Donald Reaver
Donor
Is there a airbase or land to build one in Bataan? If so that will be next on the USAAF to do list. At least at first for damaged planes to land.
Keynes' Cruisers Volume 2
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The first supply convoy would surely be carrying bulldozers and other earth moving equipment and the fuel for them and the men to operate and maintain them. Plus several thousand tons of other good things.
When the Americans can run an escorted supply convoy to the docks at Mariveles. Protect the freighters while they are being unloaded and then shepherd them back to their port of origin. And do this without losses or at least heavy losses and repeat the process at will then the siege of Bataan can be considered lifted.
This doesn't mean the redoubt is still not under threat. But I think it could seen as a rough analogy to Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea around mid 1942 OTL. It had enemy strong points located nearby and it was a long way from major Allied bases. It was also supplied over long distance. But its strength and capabilities were rapidly increased through late 1942 and 1943.
I would think the build up of Bataan in TTL would be more rapid than Port Moresbys' in OTL. It is clearly the best place to begin the liberation of Luzon from. Similar to the Allied advance from Port Moresby in 1943 OTL. The rebuilding of the Philippine Army and the reinforcement of the U.S. Army would happen in Bataan. And, similar to Port Moresby, a large airfield complex would be constructed on any available land far enough South to be out of range of IJA artillery. These airfields would be large enough to handle fighters and B-25s.
However, far different from the OTL New Guinea campaign which didn't face any large enemy occupied cities in New Guinea would be the liberation of Manila. Could it be achieved without becoming the sanguinary horror it was in OTL?
This doesn't mean the redoubt is still not under threat. But I think it could seen as a rough analogy to Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea around mid 1942 OTL. It had enemy strong points located nearby and it was a long way from major Allied bases. It was also supplied over long distance. But its strength and capabilities were rapidly increased through late 1942 and 1943.
I would think the build up of Bataan in TTL would be more rapid than Port Moresbys' in OTL. It is clearly the best place to begin the liberation of Luzon from. Similar to the Allied advance from Port Moresby in 1943 OTL. The rebuilding of the Philippine Army and the reinforcement of the U.S. Army would happen in Bataan. And, similar to Port Moresby, a large airfield complex would be constructed on any available land far enough South to be out of range of IJA artillery. These airfields would be large enough to handle fighters and B-25s.
However, far different from the OTL New Guinea campaign which didn't face any large enemy occupied cities in New Guinea would be the liberation of Manila. Could it be achieved without becoming the sanguinary horror it was in OTL?
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If the Japanese are determined to defend Manila to the last man like OTL, there is no good answer. You know if you put the city under siege every single civilian in Manila will starve before the Japanese have any food issues. An attack, if the Japanese want to go house to house, i still going to be a mess.
Post War Philippines should be quite different. A Filipino Army with a hell of a good record, well trained with lots of combat experience..that was never abandoned by the US. I think our Sgt/Capt is going to be a man of some distinction after the war.
Just surround the city and sit on it until the Japanese in Japan surrender. Let food and medical supplies get through if the Japanese troops agree to share them with the residents.
Trouble is OTL the Japanese decided to slaughter the civilians so surrounding will do no good
Maybe frequent meetings between the commanders on both sides, with good interpreters, could at least prevent the civilian massacres, or allow some women, children and elderly to leave the city.
Reasons given OTL for the attacks boiled down to the Japanese troops facing capture/death deciding to take it out on the civilians, so short of a miracle, the only way to save them is to take the city quickly.
Circumstances might be different enough in TTL that the Battle Of Manila would unfold differently. Mainly the Japanese garrison could be a lot smaller as the IJA doesn't have the resources available to provide the troop levels that were there in OTL late 1944. And perhaps there would not be the landed sailors available to beef up the Manila garrison.
Manila is a very large city so with a hopefully much smaller garrison in TTL the Japanese may not try to hold the whole city. They would concentrate in key areas in particular the harbour and dock areas. Which would likely end up getting demolished. Without heavy fighting occurring throughout Manila the civilian population might be largely spared compared to OTL.
Manila is a very large city so with a hopefully much smaller garrison in TTL the Japanese may not try to hold the whole city. They would concentrate in key areas in particular the harbour and dock areas. Which would likely end up getting demolished. Without heavy fighting occurring throughout Manila the civilian population might be largely spared compared to OTL.
The major problem OTL was the old city (intramuros) with dense heavy construction features and dense population. The actual size of the garrison that held out there was not so large - the army commander pulled his troops out to resist in the countryside it was a naval commander who used the naval infantry and other forces for the suicide move. A relatively small garrison can still cause a lot of havoc. As far as "humanitarian" supplies, this is the military that never let red cross packages including medical supplies through to POWs.
And we executed General Yamashita even though he wasn't in direct control of his troops...he was cut off north of the city. From what I've read quite an injustice.
Considering what the soldiers under his command did in Malaya and Singapore, Yamashita's date with the hang man was well earned. But it did not escape notice in Japan that the most prominent generals tried for war crimes were him and Honma, the men who had the gall to not roll over and die when facing Douglas MacArthur. The absolute botch job made of the war crimes trials in post war Japan is the reason I don't even give MacArthur credit for handling the occupation well. He screwed up one of his most important duties, and that's why I'll never say he did a good job as SCAP.
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What exactly did MacArthur ever do to give him such a high opinion of himself?
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