United States Forces in the Philippines (USFIP) is a unified command in the Philippines during World War II. It was the successor to the United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) which General Douglas MacArthur commanded. [1] He moved to Australia as he evacuated as ordered by President Roosevelt in March 1942. [1] The command only lasted two months as it surrendered by Lieutenant General Jonathan M. Wainwright to Lieutenant General Homma Masaharu commander of 14th Army of the Imperial Japanese Army.
In February 1942 as Japanese tighten its grip with the Philippine Islands and the situation getting critical and desperate. Supplies could not reach Bataan due to the intensified naval blockade of Imperial Japanese Navy. President Franklin Roosevelt ordered General MacArthur to relocate to Australia in preparation for a build up for an offensive operations against Japan. [1]
MacArthur intended to still control the Filipino–American forces in the Philippines from Australia through his Deputy Chief of Staff in Corregidor Island. [1] He reorganized his and designed it as an independent from each other for an eventuality one unit surrenders the others can still continue to fight. Apparently Washington, D.C was not informed of this ahead by MacArthur.
MacArthur selected his G4 Supply Colonel Lewis Beebe to remained in Corregidor to act as his deputy Chief of Staff, to issue orders for MacArthur's behalf and managing the supply in Malinta Tunnel. Harbor Defense of Manila and Subic under Major General George F. Moore was retained but renamed as Philippine Coast Artillery Command, with its headquarters in Fort Mills, Corregidor. [1] North Luzon Force and South Luzon Force which are now located in the same location in Bataan Peninsula is now known as Luzon Force under Wainwright with CPY in Mariveles, Bataan. Visayas-Mindanao Force is split into Mindanao Force still with Major General William F. Sharp with its current CPY in Del Monte Field and the new Visayan Force will be under Brigadier General Bradford Chynoweth the commander of 61st Infantry Division in Panay Island with CPY in Cebu. These took effect after MacArthur's departure for Australia on March 16, 1942, from Del Monte Field in Mindanao. [1]
US War Department with understanding that Wainwright the most senior officer in the Philippines assumed the command from MacArthur sent all communications addressed to him. MacArthur failed to inform Washington, D.C., of his new setup and it created confusion. Beebe, being MacArthur's deputy chief of staff, had no choice but to relay the message of War Department to Wainwright, who was in Bataan. Wainwright assumed the command in Corregidor and made Beebe his chief of staff. Major General Edward P. King Jr was selected to replace Wainwright in Luzon Force. [1]
After five months of fighting the troops for Luzon force on half ration and despite being battered. exhausted, hungry, and sick continued to resist and to keep the line of defense. Lack of ammunition, supplies, and food as ships sent by USAFFE could no longer reach Philippine even in Mindanao due to intensified naval activities of the Japanese Navy and air patrols.
On April 8, 1942, Major General Edward P. King Jr., with no more troops can put up a defensive line went forward together his aides Major Marshall and Hurt to Cabcaben to secure terms of surrender. He ordered all weapons and equipment destroyed except motor transports before moving forward. His surrender was accepted by Colonel Nakayama and 76,000 Filipino-American troops and 20,000 civilians move out and consolidated in Mariveles. [2]
Japanese forced the surrendered troops to marched from Mariveles to San Fernando, Pampanga under the scorching heat from the Sun, no water and food, and sick, around 12,000 more died on road some shot or Bayoneted by their guards which is now known as Bataan Death March. From San Fernando they were box carted towards Capas, Tarlac and incarcerated at Camp O'Donnell. Thousands more died upon reaching Camp O'Donnell in Tarlac to due malaria, dehydration, and starvation as Japanese deprived the prisoners of food and water.
Homma's focus now is to secure the island of Corregidor, he moved heavy artilleries in Bataan and Cavite. Corregidor was subject of Air and artillery barrage from King's surrender until May 6, 1942.
Coastal Artillery troops under Major General George F. Moore, continue to resist for a month after Bataan surrendered. Brigadier General Paul Bunker commander of the defense of Corregidor.
The Marine regiment under Colonel Samuel Howard, USMC the regiment was pulled out from Shanghai and was attached to PCAC. The regiment was responsible for the ground defense of Corregidor Island. One of the regiments battalion was captured by the Japanese as they were all still at Shanghai when hostilities started. A provisional battalion was organized from the sailors and crew of sunk ship USS Canupos.
Brigadier General Bradford Chynoweth assumed command on March 16, 1942, crossing through Negros and established CPY in Camp X, Cantabaco, Cebu. [3] He was not able to fill all his staffs as the promised from USFIP HQ to sent officers did not materialized. He absorbed he used some staffs from Cebu Brigade under Colonel Irvine Scudder. As the newest unit organized, Chynoweth commanded it for just a month. Same with other units problem on what he have, lack of heavy weapons, artillery and antiaircraft guns, ammunition, and supplies.
On April 9, 1942, Kawaguchi Detachment landed in Cebu, Colonel Irvine Scudder has two infantry regiments 82nd to defend southern Cebu and 83rd to defend northern Cebu. [3] [4] Cebu MP Regiment under Lieutenant Colonel Howard Edmands responsible for the eastern Central Cebu met Japanese landing force in Talisay but with just M2 Browning .50 Caliber Machinegun as its heaviest weapon and Japanese has Naval, Artillery, and Air support, the MPs were overwhelmed and retreated towards Busay. [4] Troops in Toledo was not able to repulse the invading enemy force made Chynoweth and Scudder decided to evacuate Visayan Force HQ inland from Cantabaco. [3] They retreated towards Sudlon and Tabunan. Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos was captured in Barili and was brought to Lanao when Kawaguchi landed there. [3]
Colonel Albert F. Christie assumed command of the Island and 61st Infantry Division, after General Bradford left for Cebu. With 63rd, 64th Provisional, and 65th Provisional Infantry Regiments. Christie commanded a division with 8,000 troops though lack of rifles, they resorted to Bolo and Bow and Arrows. [3] The advantage of this garrison as they prepared for 5 months in bringing food and supplies in the mountains and hills in preparation of guerilla warfare due to disadvantage of lacking fire power. When Kawamura detachment landed on April 16, 1942, Christie's troops did not resist at the beach but prepared ambuscades inland and raids to the positions at night. Christie's troops was never in critical position before it was ordered to surrender.
Sharp organized the defense of Mindanao into sectors to defend Japanese landings. [5] Cagayan, Agusan, Lanao, Zamboanga, and Cotabato-Lanao sectors. [5] Muira detachment who was already in Davao since December 20, 1941 was not able to get inland to Sayre highway. Fighting was secluded in Digos sector. If not for the air and naval support his detachment could be defeated. Sakaguchi detachment landed in Jolo, Sulu.
On May 2, 1942, Kawaguchi landed in Lanao on April 28, 1942, where they are met by 61st Infantry Regiment under 81st Infantry Division of General Guy O. Fort in Malabang, Lanao and 102nd Infantry Regiment under 101st Infantry Division of General Joseph Vachon in Cotabato City and Parang in Cotabato Province and few days later Kawamura detachment landed in Macajalar Bay in Cagayan de Oro. [5]
On April 19, 1942, three days after the Kawaguchi Detachment landed in Cebu, Wainwright realizing the loss of Cebu and assuming Chynoweth could no longer function his command, ordered Sharp to reconstitute the Visayas-Mindanao Force and him back as commander of that unit to command the remaining garrisons of Visayas islands. [2]
On May 10, 1942, Wainwright went to meet Homma to discuss surrender terms of his forces in Corregidor, as Homma insisted on the surrender of all the forces in the Philippines or he will not accept Wainwright's surrender. [6] He broadcast an order for Sharp to surrender and sent Lieutenant Colonel Jesse Traywick as his emissary to Sharp in Mindanao to enforce his surrender order. [2]
Sharp in turned send several emissaries to different island garrisons in the Visayas to ensure his order is carried immediately. On May 12, 1942, all forces in the southern islands surrendered. [2] Wainwright sent Lieutenant Colonel Gailbrith to contact Colonel John Horan and Major Guillermo Nakar in northern Luzon. Colonel Horan surrendered his troops but Major Nakar refused to surrender 14th Infantry Regiment. Major General Guillermo Francisco was sent to Legaspi to stop the Constabularies for further fighting and surrendered.
Although majority of USFIP surrendered many American and Filipino officers refused, went to hills and established their based and continued to fight as guerilla unit. It took a while to contact Australia or America so these men relied on the support of the Filipinos for food and money. The command cease to exist, Filipino soldiers captured where released in August 1942 while American Prisoners were moved to mainland Luzon and Palawan. Healthy ones are brought to Japan and sick one were keep on POW camps in Tarlac and Cabanatuan which were rescued in 1945 by US Army Rangers.
United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) was a military formation of the United States Army active from 1941 to 1946. The new command's headquarters was created on 26 July 1941, at No. 1, Calle Victoria, Manila, Luzon, the Philippines, with General Douglas MacArthur as commander. The Chief of Staff was Brigadier General Richard K. Sutherland and the Deputy Chief of Staff was Lieutenant Colonel Richard J. Marshall. The core of this command was drawn from the Office of the Military Advisor to the Commonwealth Government of the Philippines.
The 61st Division of the Philippine Army was an infantry division from the 1941 to 1942.
William Fletcher Sharp was a United States Army major general.
The 71st Infantry Division was a reserve division of the Philippine Army that fought under the United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE). It was known for its fight with Japanese invading forces in Layac Junction, that was ordered to hold until all retreating Fil-American forces of crossed into Bataan Peninsula.
The 81st Infantry Division was a reserve division of the Philippine Army under the United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE). It was established in the prewar period and fought 1941–1942. Its troops are from Cebu, Bohol, and Leyte but most of its troops are Americans and junior officers are Filipinos coming mostly from Luzon. The division served in defense of Mindanao but it never commanded the 4 of its maneuver regiments but was supplemented with 61st Infantry from Panay and 73rd Infantry from Negros. Also, 2nd Regular Regiment was transferred to its command in the early part of Japanese invasion of Mindanao.
Visayas-Mindanao Force was a military formation created in November 1941 to command all soldiers of US Army, US Philippine Scouts, Philippine Army, and Philippine Constabulary in the southern islands of the Philippines. Colonel William F. Sharp was appointed as commanding general and was promoted to Brigadier General in November 1941 and later Major General. His executive officer is Major Howard Edmands. He was just starting to organize his command and train his soldiers into a fighting unit when the war started on December 7, 1941.
Mindanao Force is a corps size military unit defending the island of Mindanao the second largest Island of the Philippines from March 17, 1942, to its surrender on May 9, 1942. The force was already created when the Visayas-Mindanao Force was split into two in March 1942. It was initiated in February 1942 in the headquarters of US Army Forces in the Far East but took effect when General Douglas MacArthur departed for Australia on March 17, 1942.
Visayan Force is a US Forces in the Philippines subcommand which was created and took effect on March 17, 1942, after General Douglas MacArthur departed for Australia. It was disintegrated in the month after its creation due to the loss of contact of Visayan Force headquarters during the Japanese invasion of Cebu in April 16 to 19, 1942, it resorted to guerilla warfare. Eventually all forces in the Visayas was ordered to surrender on May 11, 1942.
82nd Infantry Regiment is a unit activated by the Philippine Commonwealth Army for the defense of the Philippine during World War II. It defended the Cebu Island particularly in the southern part of Cebu during the Japanese landings in Cebu island on April 16, 1942. It surrendered on May 12, 1942, after it was ordered by Visayas-Mindanao Force commander General Sharp to surrender.
Cebu Brigade is a military unit and formation organized in January 1942 by Visayas-Mindanao Force to defend the island of Cebu after ordering 81st Infantry Division Headquarters moved to Mindanao to bolster its defenses. USAFFE and later USFIP saw the island vital for the transport of the supplies to Bataan and Corregidor. Colonel Irvine Scudder was appointed as its commander until its surrender to Japanese.
Negros Force was activated by USAFFE on September 1, 1941, to May 12, 1942. The force did not fought during the war but played in organizing units deployed to different sector. The force also continued to fight as a guerilla after the surrender. Although the two provinces was never united due to different affiliation of the commanders.
63rd Infantry Regiment is a reserve unit of Philippine Army activated and organized during World War II. I was organized from reservist and recruits high school and college students around the 6th Military District. It is part of the 61st Infantry Division activated to cover the island of Panay. The regiment fought entirely in Panay island until it was ordered to surrendered on May 12, 1942.
On April 14, 1942 Kawaguchi Detachment who just landed in Lingayen, Pangasinan intended as reinforcement of the 14th Imperial Japanese Army to finally subdue Philippine-American forces in Bataan. However, General King surrendered days earlier before they arrived. Instead, General Homma Masaharu commander of 14th Army ordered them south to secure Cebu island in the Visayas intended as launching place for invasion of Mindanao after it is secured.
Japanese invasion of Panay on April 16–18, 1942 was the second landing in the Visayas Islands after Fil-American forces surrendered in Bataan on April 9, 1942. It is the next step to prevent any supplies reach Corregidor Island and control the Visayas waters and established bases for the campaign to invade island of Mindanao to complete the invasion of the Philippines.
83rd Infantry Regiment of the Philippine Army is a reserve unit activated and organized in late 1941 few months before WW II commenced in the Philippines. It fought in Cebu Island during Japanese landings in April 1942 but ordered surrendered in May 1942. It was disbanded after all soldiers were POWs but some escaped and joined the guerilla movement in Cebu.
75th (Provisional) Infantry Regiment was a reserve unit of Philippine Commonwealth Army activated under Negros Force in January 1942. It saw no action as it was disbanded in May 1942 after it surrendered to Japanese during World War II. Most of its soldiers escaped and joined guerilla movement organized by Major Salvador Abcede.
Leyte Force is a brigade size unit that was organized in Leyte Island in the Philippines during World War II. It was commanded by Colonel Theodore Cornell of US Army until its surrender in May 1942 upon orders of General William Sharp commander of Visayas-Mindanao Force.
Bohol Force was an island garrison force on Bohol during World War II. The island is centrally located in southern Visayas, making it strategically important due to its proximity to Cebu, Leyte, and Mindanao.
64th Infantry Regiment, is a provisional unit of Philippine Commonwealth Army under 61st Infantry Division activated and organized in Panay Island. It fought the Japanese invaders in the island from April 18, 1942, to May 12, 1942, after ordered to surrender by Visayas-Mindanao Force commander Major General William F. Sharp.
65th Infantry (Provisional) Regiment, is a reserve unit of Philippine Commonwealth Army under 61st Infantry Division to cover Panay Island. It was organized entirely with trainees and recruits from Panay Island. It fought during the Invasion of the Japanese of Panay Island and resorted to guerilla warfare after the 61st Division surrendered on May 16, 1942.
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