Although this battle in the Pacific War is not considered as one of the major turning point, people will still remember the gruesome infamous “Bataan Death March” that Filipinos and American troops experienced against the Japanese forces, which was the Fall of Bataan. From December 1941 to May 1942, U.S and the Philippines forces fought desperately to resists against the Japanese invasion of the main island, Luzon. Philippines Defense Organization are consists of United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) and appointed commander was General Douglas McArthur and became United States Forces in the Philippines (USFIP) was created after McArthur departed the Philippines to Australia and led by Lieutenant General Jonathan Wainwright along
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Gen. Homma Masaharu made its landing in the Philippines and their Japanese air raids had destroyed and bombed over half of the U.S. B-17 bombers and P-40 fighters at Clark Air Field. Furthermore, Japanese fifth air division started attacking or strafe different posts in the Philippines including Iba Field, Cavite Naval Base, Fort Mckinley, Fort Stotenburg and Camp John Hay. These one-hour attacks caused a devastating crippled air support, as a result USAFFE troops had to fight the enemy without any air support. The decisive point of the battle was to do the War Plan Orange, which assumed Japanese would attack the Philippines as principle target, they will block the Japanese forces from Manila Bay. It is called for the abandonment of the Philippines Capital and withdrawal of USAFFE to the Bataan Peninsula and the troops would provide land protection on heavily jungle, mountainous landmass in Bataan specifically the Corregidor in addition to the three other heavily fortified islands along with proper amount of supplied and pre-invasion preparations and Bataan Peninsula would be the ideal defensive position that USAFFE can hold out for six months (with adequate supplies) and wait for the relieved of the US Navy. Bataan was selected for its role because of its strategic position, rugged terrain that were dominated by 4000 foot volcanoes, impenetrable jungle covering over 75 percent of its 420 square mile area, rugged cliff lined, tide-ripped west coast and addition to erosion of two volcanoes left the peninsula a austere feature. (Fig
Gen. Homma Masaharu made its landing in the Philippines and their Japanese air raids had destroyed and bombed over half of the U.S. B-17 bombers and P-40 fighters at Clark Air Field. Furthermore, Japanese fifth air division started attacking or strafe different posts in the Philippines including Iba Field, Cavite Naval Base, Fort Mckinley, Fort Stotenburg and Camp John Hay. These one-hour attacks caused a devastating crippled air support, as a result USAFFE troops had to fight the enemy without any air support. The decisive point of the battle was to do the War Plan Orange, which assumed Japanese would attack the Philippines as principle target, they will block the Japanese forces from Manila Bay. It is called for the abandonment of the Philippines Capital and withdrawal of USAFFE to the Bataan Peninsula and the troops would provide land protection on heavily jungle, mountainous landmass in Bataan specifically the Corregidor in addition to the three other heavily fortified islands along with proper amount of supplied and pre-invasion preparations and Bataan Peninsula would be the ideal defensive position that USAFFE can hold out for six months (with adequate supplies) and wait for the relieved of the US Navy. Bataan was selected for its role because of its strategic position, rugged terrain that were dominated by 4000 foot volcanoes, impenetrable jungle covering over 75 percent of its 420 square mile area, rugged cliff lined, tide-ripped west coast and addition to erosion of two volcanoes left the peninsula a austere feature. (Fig