Japanese Landings on the Philippine Soil

On December 7, 1941(December 8, Philippine Time), the Japanese forces bombed the US Naval base at Pearl Harbor. Later that day, my grandfather was shocked upon hearing the news on the radio. He was really convinced that it will be the start of the Second World War. The truth behind this was, the Japanese Government has already planning to attack the US Military bases in South-East Asia at the beginning of 1941. The Japanese planned to attack the U.S. because they stood with the Pacific and South-East Asian countries including the Philippines. They knew that the U.S. would be the gigantic wall to block the expansion of their Empire. They even inserted a spy, Takeo Yoshikawa, into Hawaii from March 1941 who regularly reported on US Navy activities, to facilitate a Japanese attack. This was many months before the embargo hoax. The others at the time theorized that the attack on Pearl Harbor was just because the U.S. had to put out an oil embargo on Japan. The bombing at Pearl Harbor was a surprise attack that leads the US to enter World War II. Tragically, the same day, December 8, Philippine time Japanese forces landed on the small island of Bataan, later on from the air they attacked the Naval base in Cavite and Clark Airbase in Pampanga from there the Japanese began to invade the Philippines, which was home to a number of important U.S. army bases at the time. This invasion started only ten hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The attack was intended to minimize interference from the Far East Air Force (FEAF) during the subsequent invasion of the Philippines by the Empire of Japan. The capture of the Philippines was essential to control shipping routes between Japan and the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. Hostilities were initiated by the attack on Pearl Harbor at 07:48 Hawaiian Time (UTC-10) on 7 December 1941. United States Army Air Forces aircraft losses on the ground in the Philippines were similar to those sustained on Oahu despite nine hours available for preparations following the Pearl Harbor attack, but commanding general Douglas MacArthur avoided the disgrace suffered by Hawaiian commanding general Walter Short. Clark Field was the primary airbase for the bombers expected to provide offensive airstrike capability under the Rainbow 5 war plan. Fighter aircraft expected to provide defensive cover could use Clark Field or satellite airfields including Nichols Field and Nielson Field to the southeast, Iba Airfield to the west, and Del Carmen Airfield to the south.

FEAF also protected Naval Base Cavite serving as the home port for the cruisers, destroyers, submarines, and flying boats of the Asiatic Fleet. Sutherland refused Brereton's request to launch a B-17 raid on Formosa from Clark shortly after daylight. They agreed to prepare for a mission preceded by a photoreconnaissance mission but to await MacArthur's permission for the offensive operations. At 05:30, A War Department message reached MacArthur's headquarters confirming war status with Japan requiring Rainbow 5 plan air raids against Japanese targets within range of the Philippines. Asiatic Fleet Headquarters received notification of the Pearl Harbor attack but did not inform MacArthur. At 03:40, Sutherland heard a commercial radio broadcast with news of the Pearl Harbor attack and notified MacArthur. Sutherland notified the FEAF headquarters of the Pearl Harbor attack. During the first week in December, US Airforce Major General Brereton had sent two squadrons of B-l7's to the recently constructed field at Del Monte in Mindanao. The decision to move only two squadrons, Brereton states, was based on the expected arrival from the United States of the 7th Bombardment A group which was to be stationed at Del Monte. Had all the heavy bombers on Clark has been transferred to Mindanao, there would have been no room for the 7th when it arrived. On the following day, December 8, the United States declared war on the Empire of Japan. Almost all the radios of Filipino houses in the country were turned on, and the whole country was terrified by the Japanese forces. However, my grandfather Teddy was puzzled, he doesn't know what to do. He used to think that the Philippines will be the Poland of the Far East as Nazi Germans invaded Poland three years earlier. Like my grandfather, some of his comrades just had to stare at the morning sky while they were listening on the radio. My grandfather Teddy said to himself, "I know this is the beginning of our War with Japan. I don't know if we can come back to our homes." MacArthur organized USAFFE into four tactical commands. The North Luzon Force activated 3 December 1941 under Maj. Gen. Jonathan M. Wainwright, defended the most likely sites for amphibious attacks and the central plains of Luzon. Wainwright's forces included the PA 11th, 21st and 31st Infantry Divisions, the U.S. 26th Cavalry Regiment (PS), a battalion of the 45th Infantry (PS), and the 1st Provisional Artillery Group of two batteries of 155 mm guns and one 2.95 inches (75 mm) mountain gun. The Philippine 71st Infantry Division served as a reserve and could be committed only to the authority of MacArthur.

When the Japanese landed on the Philippine soil in December 1941, Jorge B. Vargas was designated to the Department of National Defense as its secretary. A few weeks later, he was appointed by President Manuel Quezon as mayor of the City of Greater Manila. Vargas was then replaced by Basilio J. Valdes on December 23, 1941. Immediately upon the arrival of the Japanese, the USAFFE has been told that they will be deployed throughout the country. A few days before the Japanese landings in the Philippines, my great grandmother Maria and my grandmother Antonia left Caloocan City for Lubao. They arrived at their residence in Sto. Tomas, Lubao while Felix, Rafael, Stephania, and Dorothea were outside the house. The niblings paid respect to their Aunt Maria by doing "Mano", a show of respect of Filipinos to elder ones by kissing the hand. My great grandmother's sister Dorothea embraced her sister and my grandmother Antonia. They told them that my grandfather Teddy joined the USAFFE and it's been almost three months since he left. My great grandmother Dorothea said with a nervous voice, "I'd pray every day for Teddy. He made a great decision to be a soldier, but he is in great danger." My grandfather's cousin Rafael just holds his Aunt closer from the right side and said, "All we have to do now is to pray for his survival. Teddy is a courageous man with a versatile personality, I know he will make it." The day comes for USAFFE to arrive in the Province of Pangasinan. The North Luzon Force or I Corps was commanded by Major General Jonathan Wainwright and was assigned to guard the Lingayen beaches and prevent them from landing on Luzon. After the beach defense failed, the North Luzon Force must retreat south down the Luzon central plain in a strategic withdrawal movement engineered by General Wainwright and will be covered by the Philippine Scouts of 26th Cavalry. While the South Luzon Force or II Corps was commanded by Major General George M. Parker and was assigned to defend Luzon Island south of Manila. In the retreat to Bataan or the Major plan of General MacArthur's WPO-3, the lead elements of the South Luzon Force were shuttled by civilian buses to Bataan where they were re-designated the "Bataan Defense Force," while the remaining elements held off the Japanese forces that landed on the Bicol Peninsula. The forward elements had to get into position to defend Bataan before the North Luzon Force arrived, and the remainder had to get over the Calumpit bridges before the North Luzon Force completed their retreat and blew up the bridges. On Bataan, the South Luzon Force took responsibility for the east coast of the peninsula and was re-designated II Corps.

The first part of the Imperial General Headquarters' plan for the conquest of the Philippines had been successful beyond the hopes of the most optimistic. American air and naval power had been virtually destroyed. Five landings had been made at widely separated points and strong detachments of Japanese troops were already conducting offensive operations on Luzon and Mindanao. The 5th Air Group was established in Luzon fields, and the Navy had its own seaplane bases at Camiguin Islands, Legaspi, and Davao. Army short-range fighters were in the position to support Japanese ground troops when required. All this had been accomplished in less than two weeks. The main landings, to be made on Luzon north and south of Manila, were still to come. There would be two landings: the major effort at Lingayen Gulf, and a secondary effort at Lamon Bay. The forces assigned to these landings had begun to assemble late in November. The 16th Division (less the 9th and 33d Infantry) left Osaka in Japan on 25 November and arrived at Amami Oshima in the Ryukyus on 3 December. Three days later all of the 48th Division less the Tanaka and Kanno Detachments) was concentrated at Mako, in the Pescadores, and at Takao and Kirun, on near-by Formosa. The major portion of the shipping units was in Formosa by the end of November and began to load the convoys soon after. There was much confusion during the concentration and loading period. The greatest secrecy was observed, and only a small number of officers knew the entire plan. These men had to travel constantly between units and assembly points to assist in the preparations and in the solution of detailed and complicated problems. Unit commanders were given the scantiest instructions, and worked, for the most part, in the dark. Important orders were delivered just before they had to be executed, with little time for study and preparation. Such conditions, the Japanese later regretted, "proved incentives to errors and confusion, uneasiness and irritation." Moreover, after 8 December, the Japanese lived in fear of an American bombing of Formosa ports, where the vessels were being loaded with supplies and ammunition.