PHILIPPINES CAMPAIGN
<April 1944 - July 1945>
In hopes of reaching Japan, Allied
forces had to secure the Philippines. The island would be used
to stage a major attack against Japan. Japanese Imperial Forces
had seized the Philippines immediately after the attack on Pearl
Harbor, gaining new territory and power. The Philippines campaign
was crucial because the victor could very well end up winning
the Pacific war. Japan put up a good fight, as it needed to protect
food and critical raw materials transported from the East Indies
and Southeast Asia to the Philippine islands. Given a second chance
at defending the Philippines, however, Allied forces could not
falter.
The battle in the Philippines was long and hard. The Allied forces
island hopped their way to victory by moving in closer to Japanese
homeland. The battle at Leyte, a Philippine province located in
the Eastern Visayas region, was key to the Allies’ war strategy.
American troops, including hundreds of MIS
linguists,
landed on Leyte on October 20, 1944. Fighting went on for a few
days and the MIS were part of the action as interrogators and
also battlefield soldiers. The MIS gained vital information through
POW interrogations and translating captured documents. Due to
the translation of the “Z”
Plan, U.S. troops were already aware of the Japanese offensive.
MIS soldier Stanley Shimabukuro extracted significant information
from captured documents and aided in the completion of the victory
at Leyte. The Japanese fleet was nearly destroyed and in a desperate
move the Japanese launched kamikaze
attacks all around the Philippines; however their decision proved
unsuccessful in thwarting the Allied forces. Weak and outnumbered,
the Japanese fleet practically ceased to exist. The Battle of
Leyte Gulf was one of the greatest naval battles of all time.
For the rest of the war, Allied naval forces were in virtual control
of the Pacific.
In December 1944, U.S. troops were deployed to the northern Philippine
island of Luzon. The main objective was Manila, which would become
one of the bases for the B-29s
that would later bomb Japan. Dominating the island also made it
difficult for the Japanese to attack the Allied forces. The MIS
soldiers at Luzon took part on the battlefield as well as conducted
linguistic work. Some translated captured documents and maps while
others participated in the surrender of General Tomoyuki Yamashita,
commanding general of the Japanese Imperial Army in the Philippines.
The hard work and devotion of the MIS in the Philippines campaign,
from the translation work to POW interrogating proved significant
for this allied victory. Several MIS soldiers received Silver
Star and Bronze
Star commendations.
