Military history of the Philippines during World War II
Uncaptured Filipino army units, a communist insurgency, and supporting American agents all played a role in the resistance.
On September 27, 1940, Nazi Germany, Kingdom of Italy, and Empire of Japan had allied under the Tripartite Coalition as the Axis powers.
"[1] A campaign for independence from the US which had been ongoing since 1919 resulted on 17 January 1933 in the passage by the US Congress of the Hare–Hawes–Cutting Act over the veto of President Herbert Hoover.
[citation needed] The US Army had, however, already spent millions constructing forts and air strips throughout Luzon.
Other fields in Tuguegarao, Aparri, Isabela, Nueva Ecija, Legaspi, Bataan, and Del Monte in Davao were also built using US funds prior to and during the first years of the 1935 provisional Commonwealth.
In the early years of the Commonwealth, the Philippine Army was composed of an Active Duty and a Reserve Component.
On 25 July 1941, US Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson requested that US President Franklin D. Roosevelt issue orders calling the military forces of the Commonwealth into active service for the United States.
The following day President Roosevelt froze all Japanese assets within the United States and issued orders to absorb the forces of the Philippine Army.
At the same time General Douglas MacArthur was recalled to active duty and designated the commander of the USAFFE.
At the outbreak of war the United States Navy's Asiatic Fleet was stationed at Cavite Naval Base in Manila Bay.
On 14 August Brigadier General Leonard T. Gerow argued that the Philippine Department could not resist a Japanese attack.
During September and October, in addition to the above-mentioned reinforcements, MacArthur received the 192nd Tank Battalion and 75 self-propelled 75 mm guns.
By 5 December fifty-five ships were en route from San Francisco carrying 100,000 ship-tons of cargo to the Philippines.
There were also two light field ground echelons of the 7th Bombardment Group, which arrived in the Philippines and were relocated to Mariveles after the evacuation of Manila.
The air echelon squadrons of the 7th were en route to the Philippines and arrived in Pearl Harbor on the morning of 7 December 1941.
There were shortages of nearly every kind of equipment such as blankets, mosquito bars, shelter halves, entrenching tools, gas masks, and helmets.
The 31st Infantry Division (PA) signal officer was unable to establish radio communication with other units in the same camp.
The commander of the Philippine 31st Infantry Division, Colonel Bluemel stated, "The enlisted men are proficient in only two things, one, when an officer appears, to yell 'attention' in a loud voice, jump up, and salute; two, to demand 3 meals per day."
[4] The seizures of Korea, China and parts of Soviet Union, which had begun at the turn of the 20th century, had been taking an upswing.
[6] Japan had hoped that they could strike fast and hold off reinforcements long enough to broker a peace accord from a position of strength.
[8] To be successful, US, UK, and Dutch forces were to be attacked simultaneously to prevent their ability to reinforce and aid their Asian possessions.
The current war against Britain, and the Netherlands, and the strain of providing aid by the United States to these countries was seen as an opportunity by the Japanese to extend their "rightful" place as a ruler in Asia.
