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The Rock Holds On
Japanese Reaction May 26 – June 12
A shocked General Homma is forced to report on the afternoon of May 26 that his assault on Corregidor has failed, and more to his embarrassment, most of the 1st Guards Regiment has been destroyed along with half of his landing craft. Tokyo has already been repeatedly disappointed by the delays in the campaign so far, which was supposed to have secured Luzon by the February 1942 and the rest of the Philippines by the end of April as part of a general mopping up operation. The delays caused by the unexpected heavy American resistance and casualties far heavier than expected have already forced the Army to take divisions from the Manchuria Army, ending any hope of moving against the Soviet Union should the German summer offensive achieve the expected Soviet collapse.
The heavy artillery bombardment and massing of artillery was all planned. But there was no expectation that once the ammunition stockpiled and then fired at the Americans would require replenishment. There is no continuous pipeline of ships allocated to bringing more ammunition to the Philippines. The assault regiments were not expected to need replacement. Indeed the Army bombers were supposed to move on to other operations planned in India and China, while the divisions assigned to the Philippines were supposed to remain in occupation roles or move on to the planned South Seas Operation.
The Luzon Campaign has wrecked due to battle casualties and disease 6 entire infantry divisions, several engineer regiments (both combat and landing craft units), and several tank regiments. While none were destroyed, none are fit for offensive operations nor likely to be for at least a year. Another four divisions are in Burma, three more are in the Dutch East Indies with another slated to increase that garrison, and three are now busy in the central and southern Philippines. Thus 16 divisions out of the 39 available at the end of 1941 are accounted for. Although 34 divisions are being raised this year, and many of them have sufficient equipment and training to go into garrison roles in Indochina, the East Indies and Manchuria this still leaves only 23 divisions that are combat ready, spread between Manchuria, China, Indochina, Taiwan and the Home Islands.
The Doolittle Raid in April had an electrifying effect on the Army as well as the Navy. For the Army that the Americans flew to Nationalist Chinese territory after bombing Tokyo is infuriating and something that must be dealt with. For the Army the China Expedition is their principal war, with all other operations aside from Manchuria being secondary theaters that primarily are diversions or primarily in the Navy's area of responsibility. The Army General Staff believes that there are four real choices for the remainder of the year. They include an large offensive against the Chinese Nationalists who are now isolated from the rest of the world with the fall of Burma (and already underway as Operation Sei-Go in Zhejaing-Jaingxi); an offensive against the Soviet Union should it collapse under the weight of German attacks (an option now forestalled); an invasion of India using Burma and Chittagong which will require troops from the China Expeditionary Army; or provide several more divisions to assist the Navy in carrying out operations the Navy hopes to conduct beginning in the summer.
In endless meetings and after considerable argument that only the intervention by the Emperor finally manages to resolve, the Army agrees to supply the Navy with 3 divisions for its South Sea Operation, another division will provide troops for the Northern Operation and finally another division will be held in reserve in Japan to be committed to the South Seas if needed. However, while the troops for the Northern Operation are made immediately available, the divisions and their needed shipping for the South Sea Operation will not be available until September or later (3 divisions and their shipping) and the other division will not be made available to the Navy until after it goes to Luzon, finishes off Corregidor, and recovers after that. Four of these divisions are coming from Manchuria, and shipping is needed to move newly raised divisions to Manchuria to replace them as well as divisions being moved to China for the planned Operation Ichi-Go (set for August). Thus the 8th Infantry Division is the unit picked for the reduction of Corregidor, along with replacement landing craft for the 21st and 23rd Engineer Regiments (landing craft) and the 22nd Engineer Regiment is deployed from Java to Luzon. None of these troops will reach Luzon before July 1 however.
New Command
One of the first steps taken however is the removal of General Homma from command. On May 29 he is ordered to report to Tokyo to make a full report. Meanwhile General Shizuichi Tanaka is appointed Military Governor of the Philippines and given command of the 14th Area Army, which consists of all Japanese Army forces in the Philippine Islands. An unusual Japanese general, he received his degree in Oxford (English Literature) and had opposed war with the United States but he has experience running the Kempeitai in the Kanto Region, and is well thought of for his professionalism and his record in China is excellent. His experience working with the Americans as a military attache in Washington (where he met MacArthur and Eisenhower in 1932) is also unique.
General Tanaka arrives in Manila on June 3 and he begins inspecting his troops in Bataan, Mariveles and most importantly his air units. Within days he orders most of the artillery and troops be removed from the disease pest hole that is Bataan and the heavier guns are sent to Cavite Province, with only a few light artillery battalions remaining near Mariveles. He also begins planning a new amphibious assault for July 6, and a new bombardment plan to begin June 21. In the meantime, now Lieutenant Colonel Kondo continues to fire his artillery every night at the remaining American held islands, while daily harassment raids continue day and night by his air forces.
American Reaction
The successful defense of the Rock is a welcome shock in the United States, and President Roosevelt pressures his military chiefs to take even more action to extend resistance as long as possible and to see if more men can be gotten out. Navy Secretary Frank Knox sends a special representative with considerable authority to the South Pacific, and instructions are given to Nimitz to make what forces that are practical to assist.
A new commander arrives in the South Pacific, Rear Admiral Lockwood, who takes command of Allied Submarine Forces, Southwest Pacific. With him as new commander of Operation Mail Call (submarine support efforts for the Philippines) is Commander Charles Momsen, who had previously been commended directly by the President for the rescue of the crew of the Squalus in 1939, and considered one of the best engineering minds in the submarine service. Momsen is forced to give up command of Submarine Squadron 2 as a result, but finds himself with a very challenging mission indeed. Both men arrive in Brisbane on June 2, and in coordination with staff supplied by Eisenhower and Admiral Bellanger (Commander US Naval Forces Southwest Pacific).
Within days a plan that had already been provisionally outlined as a 'wishful thinking' operation by Commander Joseph Connolly is finalized and sent to Eisenhower, Nimitz, as well as Washington for approval. Operation Shoestring is set into motion.
The Rock endures
Meanwhile the garrison continues to hold out. The arrival of the the six large submarines every night beginning May 27 results in the offloading of tons of barbed wire, telephone cable, new radio equipment, 30 rubber boats (and outboard motors for them), canned food including C rations and canned fruit, and many cartons of cigarettes, plus tons of desperately desired mail which includes care packages from home and more importantly, news from families at home. A total of 1,000 people are evacuated, including the last of the civilian war correspondents, 100 Marines, 200 Filipino and American sailors, 200 wounded considered fit to travel but unlikely to survive captivity (including neuro-psychiatric cases who travel heavily sedated as well as the remaining blind), and finally 450 soldiers considered to have valuable leadership skills who can provide cadre, with enlisted men (E4-E5 ranks) and junior officers (O2-03 ranks) who have been recommended or received individual decorations. The final small group are 30 old soldiers who have 25 years or more of service, including Master Sergeant William Beeman of Battery Chicago, who in his 30 years, 6 months of service has served in the infantry, cavalry, field artillery and coast artillery and saw combat in the US Army Siberia Expedition in 1918. As a former member of the 31st Infantry Regiment, he is entrusted with that regiments sacred Shanghai Bowl and Cups along with the regimental colors.
The Shanghai Bowl and its Cups (from 31st Infantry Regiment Association)
As part of the evacuation, the colors of the 12th and 23rd Divisions are taken out, along with the regimental colors of the 31st and 65th Infantry Regiments, as well as the 112th Cavalry Regiment. Sufficient men have been evacuated by air and sea over the course of the campaign that an actual cadre of men have reached Allied territory to allow for the rebuilding of those regiments.
coat of arms, 65th Infantry Regiment
Colors, Philippine Scouts
A shocked General Homma is forced to report on the afternoon of May 26 that his assault on Corregidor has failed, and more to his embarrassment, most of the 1st Guards Regiment has been destroyed along with half of his landing craft. Tokyo has already been repeatedly disappointed by the delays in the campaign so far, which was supposed to have secured Luzon by the February 1942 and the rest of the Philippines by the end of April as part of a general mopping up operation. The delays caused by the unexpected heavy American resistance and casualties far heavier than expected have already forced the Army to take divisions from the Manchuria Army, ending any hope of moving against the Soviet Union should the German summer offensive achieve the expected Soviet collapse.
The heavy artillery bombardment and massing of artillery was all planned. But there was no expectation that once the ammunition stockpiled and then fired at the Americans would require replenishment. There is no continuous pipeline of ships allocated to bringing more ammunition to the Philippines. The assault regiments were not expected to need replacement. Indeed the Army bombers were supposed to move on to other operations planned in India and China, while the divisions assigned to the Philippines were supposed to remain in occupation roles or move on to the planned South Seas Operation.
The Luzon Campaign has wrecked due to battle casualties and disease 6 entire infantry divisions, several engineer regiments (both combat and landing craft units), and several tank regiments. While none were destroyed, none are fit for offensive operations nor likely to be for at least a year. Another four divisions are in Burma, three more are in the Dutch East Indies with another slated to increase that garrison, and three are now busy in the central and southern Philippines. Thus 16 divisions out of the 39 available at the end of 1941 are accounted for. Although 34 divisions are being raised this year, and many of them have sufficient equipment and training to go into garrison roles in Indochina, the East Indies and Manchuria this still leaves only 23 divisions that are combat ready, spread between Manchuria, China, Indochina, Taiwan and the Home Islands.
The Doolittle Raid in April had an electrifying effect on the Army as well as the Navy. For the Army that the Americans flew to Nationalist Chinese territory after bombing Tokyo is infuriating and something that must be dealt with. For the Army the China Expedition is their principal war, with all other operations aside from Manchuria being secondary theaters that primarily are diversions or primarily in the Navy's area of responsibility. The Army General Staff believes that there are four real choices for the remainder of the year. They include an large offensive against the Chinese Nationalists who are now isolated from the rest of the world with the fall of Burma (and already underway as Operation Sei-Go in Zhejaing-Jaingxi); an offensive against the Soviet Union should it collapse under the weight of German attacks (an option now forestalled); an invasion of India using Burma and Chittagong which will require troops from the China Expeditionary Army; or provide several more divisions to assist the Navy in carrying out operations the Navy hopes to conduct beginning in the summer.
In endless meetings and after considerable argument that only the intervention by the Emperor finally manages to resolve, the Army agrees to supply the Navy with 3 divisions for its South Sea Operation, another division will provide troops for the Northern Operation and finally another division will be held in reserve in Japan to be committed to the South Seas if needed. However, while the troops for the Northern Operation are made immediately available, the divisions and their needed shipping for the South Sea Operation will not be available until September or later (3 divisions and their shipping) and the other division will not be made available to the Navy until after it goes to Luzon, finishes off Corregidor, and recovers after that. Four of these divisions are coming from Manchuria, and shipping is needed to move newly raised divisions to Manchuria to replace them as well as divisions being moved to China for the planned Operation Ichi-Go (set for August). Thus the 8th Infantry Division is the unit picked for the reduction of Corregidor, along with replacement landing craft for the 21st and 23rd Engineer Regiments (landing craft) and the 22nd Engineer Regiment is deployed from Java to Luzon. None of these troops will reach Luzon before July 1 however.
New Command
One of the first steps taken however is the removal of General Homma from command. On May 29 he is ordered to report to Tokyo to make a full report. Meanwhile General Shizuichi Tanaka is appointed Military Governor of the Philippines and given command of the 14th Area Army, which consists of all Japanese Army forces in the Philippine Islands. An unusual Japanese general, he received his degree in Oxford (English Literature) and had opposed war with the United States but he has experience running the Kempeitai in the Kanto Region, and is well thought of for his professionalism and his record in China is excellent. His experience working with the Americans as a military attache in Washington (where he met MacArthur and Eisenhower in 1932) is also unique.
General Tanaka arrives in Manila on June 3 and he begins inspecting his troops in Bataan, Mariveles and most importantly his air units. Within days he orders most of the artillery and troops be removed from the disease pest hole that is Bataan and the heavier guns are sent to Cavite Province, with only a few light artillery battalions remaining near Mariveles. He also begins planning a new amphibious assault for July 6, and a new bombardment plan to begin June 21. In the meantime, now Lieutenant Colonel Kondo continues to fire his artillery every night at the remaining American held islands, while daily harassment raids continue day and night by his air forces.
American Reaction
The successful defense of the Rock is a welcome shock in the United States, and President Roosevelt pressures his military chiefs to take even more action to extend resistance as long as possible and to see if more men can be gotten out. Navy Secretary Frank Knox sends a special representative with considerable authority to the South Pacific, and instructions are given to Nimitz to make what forces that are practical to assist.
A new commander arrives in the South Pacific, Rear Admiral Lockwood, who takes command of Allied Submarine Forces, Southwest Pacific. With him as new commander of Operation Mail Call (submarine support efforts for the Philippines) is Commander Charles Momsen, who had previously been commended directly by the President for the rescue of the crew of the Squalus in 1939, and considered one of the best engineering minds in the submarine service. Momsen is forced to give up command of Submarine Squadron 2 as a result, but finds himself with a very challenging mission indeed. Both men arrive in Brisbane on June 2, and in coordination with staff supplied by Eisenhower and Admiral Bellanger (Commander US Naval Forces Southwest Pacific).
Within days a plan that had already been provisionally outlined as a 'wishful thinking' operation by Commander Joseph Connolly is finalized and sent to Eisenhower, Nimitz, as well as Washington for approval. Operation Shoestring is set into motion.
The Rock endures
Meanwhile the garrison continues to hold out. The arrival of the the six large submarines every night beginning May 27 results in the offloading of tons of barbed wire, telephone cable, new radio equipment, 30 rubber boats (and outboard motors for them), canned food including C rations and canned fruit, and many cartons of cigarettes, plus tons of desperately desired mail which includes care packages from home and more importantly, news from families at home. A total of 1,000 people are evacuated, including the last of the civilian war correspondents, 100 Marines, 200 Filipino and American sailors, 200 wounded considered fit to travel but unlikely to survive captivity (including neuro-psychiatric cases who travel heavily sedated as well as the remaining blind), and finally 450 soldiers considered to have valuable leadership skills who can provide cadre, with enlisted men (E4-E5 ranks) and junior officers (O2-03 ranks) who have been recommended or received individual decorations. The final small group are 30 old soldiers who have 25 years or more of service, including Master Sergeant William Beeman of Battery Chicago, who in his 30 years, 6 months of service has served in the infantry, cavalry, field artillery and coast artillery and saw combat in the US Army Siberia Expedition in 1918. As a former member of the 31st Infantry Regiment, he is entrusted with that regiments sacred Shanghai Bowl and Cups along with the regimental colors.
The Shanghai Bowl and its Cups (from 31st Infantry Regiment Association)
As part of the evacuation, the colors of the 12th and 23rd Divisions are taken out, along with the regimental colors of the 31st and 65th Infantry Regiments, as well as the 112th Cavalry Regiment. Sufficient men have been evacuated by air and sea over the course of the campaign that an actual cadre of men have reached Allied territory to allow for the rebuilding of those regiments.
coat of arms, 65th Infantry Regiment
Colors, Philippine Scouts
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