Chapter XXIII


1 Collier, Notebooks, III, 39.

2 Luzon Force Rpt of Opns, G-1 Annex, p. 1.

3 Ibid., table in G-1 Annex.

4 The description of the line is from Luzon Force Rpt of Opns, G-3 Annex, pp. 1-3; NLF and I Corps Rpt of Opns, pp. 22 ff; SLF and II Corps Rpt of Opns, pp. 37-46, 50.

5 Luzon Force Rpt of Opns, p. 7; Mallonée, Bataan Diary, II, 80.

6 Skerry, Comments on Engineer Hist, Nos. 10 and 15; SLF and II Corps Rpt of Opns, p. 37.

7 Tisdelle, Diary, entry of 6 Feb 42.

8 Tng Memo 5, USAFFE, 26 Feb 42, AG 353 (10 Jan 42) Phil Rcds.

9 SLF and II Corps Rpt of Opns, p. 46; Bluemel, 31st Div (PA) Rpt of Opns, p. 17.

10 Tng Memo 4, USAFFE, 12 Jan 42, AG 353 (10 Jan 42) Phil Rcds.

11 Tng Memo 10, USAFFE, 1 Feb 42, AG 353 (10 Jan 42) Phil Rcds.

12 Ibid.

13 Tng Memo 14, USAFFE, 25 Feb 42, AG 353 (10 Jan 42) Phil Rcds.

14 Ibid.

15 SLF and II Corps Rpt of Opns, p. 46.

16 Skerry, Comments on Engineer Hist, No. 19; NLF and I Corps Rpt of Opns, p. 29; Note by Gen Brougher on 11th Div Tng Memo, 4 Mar 42, copy in OCMH.

17 Memo, Chief Engineer, GHQ SWPA for CofS GHQ, AG 307.24 (10-25-42E) GHQ SWPA.

18 Luzon Force Rpt of Opns, p. 3.

19 NLF and I Corps Rpt of Opns, p. 29.

20 Collier, Notebooks, III, 60.

21 Wainwright, General Wainwright's Story, p. 76.

22 USA vs. Homma, p. 2457, testimony of Gen Wachi. See also ibid., Homma's testimony on p. 3062, Nakajima's on p. 2575, and Defense Exhibit Y, a casualty chart prepared by the 14th Army surgeon. 65th Brig Opns Rpt, p. 34; 14th Army Opns, I, 116, 231.

23 USA vs. Homma, pp. 2536, 2876-79, 2848, 3122, testimony of Homma and of Col Shusuke Horiguchi, 14th Army surgeon. The normal Japanese field ration consisted of rice, fish, vegetables, soup, and pickled plums or radishes. Other items, such as meat, sweets, and fruits, were issued on special occasions. Handbook of Japanese Military Forces, TM-E 30-480, 15 Sept 44, pp. 177-79.

24 USA vs. Homma, pp. 2831-50, testimony of Horiguchi. See also testimony on pp. 2680-83, 2792, 2799, and Defense Exhibit Y.

25 Hist, Army Sec, Imperial GHQ, p. 42.

26 USA vs. Homma, p. 3228, testimony of Homma.

27 Ibid., and Defense Exhibit A; Southern Army Opns, p. 19. General Maeda gives his own reasons for his relief in Interrog of Maeda, 10 May 47, Interrogations of Former Japanese Officers, Mil Hist Div, GHQ FEC, I.

28 14th Army Opns, I, 123; 65th Brig Opns Rpt, Mt. Samat, p. 34; ltr, Chief, Hist Div, SSUSA, to G-2, GHQ FEC, 9 Nov 48, 3d Ind, 16 Aug 49.

29 USA vs. Homma, pp. 2841-42, testimony of Horiguchi; Interrog of Gen Kitano, 1 May 47, Interrogations of Former Japanese Officers, Mil Hist Div, GHQ FEC, I; 14th Army Opns, I, 119; ltr, Chief, Hist Div, SSUSA, to G-2 GHQ FEC, 9 Nov 48, 3d Ind, 16 Aug 49.

30 USA vs. Homma, p. 3063, testimony of Homma. Kitano had served under Homma in 1935-36 as a regimental commander when the latter commanded a brigade of the 4th Division.

31 Hist of Indo-China Opns, 1941-45, Japanese Studies in World War II, No. 24, pp. 12-13, OCMH; Southern Army Opns, pp. 4-5, 19.

32 14th Army Opns, I, 119. The unit was led by Col. Torao Ikuta and is referred to in some sources as the Ikuta Detachment.
In addition to the strong reinforcements sent to Luzon, Imperial General Headquarters dispatched units to other portions of the Philippine Archipelago to hasten the occupation of the Visayas and Mindanao. Thus far only Mindoro, a portion of Mindanao, and a few small islands seized at the start of the war were in Japanese hands. On 10 March elements of the 5th and 18th Divisions from Malaya and Borneo were assigned the task of occupying the central and southern Philippines. In early April these units arrived in Lingayen Gulf, were augmented by 14th Army supporting and service troops and organized into two detachments for operations in the south. See below, Ch. XXVIII.

33 14th Army Opns, I, 119-20; USA vs. Homma, p. 2635, testimony of Kitajima. The artillery reinforcements consisted of the following units:

1st Arty Hq
1st Field Heavy Arty Regt (240-mm. howitzers)
2d Independent Heavy Arty Btry (240-mm. howitzers)
3d Independent Mountain Arty Regt (75-mm. mountain guns)
3d Mortar Bn
14th Independent Mortar Bn (300-mm. mortars)
2d Independent Mortar Bn (150-mm, mortars)
20th Independent Mountain Arty Bn (75-mm. mountain guns)
One Co, 21st Field Heavy Arty Bn (150-mm. howitzers)
5th Arty Intel Regt
3d Tractor Unit
1st Balloon Co

34 14th Army Opns, I, 156; 5th Air Gp Opns, pp. 58, 70-71; ltr, Chief, Hist Div, SSUSA, to G-2 GHQ FEC, 9 Nov 48, 3d Ind, 16 Aug 49.

35 USA vs. Homma, pp. 2457, 2576. At his trial General Homma explained that his intelligence officer had estimated enemy strength on Bataan as 25,000 men, but that he, Homma, believed this figure to be too low. He had told his intelligence officer so and had directed him to "go back and estimate again." The next estimate was 40,000. "So," explained Homma at his trial, "in my estimation, I told him it must be 60,000, but I have no data to contradict you, so I accept your estimation." Ibid., pp. 3064-65.

36 The description of the Japanese plan is based upon: 14th Army Opns, I, 128-42, 146-56, II, 17-42; 5th Air Gp Opns, pp. 54-63; Interrog of Kitano, 1 May 47, Interrogations of Former Japanese Officers, Mil Hist Div, GHQ FEC, I; Statements of Lt Col Hiromi Oishi, 4th Div staff, 2 Oct 50, ATIS Doc 62639, and Col Motohiko Yoshida, CofS 4th Div, 28 Jul 49, ATIS Doc 62642, both in Statements of Japanese Officials on World War II, GHQ FEC, Mil Intel Sec, III, 113, IV, 548.

37 14th Army Opns, II, 16, Homma Notes, and I, 129; USA vs. Homma, p. 3065, testimony of Homma.

38 Interrog of Kitano, 1 May 47, Interrogations of Former Japanese Officer, Mil Hist Div, GHQ FEC, I.

39 Collier, Notebooks, III, 52, 59; O'Day, 21st Div (PA), II, 35-36; 14th Army Opns, I, 122-23; Luzon Force Rpt of Opns, G-2 Annex. A daily report on the enemy build-up is contained in the messages of General Beebe to MacArthur, and Wainwright to the War Department in G-3 USFIP Journal, 19 Mar-19 Apr 42, AG 461 (1 Apr 42) Phil Rcds.

40 Luzon Force Rpt of Opns, p. 2 and G-2 Annex; Collier, Notebooks, III, 52, 58-59; Mallonée, Bataan Diary, II, 79-80.

41 Quintard, Diary, entries of 19 Mar-1 Apr 42; Luzon Force Rpt of Opns, p. 7; Collier, Notebooks, III, 59, 62.

42 The text of the surrender message is in the exhibits of the trial of General Homma, Prosecution Exhibit 421.

43 Luzon Force Rpt of Opns, G-2 Annex; SLF and II Corps Rpt of Opns, p. 47; Emerson, Opns of II Phil Corps, 10 Jan-8 Apr 42, pp. 21-22; Fortier, Notes on 41st Div (PA), p. 5; ltr, Fowler to author, 22 Mar 49, OCMH.

44 Mallonée, Bataan Diary, II, 80.

45 Luzon Force Rpt of Opns, p. 7.

46 Capt Andrew D. Shoemake, 41st FA (PA), p. 32, Chunn Notebooks. Shoemake was instructor of the 2d Battalion, 41st Field Artillery (PA).

47 Quintard, Diary, entry of 28 Mar 42.

48 14th Army Opns, I, 143-44; Luzon Force Rpt of Opns, p. 2; SLF and II Corps Rpt of Opns, p. 49; Oster and Richards, 21st Inf (PA), p. 10, Chunn Notebooks.

49 USAFFE-USFIP Rpt of Opns, p. 47.

50 14th Army Opns, II, 17, Homma notes.


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