The Japanese invaded the Philippines in December 1941 as part of their plan to control East Asia during World War II. They quickly defeated the U.S. and Filipino forces, forcing their surrender in 1942. The Philippines suffered under harsh Japanese occupation until 1944 when U.S. General Douglas MacArthur returned as promised and began liberating the islands with the help of Filipino resistance groups. After months of fighting and over a million Filipino deaths, the Philippines were finally freed from Japanese control in 1945.

1. Philippines: World War II
By: Patrick Blanco

2. Japanese Plans
• Planned to occupy
Philippines as part of
their plan of “Great East
Asia War”
• Had 3 objectives:
– Prevent use of Philippines
as an advance base of
American Forces
– To acquire staging areas
and supply bases to
enhance operations
– To secure communication
lines from Japanese Home
Island

3. Japanese Invasion
• Japan launched surprise
attack on December 8,
1941
• Just ten hours after the
attack on Pearl Harbor
• Aerial bombardment
was followed by landing
of ground troops

4. Commonwealth Of The Philippines
• Invaded by Japan in
December 1941
• Shortly after Japan’s
declaration of war with
United States
• Commonwealth
government exiled from
1942-1945 under
Japanese occupation

5. US Defenses
• Recalled MacArthur to
active duty
• Named him commander
of U.S. Army Forces in
the Far East (USAFFE)
• USAFFE formed
Philippine Army’s 1st
Regular Division, 2nd
Constabulary Division,
and 10 mobilized
reserve division

6. USAFFE
• Or U.S. Army Forces in the
Far East
• On July 31, 1941, the
Philippine Department had
22,532 assigned
• Half of whom were Filipino
• MacArthur recommended
the reassignment of the
department commander,
Maj. Gen. George Grunert
in October 1941
• MacArthur organized
USAFFE into 4 commands:
– The North Luzon Force
• Activated in Dec 3, 1941
• Under Major Gen. Jonathan
Wainwright
– The South Luzon Force
• Activated in Dec 13, 1941
• Under Brig. Gen. George M.
Parker Jr
– The Visayan-Mindanao Force
• Under Brig. Gen. William
Sharp
– USAFFE’s Reserve Force
• Under MacArthur’s direct
control

7. Mobilization
• Mobilization plans called
for induction of the ten
reserve divisions between
1 September and 15
December 1941
• The most crucial
equipment shortfalls
were in rifles and
divisional light artillery
– MacArthur requested
84,500 M1 Garand rifles to
replace the World War I
Enfields

8. Defeat and Retreat
• US and Filipino suffered two
defeats from Battle of Bataan
and Battle of Corregidor
• US and Filipino surrendered to
the Japanese and takes as
POWs
• The defeat was the beginning
of three and a half years of
harsh treatment for the Allied
survivors
• Including the Bataan Death
March
• And the prison camps, “Hell
Ships” used for labor in mines
and factories
• MacArthur ordered to retreat
in Australia
• Famous last words were “I
came out of Bataan and I shall
return”

9. US in the Philippines
• Under the command of
General Douglas
MacArthur
• Suffered many ground
and naval losses
• Resupply from US of
ground forces is
impossible
• MacArthur forced to
leave

10. Philippine Resistance
• Opposed by
underground and
guerilla activity
• Philippine guerilla
movement continued to
grow
• Filipinos joined various
groups and vowed to
fight the Japanese

11. Guerilla Forces
• Formed throughout the
archipelago during
invasion of Japanese
• Gathered and smuggled
important military
intelligence to US Army
• Built stashes of arms
and explosives, assisting
the US Army

12. Hukbalahap
• “Hukbong Bayan Laban sa
mga Hapon” which
means “People’s Army
Against the Japanese”
• Military arm Communist
Party of the Philippines
• Formed to fight the
Japanese occupation
• Under the leadership of
Luis Taruc

13. Return of MacArthur
• Returned well supplied of
information late in 1944
• It has been said that in his
return, he knew what every
Japanese lieutenant ate for
breakfast
• MacArthur's Allied forces
landed on the island of Leyte
on October 20, 1944 with
Osmeña
• Fighting was fierce,
particularly in the mountains
of northern Luzon
• Japanese had to retreat

14. Japan’s last resort
• Used Philippines as the
final line of defense
• Kamikaze corps created
to defend Philippines
• Guerilla forces averted
a big disaster for
Japanese

15. Philippine’s Aftermath
• Filipino-American
resistance lasted for 3
months
• An estimated 1 million
Filipinos had been killed
• A large proportion
during the final months
of the war, and Manila
was extensively
damaged
• The valor of the Filipino
and American soldiers is
celebrated
• April 9th
in the
Philippines, Valor Day
or “Araw ng Kagitingan”

16. Bibliography
• http://countrystudies.us/philippines/21.htm
• http://philippinesfreepress.wordpress.com/20
06/04/09/world-war-ii-in-the-
philippines/#comments
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_occup
ation_of_the_Philippines
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_history_
of_the_Philippines_during_World_War_II