Reports

of

General MacArthur

 

JAPANESE OPERATIONS IN THE
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA

Volume II - Part II

 


5 Star Rank

 

COMPILED FROM
JAPANESE DEMOBILIZATION BUREAUX RECORDS


 

 

 

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 66-60007

 

 

 

 

 

 

Facsimile Reprint, 1994

CMH Pub 13-2


FOREWORD

The Reports of General MacArthur include two volumes being published by the Department of the Army in four books reproduced exactly as they were printed by General MacArthur's Tokyo headquarters in 1950, except for the addition of this foreword and indexes. Since they were Government property, the general turned over to the Department in 1953 these volumes and related source materials. In Army and National Archives custody these materials have been available for research although they have not been easily accessible. While he lived, General MacArthur was unwilling to approve the reproduction and dissemination of the Reports, because he believed they needed further editing and correction of some inaccuracies. His passing permits publication but not the correction he deemed desirable. In publishing them, the Department of the Army must therefore disclaim any responsibility for their accuracy. But the Army also recognizes that these volumes have substantial and enduring value, and it believes the American people are entitled to have them made widely available through government publication.

The preliminary work for compiling the MacArthur volumes began in 1943 within the G-3 Section of his General Staff, and was carried forward after the war by members of the G-2 Section, headed by Maj. Gen. Charles A. Willoughby with Pro fessor Gordon W. Prange, on leave from the University of Maryland, as his principal professional assistant. Volume II of the Reports represents the contributions of Japanese officers employed to tell their story of operations against MacArthur's forces. The very large number of individuals, American and Japanese, who participated in the compilation and editing of the Reports would make a complete listing of contributors relatively meaningless.

Volume I narrates the operations of forces under General MacArthur's command from the Japanese attack on Luzon in 1941 through the surrender in 1945. While service histories have covered much of the same ground in separate volumes, no single detailed narrative of General MacArthur's leadership as commander of the Southwest Pacific Area has yet appeared. Chapters dealing with the reconquest of Borneo, plans for the invasion of Japan, and the Japanese surrender make a distinctly new contribution. Volume I Supplement describes the military phase of the occupation through December 1948, reporting events not treated elsewhere in American publications. Volume II on Japanese operations brings together a mass of information on the enemy now only partially available in many separate works. Collectively, the Reports should be of wide interest and value to the American people generally, as well as to students of military affairs. They are an illuminating record of momentous events influenced in large measure by a distinguished American soldier.

Washington, D.C.
January 1966
HAROLD K. JOHNSON
General, United States Army
Chief of Staff

iii


FOREWORD TO THE 1994 EDITION

I determined for several reasons to republish General MacArthur's reports to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of World War II. First, the Reports of General MacArthur still stand as a detailed account from MacArthur's perspective of his operations against the Japanese in the Southwest Pacific Area. Second, the Reports offer a unique Japanese version of their operations in the Southwest Pacific that remains one of the few English-language descriptions of Imperial Army campaigns during World War II. Third, excellent illustrations, many of them original artwork commissioned for the Reports, plus superb maps give these volumes an enduring value for military historians and the American public. Finally, while General MacArthur remains a towering figure in American historiography, the passage of fifty years has dimmed the contributions of the U.S. Army units that first checked the Japanese southward advance in Papua New Guinea, then spearheaded the counteroffensive along the north New Guinea coastline that enabled MacArthur to make good his promise to return to the Philippines. The veterans of these campaigns, both men and women, deserve to be remembered for their contributions to the Nation in its time of greatest peril. These are General MacArthur's Reports, but they are also his testament to the American soldiers who served under his command.

Washington, D.C.
31 January 1994
HAROLD W. NELSON
Brigadier General, USA
Chief of Military History

 

 

 

iv


PREFACE

This volume parallels the record of Allied operations in the SWPA from the Defense of Luzon, 8 December 1941, to the Surrender Negotiations in Manila, 15 August 1945. It is the Japanese official record, contained in operational monographs furnished by the Japanese Demobilization Bureaux, the successors to the former War and Navy Ministries, developed by Officers of the Japanese Imperial Headquarters, Tokyo, and on the Staffs of major Japanese Commanders in the field. Like Volume I, the material is thus presented by eye witnesses to events, and is supported by official documentary evidence.

It is a record of bitter resistance and tenacious fighting by a first-class Army and Navy, led by Diplomats and Military Politicians through the holocaust of national destruction, an Army that was steeped in medieval cruelty, but fought with the most modern technical skill and savage valor, until superior skill and equal valor broke the spell of the Samurai and the legend of an invincible Empire.

DOUGLAS MACARTHUR

 

 

 

v


 

TABLE OF CONTENTS - PART II

Chapter
 
Page
XIII
STRUGGLE FOR LEYTE
......
......Activation of Sho Operation No. 1
365
......Defensive Dispositions
371
......Launching of the Invasion
375
......Action by Army Headquarters
378
......Preparations for Sea-Air Attack
381
......Leyte Sea Battle: First Phase
387
......Leyte Sea Battle: Finale
394
......Deterioration on Eastern Leyte
402
......Initial Reinforcement
405
......Limon Battle: Phase I
409
......Command Decisions
412
......Limon Battle: Phase II
419
......Battle of Burauen
422
......Ormoc-Final Collapse
427
XIV
PRELUDE TO THE DEFENSE OF LUZON
......
......Estimates and Plans, November 1944
434
......Situation on 13 December 1944
438
......Enemy Advance to Mindanao
442
......Final Luzon Defense Plans
450
......Battle Preparations
456
......Prelude to Invasion
462
XV
BATTLE ON LUZON
......
......Launching of the American Invasion
467
......Defense of San Jose
473
......Clark Field and Bataan
483
......Battle Dispositions in the Shimbu Sector
488
......Defense of Manila
494
......Fighting East of Manila, Phase I
500
......Defense of Baguio
504
......Battle for the Northern Passes
511
......Fighting East of Manila, Phase II
519
......End of the Luzon Campaign
522
XVI
THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES
......
......Situation, 22-25 December
528
......Evacuation of Leyte
531
......Enemy Occupation of Palawan
536
......Zamboanga-Sulu Archipelago
538
......Panay and Western Negros
541
......Southern Visayas
543
......Defense Preparations on Mindanao
549
......Fighting in Central Mindanao
552
......Defense of the Davao Area
556
......Recapitulation
559
XVII
TOKKO - "SPECIAL-ATTACK"
......
......Evolution of Tokko
561
......Experimentation with Tokko Tactics
564
......Tokko Air Units
565
......Other Forms of Special-Attack
572
XVIII
HOMELAND DEFENSE: BASIC PLANS AND PRELIMARY OPERATIONS
......
......Strategic Situation-January 1945
575
......New Plans for Homeland Defense
584
......Attacks on the Homeland Defense Perimeter
593
......General Plan of Operations
601
......Tactics and Techniques
609
XIX
HOMELAND DEFENSE: STRATEGIC SETBACKS AND FINAL PREPARATIONS
......
......Air Raids and the Industrial Crisis
613
......Progress of Mobilization and Deployment
619
......A New Estimate of the Situation
634
......July Developments
641
......Preparations for the Defense of Kyushu
648
......Preparations for the Defense of Kanto
657
......Strategic Situation-1 August 1945
666
XX
DECISION TO SURRENDER
......
......Background of the Peace Movement
669
......Formation of the Suzuki Cabinet
673
......Initial Peace Discussions
680
......Basic Policy of 8 June
685
......Emperor's Initiative
692
......Negotiations with Russia
697
......The Potsdam Declaration
701
......The Atomic Bomb
706
......Soviet Entry Into War
708
......First Cabinet Deliberations on Peace
710
......Showdown on Surrender Issue
711
......Initial Reply to Potsdam
715
......Final Imperial Conference on Surrender
717
......Japan's Reply to Final Allied Offer
725
XXI
THE RETURN TO PEACE
......
......Imperial Announcement of Surrender
727
......Military Reaction
731
......Formation of New Cabinet
740
......Cessation of Hostilities
742
......Mission to Manila
745
......Preparation for Allied Occupation
748
......Disarmament and Demobilization
752
......Entry of Occupation Forces
755
......Signing of the Surrender
757
......
......The Emperor's Role at the Time of Surrender
763
......Emperor's Efforts for Preservation of Peace
764
......The Government and the Military
765
......The Manchurian Incident and China Affair
766
......The Pacific War
768
......The Emperor's Legal Status
770


ILLUSTRATIONS - PART II

Plate
 
Page
87
Military Topography of Leyte
368
88
Disposition of 16th Division-Leyte, 17 October 1944
373
89
Invasion of Leyte, 20-21 October 1944
376
90
Tactical Grouping of Japanese Naval Forces
383
91
Air Reinforcement of the Philippines, October-December 1944
386
92
Battle for Leyte Gulf, Phase I, 25 October 1944
390
93
Battle off Samar, 25 October 1944
395
94
Battle for Leyte Gulf, Phase II, 25 October 1944
399
95
Leyte Campaign, 21 October-1 November 1944
403
96
Reinforcement of Leyte, October-December 1944
407
97
Battle at Limon, 1 November-3 December 1944
410
98
Transport Division Proceeding Through Fog
414
99
Advancing Infantry Machine Gun Unit
417
100
Leyte Campaign, 2-26 November 1944
421
101
Wa Operations, 26 November-9 December 1944
425
102
Battle of Ormoc, 4-19 December 1944
429
103
Japanese Dispositions in Philippines, 13 December 1944
437
104
Facsimile of Fourteenth Area Army Radio No. 328
441
105
Mindoro Operation, 15 December 1944-End January 1945
445
106
Draft Basis Prepared in Army Section, IGH
448
107
Plan of Operations on Luzon, 19-20 December 1944
452
108
Map of Luzon Printed in 1941 by IGH
457
109
Air Operations-Philippines Area, 2-13 January 1945
461
110
Japanese Dispositions on Luzon, 5 January 1945
464
111
Landings at Lingayen, 9-28 January 1945
468
112
Antitank Suicide Unit, Lingayen Gulf
472
113
Defense of San Jose, 21 January-6 February 1945
476
114
Facsimile of Fourteenth Area Army Operations Order No. A-434
480
115
Facsimile of Fourteenth Area Army Operations Order No. A-384
481
116
Fighting in Clark Field Sector, 25 January-6 April 1945
485
117
Dispositions of Shimbu Group, 1 February 1945
489
118
Dispositions in Manila, 1 February 1945
493
119
Operations in Manila Area, 2-17 February 1945
496
120
Operations East of Manila, 20 February-30 April 1945
501
121
Situation in Northern Luzon, 13 February 1945
505
122
Operations in Baguio Area, 1 February-Early May 1945
509
123
Defense of Balete Pass-Salacsac Area, February-26 May 1945
512
124
Japanese Ammunition Train in Action
517
125
Final Defense East of Manila, May-June 1945
520
126
Northern Luzon Operations, Late May-15 August 1945
524
127
Retreat in the Mountains
525
128
Dispositions in Central-Southern Philippines, 25 December 1944
529
129
Final Defense-Leyte, 21 December 1944-late March 1945
533
130
Map of Central Philippines Printed in 1943 by IGH
537
131
Defense of Zamboanga and Jolo, March-July 1945
540
132
Negros-Panay Operations, March-August 1945
544
133
Operations on Cebu, March-August 1945
546
134
Dispositions on Mindanao, 16 April 1945
550
135
Central Mindanao Operation, April-June 1945
554
136
Defense of Davao, April-July 1945
558
137
Airborne Raiding Unit on Leyte
562
138
Departure of Special-Attack Unit from Homeland Base
567
139
Employment of Air Tokkotai in Battle of Philippines
570
140
Surface Raiding Unit Dares Desperate Ramming
571
141
Military Topography of Japan
578,579
142
Defensive Dispositions in the Homeland, 1 January 1945
582
143
Facsimile of Imperial General Headquarters Navy Order No. 37
587
144
Strategic Situation of Homeland, 10 February 1945
590
145
Civilian Air Raid Defense Activity: Women Fire-Fighters
595
146
Operations in Homeland Defense Perimeter
599
147
Facsimile of Imperial General Headquarters Army Directive
602
148
Army Chain of Command for Homeland Operation, April 1945
606
149
Navy Chain of Command for Homeland Operation, April 1945
610
150
Air Raid Shelter
616
151
Japan's Merchant Shipping Losses
620
152
Flanking Gun Emplacement Overlooking Sagami Bay
624
153
Air Defense of Homeland, June 1945
628
154
Dispositions of Naval Tokkotai in Western Japan, July 1945
633
155
Estimate of Allied Invasion, 1 July 1945
637
156
Plan for Employment of Army Air Forces in Ketsu Operation
642
157
Plan for Employment of Navy Air Forces in Ketsu Operation
645
158
Ground Dispositions on Western Japan, July 1945
649
159
Plan for Decisive Ground Battle on Kyushu, July 1945
653
160
Dispositions in Ariake Bay Area, July 1945
656
161
Ground Dispositions on Eastern Japan, July 1945
660
162
Plan for Decisive Ground Battle on Kanto, July 1945
661
163
General Situation of Japanese Forces, 1 August 1945
665
164
Morale Poster
690
165
Imperial Conference of 9-10 August 1944
712
166
Paying Homage to Nation's War Dead, Yasukuni Shrine
720
167
Imperial Rescript Ending the War
729
168
Scene in Front of Imperial Palace
732
169
Geography of Imperial Guards Uprising
736
170
Burning Regimental Flag
744
171
Areas Designated in Surrender Instructions
749
172
Glossary of Japanese Military Signs, Symbols and Abbreviations
760


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Last updated 1 December 2006