Japan Victorious - Pacific 1942

Jan. 11 - Japan invaded Dutch Borneo, Timor, Celebes

smoke over Singapore, ILN 1942/03/07

Singapore residents show visa to flee, ILN 1942/03/07

Japanese welcomed in Burma, ILN 1942/05

• seized Kendari airbase - finest in all East Indies
• Pacific map from ILN 1941/10/25 top bott

Feb 15 - Singapore fell - 130,000 under Percival who became "nonperson"

• not because guns faced wrong way, but dispersion of forces
• Brit outnumbered Yamashita's 30,000 with Brit army of 85,000
• Brit. in Asia map and SE Asia

Feb. 27 - Battle of Java Sea

• loss of USS Houston, HMS Perth Feb. 28
• De Dutch Admiral Doorman went down with de cruiser De Ruyter

Mar. 10 - fall of Rangoon

• Burma Road closed - fear of losing India
• Gen Shojiro Iida started 2nd Burma campaign

British failure in Burma was serious:

• British were not outnumbered, but had no desire to help local peoples
• Gandhi & Nehru took notice
• Burmese and Indonesians joined Japan (only Filipinos did not collaborate)
• Aung San and Burma National Army
• pro-Japan Burma PM U Saw arrested in Egypt by British

Apr 5 - Indian Ocean raid by Nagumo's First Air Fleet after PH

• air raid on Darwin Feb. 19
• attack on 29 warships of Brit fleet in Indian Ocean
• based at Ceylon, but Brit intercept warned
• sailed out, but turned to Maldives 600 mi south for fuel
• Apr. 5 - 127 Japan planes attack Ceylon, but no Brit ships
• Nagumo searched for 4 days - sank 7, including 2 cruisers
• but Japan plane losses high - Brit. kept Indian Ocean

April 28 - fall of Lashio

• Gen. William Slim & Chinese 6th Army outnumbered
• Burma Walkout - Stilwell + 114 to Imphal in 2 weeks
• May 20 - arrived at Imphal, then New Delhi
• Stilwell blamed Brit defeatism, Chiang's lack of will

May 5 - Imperial General HQ Order No. 18

• expanded defensive perimeter to Midway and Samoa
• to force a decisive battle with U.S. fleet
• so far, Japan had not lose any of their 11 battleships, 10 carriers, 18 heavy cruisers, 20 light cruisers

Bataan peninsula map, from ILN 1942/01/31

May 6 - surrender of Philippines

• end of 6-month battle - most difficult campaign for Japan
• Dec. 10 - Gen. Homma landed 43,000 N. and W. Luzon
• Dec. 23 - decision made to evacuate Manila, fall back to Bataan
  • same day as Wake surrender
  • 80,000 troops + 26,000 civilians = 106,000
  • food shortage - 1/2 rations
  • MacArthur failed to follow Plan Orange
• Dec. 24 - MacArthur moved HQ to Corregidor
  • left Gen. Jonathan Wainwright's North Luzon Force
  • on Bataan - 5 defense lines - "defense in depth"
  • Gen. George Parker's South Luzon Force
• Jan. 1 - Japan troops entered Manila
• Jan. 9 - Japan break through poorly defended Mt. Natib
• Jan. 22 - with back to Pilar Road, Allies held to Feb. - Japan drive stopped
  • Homma requested relief - 22,000 more arrive + 60 bombers
• Feb. 15 - Quezon gave $500,000 to MacArthur, made offer to Ike
  • Quezon feared for loyalty of Americans
  • to prevent pro-Japan collaborators such as Jose Laurel - (Oct.'42 indep. claim)
• Feb. 22 - FDR ordered MacArthur to leave
  • March 12 in 4 PT boats of John Bulkeley's Manila Squadron to Mindanao
  • then flew in B-17 to Australia , arrived March 17 in Melbourne
  • "I have come through and I will return" - later changed to "I shall return"
  • March 25 awarded Medal of Honor - bills introduced in Congress
  • Wainwright moved to Corregidor - Gen. Ed. King on Bataan
  • both ordered to attack when food ran out
• Mar. 24 - Japan. bombardment of Bataan began
• Apr. 2 - final Japan offensive - broke thru in 2 days
• Apr. 9 - King surrendered Bataan against MacArthur's orders
  • 2000 escaped in small boats
  • 78,000 (66,000 filipinos + 12,000 U.S.) surrendered
  • largest U.S. army ever to surrender
• April - Bataan Death March
  • kept secret until Jan. 28, 1944
  • 60 mi. to San Fernando RR junction
  • 25 mi. west to Camp O'Donnell - partial air field
  • 5000-10,000 Filipinos died on march + 600-700 U.S.
  • 5000 more U.S. died in camps (Cabanatuan, Davao)
  • Japan believed in bushido warrior code - to surrender is to be a traitor, a criminal act - Japan had not ratified 1929 Geneva agreement on treatment of POWs
• May 3 - sub "Swordfish" evacuated 12 Army nurses
  • over 100 killed, 66 captured (but well-treated), 21 escaped
  • given medals in White House ceremony
  • FDR signed Rogers Bill May 15 creating WAAC May 22

ad in Life, 1943/01/25

The 1941 bill by Rep. Edith Rogers was opposed by military - WAVES July 30, SPARS Nov. 22, Marines Jan. 28, 1943, Bolton Bill May 1943 provided federal aid to educate nurses that served in military; by 1943, WAC Director Oveta Culp Hobby commanded 60,000 women in Army and was given rank of colonel; civilian Jacqueline Cochrane headed of WASP (Women's Airforces Service Pilots); 300,000 women served in military but no GI Bill, not allowed in VFW as vets, not counted until 1980 census.

• May 6 - Wainwright surrendered Corregidor with 11,000
  • heavy bombardment, Japan troops landed May 5
  • this surrender was not against orders
  • MacArthur blamed the fall of Corregidor on the failure of Navy carriers to attack Philippines

Bataan by Elizabeth Himchak
They Were Expendable by David Cross

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