Eisenhower in the Pacific: Part 1 The Shoestring Warriors of Luzon

If the Japanese advance into Burma is messed up by the Philippines holding out, that possibly keeps the Burma Road open as far as routes for the US to shift stuff into China goes. (And also if enough of Burma is still producing cereal/grains for the Allied market, massively reduces the negative effects of the OTL Bengal Famine.)
Not to mention the '43 Hunan famine in China, though the Japanese were also to blame there.
 
What was the main infrantry weapons used by both sides during the Philippines Campaign?

Historically? For the PCA, their main infantry weapons consisted of M1917 Enfield rifles, BARs, and M1917 Browning heavy machine guns. The numbers allotted for the latter two were well below those of an equivalent American unit.
 
The Battling Bastards of Bataan
US Army Philippines January 15, 1942
After the retreat into Bataan the US Army Far East is reorganized into 3 Corps plus a general reserve. Over 12,000 men were lost due to death, wounds, capture or are simply missing as a result of the fighting at the beachheads and in the delaying action that followed.

To make good those losses, the 4th Engineer Brigade has both of its regiments converted into infantry and assigned to the mauled 21st Infantry Division (which lost 6 battalions in its fight from Lamon Bay to Bataan), while each of the remaining engineer brigades have 2 battalions each disbanded to provide infantry replacements. The American rear area personnel are combed out to provide replacements for the 31st Infantry Regiment, 65th Infantry Regiment, and 112th Cavalry Regiment so that for a brief time in mid January all of the combat units are at full strength.

Eisenhower establishes his forward headquarters at Mariveles, sends General Ord to command the rear area at Corregidor, and gives Wainwright tactical command of the forces on Bataan, with General King commanding the I Corps, General Parker commanding the II Corps and General Lim commanding III Corps. General Weaver remains in command of the 6th Cavalry Brigade, which has both cavalry regiments and both tank battalions assigned, as well as both engineer battalions from the 12th and 23rd Infantry Divisions. Brigadier General Beebe remains as Eisenhower's chief of staff.

However by January 20 Eisenhower is under pressure to move from the Philippines to Australia, as he has responsibility for all US Army forces not only in the Philippines, but also in the Dutch East Indies and Australia and although he delays as long as he can, by February 1 a Presidential Order from Washington DC arrives directing him to move his headquarters post haste.


US Army Bataan
I Corps (42,000 men)
12th Infantry Division (31st US, 57th PS, 13th PA), (11,000 men)
1st Philippine Infantry Division (1st PA, 2nd PA, 3rd PA)(11,000 men)
51st Philippine Infantry Division (51st PA, 52nd PA, 45th PS) (11,000 men)
Corps HQ and artillery (9,000 men)
II Corps (31,000 men)
11th Philippine Infantry Division (11th PA, 12th PA, 43rd PS) (11,000 men)
23rd Infantry Division (65th US, 47th PS, 53rd PA) (11,000 men)
Corps HQ and artillery (9,000 men)
III Corps (32,000 men)
21st Infantry Division (21st PA, 25th PA, 26th PA) (11,000 men)
101st Infantry Regiment (2,500 men)
1st Engineer Brigade (3,500 men)
2nd Engineer Brigade (3,500 men)
3rd Engineer Brigade (3,500 men)
1st Separate Battalion (USMC)(1,000)
Corps HQ and artillery (7,000 men)
USAFE rear area and reserve (7,000 men)
9th Cavalry Brigade (3,000 men, 60 tanks, 45 halftracks with 75mm guns)
service and support (4,000 men includes Navy and Army Air Force personnel)
total force 112,000 men

Manila Bay Defenses (General Moore)
Fort Mills (Corregidor), Fort Drum, Fort Hughes, Fort Frank (16,000 men) includes coast defense troops and the 91st Infantry Brigade (PA)


Cebu, Panay and Leyte Islands (Chynoweth) (17,000)
31st Philippine Infantry Division (11,000) (31st PA Cebu, 32nd PA Leyte, 33rd PA Panay)
plus 6,000 service and support personnel including Army Air Force and medical staff of evacuation hospital

Mindanao (Sharp) (13,000)
41st Philippine Infantry Division (11,000) (41st PA, 42nd PA, 43rd PA)
803rd Army Air Force Engineer battalion (1,000)
IV Corps HQ (2,000 men)


plus 2,000 service and support including Army Air Force and Navy personnel and staff of evacuation hospital




 
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Map of the First Defense Line Bataan January 15, 1942
FIrst Defense Line January 15, 1942.gif
 
authors note: TTL defenders are roughly the same size as the historical defense, but have adequate food and medicine. Many of the worst of the mosquito breeding grounds in the rear area have been dealt with by the engineers, although the infantry in the front line positions still have some vulnerability as they are in the jungle.

The initial defense line and the second line (which runs 3 kilometers north of Highway 111 parallel to it) have prepared fortified strongpoints for the artillery and heavy weapons, and company sized strong points for the infantry. Because of the dense jungle and difficult terrain of Mount Natib, there is no solid line but a series of strongpoints and gaps that are patrolled instead. This is risky, but visibility in at best a few dozen meters for much of the Mount Natib area so interlocking fields of fire are essentially impossible in any event.

This is pretty much how the historical defense was organized, although the initial defense line here is a few kilometers further north.

All three airfields, including an 8,500 foot bomber strip and two 5,000 foot fighter strips are near Mariveles.

There are radar stations at Mariveles and on Topside at Corregidor
 
that is pretty much it for the weekend....information on Japanese forces will be posted when the first Japanese assault on the Bataan 1st Defense Line begins
 
It looks like the IJA can only advance in a series of two flanks. One on a thin strip to the left and a wider strip to the right. This is due to the mountains in the middle.

Hope the US Army can defend these choke points, unlike OTL.
 
historical map of Japanese attacks Battle of Bataan

CMH_FoTP-Map_13.jpg


note the historical defense line vs the TTL defense line

The Filipino troops are far higher quality TTL, and are able, particularly as they are stiffened by PS regiments (and all are blooded and experienced now) to hold a longer front although even TTL the line between I and II Corps is not a solid front at Mount Natib due to terrain issues (jungle mountains)
 

Driftless

Donor
Does Ike's departure earlier in the battle to take up the entire regional command, somewhat hamstring the historic Japanese coercion to surrender all commands in the Philippines, not just on Bataan? Or no difference?
 
The US numbers are in, and the defense lines are manned. Now they will have to wait to see just what Japan will throw at them. The blood will flow, but to what degree and how well the individual units will be will have to wait and be revealed. The bad thing is that Japan will stat to bring in air units and base them close to Bataan and this will aid them in isolating the US and Filipino troops.
 
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