The Approach to the Philippines (original) (raw)

| | Foreword | iii | | | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --- | ------ | | | The Author | iv | | | | | Preface | v | | | | Chapter | | | Page | | I. | The Strategic Background | 1 | | | | | Determining the Strategy of the Approach | 1 | | | | | Acceleration of Pacific Operations in Early 1944 | 6 | | | | | The New Directive for 1944 | 11 | | | II. | Planning and Preparation for the Hollandia-Aitape Operation | 13 | | | | | Theater Organization | 14 | | | | | The Hollandia Area | 16 | | | | | The Decision to Take Aitape | 19 | | | | | The Forces and Their Missions | 23 | | | | | Logistics | 32 | | | | | The Hollandia Tactical Plan | 42 | | | | | Preliminary Operations and the Approach | 48 | | | III. | The Hollandia Operations | 53 | | | | | The Landings at Tanahmerah Bay | 53 | | | | | The 24th Division's Drive to the Airfields | 59 | | | | | The Seizure of Hollandia Town | 68 | | | | | The Drive Inland from Humboldt Bay | 71 | | | | | Logistic Problems of the RECKLESS Task Force | 77 | | | | | The End of the Operation | 82 | | | IV. | The Japanese: Pearl Harbor Through Hollandia | 84 | | | | | Strategy and Dispositions to April 1944 | 84 | | | | | The Japanese at Hollandia | 95 | | | V. | Prelude to the Battle of the Driniumor | 103 | | | | | Securing the Airfield Area | 103 | | | | | Contact with the 18th Army on the East Flank | 114 | | | VI. | Deployment for Battle | 131 | | | | | Reinforcement and Reorganization of the PERSECUTION Task Force | 131 | | | | | Gathering Combat Intelligence | 137 | | | | | The 18th Army Moves West | 145 | | | VII. | The Battle of the Driniumor, Phase I: The 18th Army Attacks | 152 | | | | | Withdrawal of the PERSECUTION Covering Force | 152 | | | | | Restoration of the Driniumor Line | 158 | | | | | Operations West of the Driniumor | 167 | | | | | The Japanese Attack on the South Flank | 170 | | | VIII. | The Battle of the Driniumor, Phase II: The 18th Army Retreats | 177 | | | | | Securing the Afua Area | 177 | | | | | Envelopment to the East | 188 | | | | | The End of the Aitape Operation | 200 | | | IX. | The Seizure of Wakde Island | 206 | | | | | The Sarmi-Biak Plan | 206 | | | | | The Wakde Plan | 212 | | | | | Preparations for the Capture of Wakde Island | 218 | | | | | Small-Island Warfare, Southwest Pacific Style | 222 | | | X. | Lone Tree Hill: The Initial Attacks | 232 | | | | | The Japanese at Wakde-Sarmi | 232 | | | | | The 158th Infantry Against Lone Tree Hill | 236 | | | | | Final Operations of the 158th Infantry | 253 | | | XI. | Lone Tree Hill and Beyond | 263 | | | | | The 6th Division Against Lone Tree Hill | 263 | | | | | Final Operations in the Wakde-Sarmi Area | 275 | | | | | The Results of the Wakde-Sarmi Operation | 278 | | | XII. | Biak: The Plan, the Landing, and the Enemy | 280 | | | | | The Biak Plan | 280 | | | | | The Landing | 289 | | | | | The Japanese on Biak | 299 | | | XIII. | West to Mokmer Drome | 304 | | | | | An Initial Reverse | 304 | | | | | Preparations for a New Attack | 312 | | | | | The Seizure of Mokmer Drome | 316 | | | XIV. | Frustration at Mokmer Drome | 326 | | | | | Reinforcements for the 186th Infantry | 326 | | | | | Operations North of Mokmer Drome | 331 | | | | | Allied Command at Biak | 340 | | | XV. | The Japanese Reinforce Biak | 346 | | | | | Biak and Japanese Naval Plans | 346 | | | | | The KON Operation | 350 | | | | | Results of the KON Operation | 361 | | | XVI. | Biak: The Reduction of the Japanese Pockets | 365 | | | | | The Reduction of the West Caves | 365 | | | | | Securing the Western Area | 377 | | | | | The Reduction of the East Caves | 380 | | | | | The Reduction of the Ibdi Pocket | 384 | | | | | The End of the Operation | 390 | | | XVII. | Operations on Noemfoor Island | 397 | | | | | The Noemfoor Plan | 397 | | | | | The Landing | 406 | | | | | The Occupation of Noemfoor Island | 416 | | | | | Base Development on Noemfoor | 421 | | | XVIII. | Airfields on the Vogelkop Peninsula | 425 | | | | | Early Plans for the Vogelkop | 425 | | | | | The Sansapor-Mar Plan | 431 | | | | | Operations in the Sansapor-Mar Area | 440 | | | XIX. | The Palaus and Morotai: Strategic and Tactical Planning | 450 | | | | | The Strategic Setting | 450 | | | | | The Objectives | 456 | | | | | Organization, Tactics, and Logistics | 463 | | | XX. | The Morotai Operation | 480 | | | | | The Landing | 480 | | | | | Securing and Developing Morotai | 488 | | | XXI. | The Landings on Peleliu and Angaur | 494 | | | | | Preliminary Air and Naval Bombardment | 494 | | | | | The Peleliu Beachhead | 496 | | | | | The Decision to Land on Angaur | 498 | | | | | The Assault on Angaur | 499 | | | | | Securing Southern Angaur | 508 | | | XXII. | The Reduction of Northwestern Angaur | 515 | | | | | Into the Main Defenses | 515 | | | | | Overcoming the Last Resistance | 523 | | | | | Results of Operations on Angaur | 530 | | | XXIII. | Securing Peleliu Island | 532 | | | | | Marine Operations in Southern Peleliu to 22 September | 532 | | | | | Dividing the Island | 536 | | | | | Northern Peleliu and the Offshore Islands | 543 | | | XXIV. | Peleliu: The Last Resistance | 551 | | | | | Compressing the Umurbrogol Pocket | 551 | | | | | Entr'acte: The Relief of the 1st Marine Division | 559 | | | | | Overcoming the Final Resistance | 561 | | | | | Results of Operations in the Palaus | 573 | | | Conclusion: The Results and the Costs | 576 | | | | Bibliographical Note | 579 | | | | List of Abbreviations | 595 | | | | Basic Military Map Symbols | 601 | | | | Index | 605 | | | | | | | | | | TABLES | | | | | 1. | American Casualties During the Approach to the Philippines: April-December 1944 | 577 | | | 2. | Japanese Casualties, Defending the Approaches to the Philippines: April-December 1944 | 578 | | | | | | | | | CHARTS | | | | | 1. | Operational Organization of the Southwest Pacific Area: April 1944 | 15 | | | 2. | Air Organization for the Hollandia-Aitape Operations (Amphibious Phase) | 25 | | | 3. | Naval Organization for the Hollandia-Aitape Operations (Amphibious Phase) | 28 | | | 4. | Ground Organization for the Hollandia-Aitape Operations (Amphibious Phase) | 33 | | | 5. | Japanese Army Operational Organization in the Southwest Pacific Area: April 1944 | 94 | | | 6. | Japanese Naval Operational Organization in the Central and Southwest Pacific Area: April 1944 | 96 | | | 7. | The PERSECUTION Task Force: 22 April-4 May 1944 | 104 | | | 8. | The PERSECUTION Task Force: 4 May-28 June 1944 | 115 | | | 9. | The PERSECUTION Task Force: 28 June-11 July 1944 | 136 | | | 10. | The PERSECUTION Task Force: 11 July-21 July 1944 | 160 | | | 11. | The PERSECUTION Task Force: 22 July-30 July 1944 | 175 | | | 12. | The PERSECUTION Task Force: 31 July-11 August 1944 | 189 | | | 13. | The PERSECUTION Task Force: 11 August-25 August 1944 | 203 | | | 14. | Organization for the Palau Operation | 465 | | | | | | | | | MAPS | | | | | 1. | Situation in the Pacific, 12 March 1944 | 2 | | | 2. | Hollandia Operation Area | 17 | | | 3. | Aitape Landings, 22 April 1944 | 106 | | | 4. | Yakamul Area | 124 | | | 5. | Situation Along the Driniumor, Evening, 10 July 1944 | 141 | | | 6. | Japanese Plan of Attack, 10 July 1944 | 149 | | | 7. | Japanese Attack on Driniumor Line, Night, 10-11 July 1944 | 153 | | | 8. | The TED Force Action, 31 July-10 August 1944 | 193 | | | 9. | Wakde-Sarmi Area | 207 | | | 10. | Capture of Wakde Islands, 17-19 May 1944 | 223 | | | 11. | Advance to Lone Tree Hill, 23-26 May 1944 | 240 | | | 12. | TORNADO Task Force, Night, 30-31 May 1944 | 254 | | | 13. | Schouten Islands | 281 | | | 14. | Bosnek-Sorido Coast | 282 | | | 15. | Attack North of Mokmer Drome, 11-15 June 1944 | 333 | | | 16. | Securing the Airfields, 18-24 June 1944 | 370 | | | 17. | Capture of Noemfoor, 2 July-31 August 1944 | 399 | | | 18. | Vogelkop Operation, 30 July-31 August 1944 | 431 | | | 19. | Palau Islands | 458 | | | 20. | Morotai Landings, 15 September 1944 | 476 | | | 21. | Terrain of Umurbrogol Pocket | 552 | | | 22. | Marines at Umurbrogol Pocket, 30 September-15 October 1944 | 557 | | | 23. | 321st Infantry at Umurbrogol Pocket, 16-25 October 1944 | 562 | | | 24. | 323d Infantry at Umurbrogol Pocket, 26 October-27 November 1944 | 570 | | | | Maps I-IX are in inverse order inside back cover | | | | | I. | New Guinea | | | | II. | The Hollandia Operations, 22-26 April 1944 | | | | III. | Securing the Beachhead, 23 April-4 May 1944 | | | | IV. | Lone Tree Hill | | | | V. | Biak Landings and Seizure of Mokmer Drome, 27 May-7 June 1944 | | | | VI. | Assault on Peleliu, 15-23 September 1944 | | | | VII. | Assault on Angaur, 17-20 September 1944 | | | | VIII. | Reduction of Northwestern Angaur, 21 September-1 October 1944 | | | | IX. | Dividing the Island, 24-26 September 1944 | | | | | | | | | | ILLUSTRATIONS | | | | | Lake Sentani Plain, Showing Airfields | 19 | | | | Hollandia-Aitape Planners | 30 | | | | Humboldt Bay | 44 | | | | Tanahmerah Bay | 46 | | | | Damaged Japanese Airplanes | 51 | | | | Landings at Tanahmerah Bay | 54 | | | | Unloading LST's | 57 | | | | Hand-Carrying Supplies | 63 | | | | General Douglas MacArthur | 69 | | | | LVT's Crossing Lake Sentani | 75 | | | | Troops Unloading Supplies at Aitape | 109 | | | | Yakamul Area | 124 | | | | Tadji Fighter Strip | 129 | | | | Driniumor River | 142 | | | | Lt. Gen. Hatazo Adachi | 146 | | | | The Afua Area | 178 | | | | Artillery Supporting TED Force | 198 | | | | Native Litter Bearers | 201 | | | | Brig. Gen. Jens A. Doe | 220 | | | | The Assault on Wakde Island [1] [2] | 225 | | | | Enemy Defensive Positions on Wakde [1] [2] | 229 | | | | LCM Ferry | 253 | | | | Mokmer Drome, Biak | 288 | | | | Biak Coast Line | 292 | | | | Unloading at Biak | 298 | | | | East Caves Area | 305 | | | | Scene of Tank Battle | 308 | | | | The Parai Defile | 314 | | | | Men of the 162d Infantry Seeking Cover | 331 | | | | Disabled Japanese Tank | 339 | | | | Infantrymen Moving Up to Attack | 367 | | | | Entrances to the West Caves [1] [2] | 376 | | | | Entrance to the East Caves | 383 | | | | Dock Area, Biak | 394 | | | | Base H and Hospital Areas on Biak | 395 | | | | DUKW Burning on the Beach at Noemfoor | 410 | | | | Paratroopers Landing on Noemfoor | 414 | | | | Sansapor Planners | 435 | | | | Bulldozer Clearing Jungle Undergrowth | 448 | | | | Maj. Gen. Paul J. Mueller | 467 | | | | LCI's at Morotai | 484 | | | | Unloading at Morotai [1] [2] | 486 | | | | RED Beach Unloading Operations | 502 | | | | Saipan Town Area | 506 | | | | Entrance to Lake Salome Bowl [1] [2] | 520 | | | | Interior of Lake Salome Bowl | 525 | | | | Mopping Up in Northwest Angaur | 528 | | | | Southeast Corner of Umurbrogol Pocket | 554 | | | | LVT Flame Thrower in Action | 564 | | | | Moving into Mortimer Valley | 568 | | | | Peleliu | 574 | | |