January 1945 (2)

Major Thomas McGuire,

As the fighting for the 11th Airborne on Leyte came to a close, the battalions worked their way back to Bito Beach.  The 674th and 675th Glider Field Artillery and the 457th Parachute Field Artillery remained in strategic positions to cover them.

The Luzon Attack Force, commanded by VAdmiral Kinkaid, under MacArthur, was composed of 7th Fleet units and numbered more than 850 ships. This was divided into the Lingayen Attack Force (Vice Admiral Wilkinson commanding), the San Fabian Attack Force (Vice Admiral Barbey), a reinforcement group (R Admiral Conolly commanding), a fire support and bombardment group ( VAdmiral Oldendorf ) and surface and air covering groups (Rear Admiral Berkey and Rear Admiral C.T. Durgin, respectively, commanding). The Luzon Attack Force was to transport, put ashore and support elements of the 6th U.S. Army (Lieutenant General Walter Krueger) to assist in the seizure and development of the Lingayen area.

2→3 January – A military report showed that 111 enemy aircraft were destroyed on and above Formosa and the Ryukyu Islands.  B-24’s bit Haha Jima and Iwo Jima over a seven hour period and areas of Luzon and the Netherland East Indies (NEI) continued to be hit.

In preparation for the upcoming invasions of Iwo Jima, Okinawa and eventually Japan, Gen. MacArthur was placed in command of US ground forces and Adm. Nimitz over all naval forces.

3→4 January – the 3rd Fleet, operating under Admiral Halsey, with its fast carrier task force commanded by VAdmiral McCain, was to cover and protect the operation by air strikes over Luzon.  There was little airborne opposition, but unfavorable weather conditions somewhat reduced the toll of enemy ships, planes and facilities destroyed.

Early in January, Japan’s General Yamashita pulled his Fourteenth Army (260,000 men) back off of Luzon’s beach to conserve them. He was aware of the forthcoming invasions of American troops.  

Japanese division of troops on Luzon

Yamashita divided his men into three defensive groups; the largest, the Shobu Group, under his personal command numbered 152,000 troops, defended northern Luzon. The smallest group, totaling 30,000 troops, known as the Kembu Group, under the command of Tsukada, defended Bataan and the western shores. The last group, the Shimbu Group, totaling 80,000 men under the command of Yokoyama, defended Manila and southern Luzon.

Yamashita tried to rebuild his army but was forced to retreat from Manila to the Sierra Madre Mts. of northern Luzon, as well as the Cordillera Central Mts. Yamashita ordered all troops, except those tasked with security, out of the city.

Almost immediately, IJN RAdm. Sanji Iwabuchi re-occupied Manila with 16,000 sailors, with the intent of destroying all port facilities and naval storehouses. Once there, Iwabuchi took command of the 3,750 Army security troops, and against Yamashita’s specific order, turned the city into a battlefield.

USS Spot

6 January – The naval battle of Lingayen Gulf will be published in a following post.

7 January – US pilot and ace, Mj. Thomas McGuire (38 victories) was killed in a low-level combat with a group of Japanese Zero fighters, led by Shiochi Sugita, the 3rd highest scoring ace of the IJN Air Force, over Negros Island.

USS Spot sank 2 Japanese trawlers with her deck gun in the yellow Sea and US aircraft over the South China Sea sank IJN landing ship No. 112.

Resources: World War II Database; Angels: A History of the 11th Airborne, by Gen. EM Flanagan; US Army Green Books; US Navy reports.

Click on images to enlarge.

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Military Humor – Private SNAFU and Booby Traps –

 

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Farewell Salutes – 

William Brennan – Manitowoc, WI; US Army, Korea, 25th Infantry Division, Col (Ret.), Bronze Star

Paul Ciccarelli – Monessen, PA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, 188th/11th Airborne Division

Thomas Ender – Diamondhead, MS; US Merchant Marine, WWII

Sixto Fernandez – Las Cruces, NM; US Army, 82nd Airborne Division

Wesley Fox – Blackburg, VA; USMC, Korea, Vietnam, colonel (Ret. 43 Y.), Medal of Honor

Harold “Tidley” Hannon – Scranton, PA; USMC, WWII, PTO, Pfc, KIA (Tarawa)

Robert Mains – Rochester, NY; US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO, 1st LT, B-24 pilot, KIA

Todd L. McGurn – Riverside, CA; US Army, Iraq, Cpl., 1st Armored Division

Marvin Peters – Longmont, CO; US Army Air Corps, WWII, B-17 gunner

David Swidler – Oklahoma City; US Army, Korea

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