The Luzon Campaign 1945: MacArthur Returns

by Nathan N. Prefer

The Luzon campaign of 1945 was the longest island campaign of the Pacific War, lasting from January 1945 to September 1945, and only ended with the surrender of Imperial Japan. It is often overlooked or mentioned in passing by most histories of that war, yet hundreds of thousands of Americans and Japanese fought in some of the worst conditions imaginable for eight months to clear Luzon of the invaders.

This full account of the Luzon campaign stretches from planning stages to the end of the war and the surrender of over 50,000 Japanese troops under the noted Japanese general Yamashita. The landings at Lingayen Gulf, the Battle for Manila and the recapture of Corregidor are all included, as well as lesser-known battles for the summer capital of Baguio, the battle for Manila's water supply, constant jungle fighting, the raids to rescue Allied POWs, the recapture of Bataan, destruction of the only Japanese armored division to fight in the Pacific, American parachute drops on Corregidor and Aparri, and much more. Individual acts of heroism are highlighted as are the interactions among the senior commanders involved, including General MacArthur, General Krueger (6th Army) and General Eichelberger (8th Army). The book ends with the surrender of Imperial Japan and the end of the Luzon Campaign in September 1945.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. The Lingayen Beachhead
3. The Central Plain
4. Securing the Beachhead
5. The Kembo Group
6. The Race to Manila
7. The Tragedy of Manila
8. Intramuros, the Walled City
9. The Shimbu Group
10. Seizing the Dams
11. Southern Luzon
12. North to Baguio
13. The Villa Verde Trail
14. San Jose, Digdig and Baguio
15. Baguio Falls
16. Balete Pass
17. The Bambang Front
18. Aparri
19. Pursuit
20. The Luzon Campaign

Appendix U. S. Forces Order of Battle
Appendix Imperial Japanese Army Order of Battle
Appendix Luzon Campaign Medals of Honor
Appendix Casualty Comparison
Bibliography

Genres: Audiobook

336 pages, Hardcover

Published April 15, 2024

About the author

Nathan N. Prefer’s lifelong study of the Second World War has resulted in three prior military studies including MacArthur’s New Guinea Campaign; Patton’s Ghost Corps; and Vinegar Joe’s War. His interest in the Tinian Campaign began when he served in the US Marine Corps Reserve as part of the 4th Marine Division. Now retired with graduate degrees in Military History, Prefer’s next work will concern the US Army’s campaign on Leyte in the Philippines. He currently resides in Fort Myers, Florida.

Reviews

[Simon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tedious list of American military units doing stuff. Read 'Rampage: MacArthur, Yamashita, and the Battle of Manila' by James M. Scott, it's much better.

[Super · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall good info

[Martin Koenigsberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I got back from a trip to the Philippines- I knew I wanted to read this book next. The Philippines was my father's campaign- and I visited Luzon, so I was eager to put my knowledge to work. Nathan N. Prefer, a scholar and author of the Pacific War, brings his military history skills to explaining a military situation full of micro-battles and with severe logistical constraints. As with most WWII Pacific War campaigns fought large civilian populations, the collateral damage casualties and the intentional Japanese atrocities are both tragically part of the total story. There are lots of maps and photos to further explain the action- and plenty of attention paid to the logistical underpinnings of the whole enterprise..

What really surprised me was how quickly and effectively Filipino Guerillas were integrated into the US Army efforts. Within a few weeks, almost every US combat unit had Filipino Scouts, and within a few months, every US Regiment seems to have had a full-fledged Guerrilla band of Battalion size or larger to work with. The Japanese- who did have a logical battle plan -with some exceptions - were still caught out by the speed and agility of the Allied advance. With the Japanese always in need of resources- it is little wonder that the locals were eager to rid themselves of such hungry "guests'. The book does not linger over the Japanese destruction of Manila and its citizens- but gives it it proper space in the narrative. I enjoyed learning- although the tone was not light.

The main adult themes are atrocities and various forms of abuse, making this best understood by the Junior Reader over 14/15 years. For the Gamer/Modeler/Military Enthusiast, it's a bit of a mixed outing. For the Gamer, there are a lot of battles/pursuits that lend themselves to scenario/campaign development. My only advice would be to focus on precipitous terrain- as all hills and ravines I saw featured steep slopes. For the modeler, this will be a good source- but I am sure plenty of other resources would be as useful.for build/diorama development. The Military Enthusiast is the big winner- as this is a good explanation of a seldom studied late war campaign for the modern reader. A strong package on a less well known chapter of the Pacific War.