decided to evacuate General McArthur on March 12th. However, when confronted to Lt. Bulkeley, who had come to pick him up to bring him to Miri, he just simply said “I do not need a taxi, I need supplies!” [2]. Instead, McArthur agreed for the vessels to take his family, alongside General Wainwright, who he ordered to continue the fight by commanding a guerilla in the southern half of the country, notably the Visayas and Mindanao [3]. Seeing this, Manuel Quezon, with whom McArthur had long conversed, also refused to be evacuated. The Filipino president chose to lead from the Philippines, for as long as it took. He chose to give up his spot on one of the small craft to an injured Filipino soldier [4].
McArthur had chosen to stay, following in the footsteps of his British, French and Thai colleagues. Some historians would also claim that the flight of Admiral Hart, at the time when Admiral Philips charged headfirst into the Japanese fleet, made him reconsider. He did not want to be seen as a coward in the face of a battle he had yet to give, let alone lose.
McArthur staying on the ground, alongside the increasing success of the “Singapore Express” raised morale everywhere. The Marshal of the Filipino Army himself even came to the front line, inspecting defensive works and carrying words of encouragement to the troops in the face of the upcoming Japanese offensive.
On April 3rd, 1942, the Japanese did come knocking. Infuriated by their setbacks, they fully intended to break Bataan. General Homma committed the entirety of the 16th Division to that effect, along several battalions of the 48th. He thought that he would be facing starved, crazed Americans, and would be in Mariveles by the end of the week. He was wrong.
For two days, Americans and Filipinos held the line against attacks that only gained in intensity. On April 6th, Japanese troops had limited success in piercing the line, but these efforts were countered with vigorous assaults by the Filippino troops, who, though outnumbered, threw themselves forward with great energy. The next day, the Japanese were repulsed to their starting positions.
This did not discourage the Japanese attempts. Throughout April 8th, renewed efforts were made to breach the Bagac-Orion line. To the west, at Bagac, General Parker’s I Corps held firm. However, to the right, at Orion, General Jones’ II Corps faltered. On April 14th, on Mount Samat, the Japanese assault was particularly sustained, and forced the Americans off, holding a key position above Orion and the right flank of the American defensive device. McArthur counter-attacked on the mountain, but with too many efforts going on at the same time, it failed. With a heavy heart, he ordered to withdraw to the San Vicente River.
McArthur in fact had another plan. Taking General Brougher’s 11th (PA) Infantry Division, which had been less hit by the Japanese surge at Bagac, he intended to retake Mount Samat and flank the Japanese positions at Orion. He also asked Jones’ II Corps to attack Japanese positions along the river to stop them from reinforcing the mountain. Feeling that this was a useless waste of men, Jones objected and almost refused the order. McArthur immediately removed him from command, telling him: “
if you don’t want to fight, you can run away like the Admiral!”. Jones was placed under arrest, and replaced by General Clifford Bluemel. True to his word, Jones was placed on the USS
Stingray and sent to Singapore [5].
On April 19th, McArthur counter-attacked, taking the Japanese completely by surprise. Mount Samat was retaken by the Filippino scouts, while General Lim’s 41st (PA) Division struck the Japanese lines along the San Vincente with enormous ferocity, pushing them back through Orion. The men then managed to pivot towards the west, making General Homma completely panic.
The Japanese commander had long lost the hope of making Bataan a quick affair, but he had at least hoped to end it quickly once the San Vicente was breached. But now, the Americans had retaken Mount Samat and were threatening to encircle a good number of his troops in the process! Worse, Homma had almost no reserves: everything had been committed into this offensive which had lasted almost two weeks and given almost no results. Still, Homma knew that he needed to show something. He pushed his troops to retake Mount Samat, but to no avail. The Americans had dug in and were well-supported by their artillery. To add insult to injury, on April 20th, P-40s came to help the defenders of the mountain, and B-17s came to raid the Japanese lines in the largest air attack since the beginning of the Battle of Bataan.
At Bagac, I Corps was only beaten back a few hundred metres, the Japanese being beaten bloody by the American artillery every time they tried to advance. In the centre, along the flanks of Mount Mariveles, their infiltration attempts were blocked by the Filipinos who attacked with effervescence, sometimes only armed with machetes, in the dead of night. Mount Samat held, and General Lim’s 41st Division had managed to retake the lost American positions, all the way to the Santo Domingo River. Homma knew he was done for. During the night of April 21st, he committed seppuku, only four hours before the order that relieved him of his command arrived [6]. He was replaced by General Shizuichi Tanaka.
After a month of hard fighting, the Americans and Filipinos themselves were exhausted and desperately needed supplies to avoid near-starving conditions. General Edward P. King told McArthur that if the Japanese continued their assaults, it would take them less than 24 hours to breach the Bagac-Orion line. This would fortunately never come to pass, as Tanaka could not afford to launch another offensive so soon, with the 16th Division depleted and the need to transfer the 48th Division for the upcoming East Indies Campaign, to which it was necessary [7].
Bataan was exhausted, Bataan had bled, but Bataan had
held.
[1] Logically, an entire chapter will be dedicated to the functioning of the "Singapore Express".
[2] Sorry Zelensky, this quote goes to McArthur here. McArthur's fear of being seen as someone who runs away from battle like a coward takes over ITTL, since Indochina is still fighting and Malaya has yet to even be breached. He doesn't want to end up like ITTL's equivalent of Hart, who had the misfortune of evacuating on the day of the Battle of the Gulf of Thailand.
[3] Both out of friendship with Wainwright and pragmatism: McArthur needs someone who he completely trusts in order to conduct operations in the Philippines, which he still considers "his domain".
[4] Quezon refusing to leave will only strengthen his popularity with the Filipino people and will in turn lead to a stronger Filipino will to fight.
[5] McArthur considers here that the humiliation of being packed off to run away is a bigger punishment than a court-martial which he doesn't have the time for.
[6] Homma's early death will also mean trouble for Masanobu Tsuji, who had managed to use Homma as a shield for his crimes. With Homma gone, the Americans (and Filipinos) won't be as forgiving ITTL.
[7] The Japanese strategy slowly shifts from one place to another...
