1942 - Bataan Never Fell

Markus

Banned
What if the Allies won the Battle of Bataan, and the Death March never occurred?

The Japanese will win in the long run unless the Allies manage to break the blockade and resupply Bataan. If the Battle of Bataan drags on longer, the Japanese advace into New Guinea, the Solomons and possibly the DEI will be weakened/delayed. If the PI can be relieved, Japan´s offensive has utterly failed.
 
I suppose MacAurthur could order a breakout from Bataan and have his army melt away into the countryside to fight a guerilla war, but that would about be the only thing I could see happening. The Phillipines are cut off from supply.
 

CalBear

Moderator
Donor
Monthly Donor
What if the Allies won the Battle of Bataan, and the Death March never occurred?


This is, IOTL, impossible.

It would mean the U.S. had defeated Japan by April of 1942, or at least driven the JNAF & JAAF back to the Home Islands or had sufficient naval & ground forces and enough advanced long range fighters and bombers to:

1) Hold Mindanao as a base to strike at Japanese positions

2) Defeat the IJN at sea in the South China & Philippine Seas and neutralize Japanese air bases on Formosa, Malaya, and the DEI

3) Establish a robust supply line from the U.S. to Mindanao through to Manila to support & supply 70,000 troops in constant contact with enemy forces including evacuation of wounded and replacement of wounded and injured men with trained troops.

Simply put, not possible.
 
Calbear is 100% correct. As early as the early 1920's the planners had concluded that in case of war with Japan, the PI were on their own & that they could not expect significant reinforcement from the US in any reasonable time.

Having said that,IF MacArthur responds quickly after PH (as in does not let AF get caught on ground) and makes sure that supplies are stashed in Bataan, then Bataan & Corregidor hold out much longer & eat up much more in the way of Japanese resources. The death march or equivalent still happens since a major part of the problem was the Japanese had made no provision for large numbers of POWs. Of course, Japanese attitudes & behaviors are the same.

Another failure was leaving Wainwright in Corregidor in command of ALL US forces in the PI. Because of this the Japanese could force a surrender of all US forces, even those still capable of effective resistance and/or guerrilla war in the Southern PI. If Wainwright is ONLY in command of Luzon forces, then Short can continue in the south, as even the Japanese will respect the fact that Wainwright cannot order the surrender of troops he does not command.
 
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