The Battle of The Philippines:

The Japanese Capture the Philippines

Following the attacks at Pearl Harbor, Japan decided to take over the Philippines to expand its empire to the south. The Japanese had a very strong army compared to the small American force there led by General Douglas MacArthur. When the Japanese came to the Philippines, the American forces were not strong enough to defend the Philippines, so they were easily defeated. Before MacArthur escaped to Australia, he declared that he would return to free the Philippines. By early 1942, the Japanese had captured all of the Philippines.

The Liberation of the Philippines

Two years later in October 1944, General MacArthur came back to the Philippines. He brought a huge naval force of 700 ships and more than 160,000 marines. Two Japanese fleets sailed toward the Philippines to try to get the American fleet to attack them. The Japanese hoped the American ships would leave the 160,000 marines that were landing on the Philippine Islands unprotected because there was a third Japanese fleet waiting to attack them once the majority of the American ships left. Most of the American fleet that was guarding the marines sailed toward the two Japanese fleets, leaving only a small group of ships guarding the marines. The third Japanese fleet, including five battleships, ten heavy cruisers, two light cruisers, and fifteen destroyers attacked the small group of American escort carriers, destroyers, and destroyer escorts that remained to protect the marines. The third Japanese fleet was much stronger than the remaining American fleet, and the Japanese were winning the battle. The American ships and planes from the remaining carriers fought courageously, but the United States was now in trouble because the American planes were running low on ammunition, and the American ships were taking a beating. While the American ships were sinking, they continued firing at the Japanese ships. When the American planes ran out of bombs and torpedoes, they continued to attack the Japanese ships, trying to keep them away from the marines. Not knowing that the Americans were nearly out of ammunition, the Japanese fleet, also running low on weapons, decided to leave the Philippines before the rest of the American fleet returned and destroyed them. The Americans had won the battle.

Ambrose, Stephen E. The Good Fight. New York: Atheneun Books, 2001.

Stockesbury, James L. "World War II." World Book 2001, 2001.

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