Lat
14° 31' 0N Long 121° 0' 0E Capital of the Philippines located in along Manila Bay.
Pre-War History
Manila was a beautiful city prior to the war, the
pearl of the orient. MacArthur lived in the Manila Hotel's penthouse
from 1935 - 1941 as he served as the Philippines military advisor.
Japanese Occupation
Declared
an open city by MacArthur on December 26, 1941 in hopes of saving
it from
bombing
and destruction.
American
and Filipino forces moved out to Corregidor and Bataan. Despite this, Japanese bombers did hit the city, and on January
2, 1942 Manila fell to the General Masaharu Homma's Army.
Civilians were detained at Santo
Thomas University and Bilibid
prison. The people of Manila suffered a long and brutal Japanese
occupation.
The Battle For Manila
American forces landed at Lingayen Gulf on January 9, 1945 and drove toward Manila. The city
became a battlefield from February 4 to March 3, 1945
in street-to-street fighting with fanatical Japanese resistance.
Rear-Admiral Sanji
Iwabuchi
defended
the city,
with
an estimated
20,000 troops,
performed
a scorched
earth
policy
on
the
city, and committed atrocities against the civilian inhabitants.
The battle for Manila was one of the only urban combats for American
troops in the Pacific. General Robert
Beitler, US Army 37th Division was
given the assignment to capture Manila in house-to-house fighting.
Although MacArthur banned air strikes against the city, Artillery
was used to pound resistance. MacArthur (prematurely) declared
the city liberated on February 6th, and returned to Manila on February
7 from the north. The battle for the city lasted for a month, ending
with the fighting in the Spanish walled city of Intramuros,
where fanatical Japanese defended until the end. After
the battle an estimated 100,000 Filipinos had
died in the city as well, likely one of the highest civilian casualties
in urban combat of any WWII battle, second only to Stalingrad.
American Occupation of Manila
After the battle of Manila, the city was slowly rehabilited. Manila Harbor remained closed due to damage to harbor facilities until April 1945. Known as Base X in the US Army Letter Base designation, base located in Manila (exact location unknown). Thoands of American serviceman visited or were stationed in Manila in the last months of the war for R&R.
Manila
Bay
Approaches are guarded by several fortified
islands: Corregidor, Caballo and Drum. The city of Manila borders
to its eastern side and Cavite to
the south. Occupied by the Japanese from 1942 - 1945. Liberated
by American forces in mid-February, the Bay was not usable
for shipping until April 1945 due to obstructions and damage.
Quezon City
Located to the north of Manila, founded in 1939. Camp Murphy.
Santo
Thomas University (University of Santo Tomas)
Founded in 1611, it became a university
in 1645 and the second university in the Philippines, and the oldest
university in Asia, predated Harvard by 25 years. The university
was relocated to the north of Manila afterwards and expanded into
a larger campus. During the war, it was used as a POW Camp
for over 3,000 civilians. Liberated by American
forces in early February 1945.
Tondo
Beginning February 3, 1945 Japanese began burning this area
of the city. On February 5th a field gun was setup at the
Tondo Church
with civilians hiding inside, it was spotted by a liaison
plane it was targeted and destroyed.
Cubao
Located adjacent to Quezon City.
Tony Feredo adds:
"It was said that an auxilliary airfield was at Cubao, but I have not photo evidence. All I have in the Cubao area are six large radio antenna mast that were scattered in the now Araneta Center."
Quiapo
On February 4, 1945 retreating Japanese burned this area of the
city.
Stanta Cruz
On February 4, 1945 retreating Japanese burned this area of the
city.
Binondo
On February 4, 1945 retreating Japanese burned this area of the
city.
Pasig River
On
February 4, 1945 Japanese retreated across
the river to the south side of the city. The next day, advanced units
of 1st Calvary crossed the river in pursuit, and were joined by 37th
Infantry Division.
Ermita
District of Manila. Most of this district was destroyed during the liberation of early in 1945. Building still standing after the battle were Admiral's, Lopez Apartments, Miramor and Mabini Apartments. Also Bay View Hotel and a few residential homes. Today, the only wartime buildings that survive to this day are: Admiral, Bayview and Mabini Mansions. All have been remodeld and some renamed.
Manila Hotel
General
MacArthur lived in the penthouse from from 1935 - 1941. The original
building was 5 stories tall, a modern tower has since been added.
The "MacArthur
Suite" was his penthouse, with spectacular views of the harbor
and a replica of his office, only the table and chair are original.
The
hotel
was
the
scene
of room-to-room fighting during the battle for Manila in February
1945 and burned by the Japanese during the fighting by accident.
A new multi-level portion of the hotel was built post war.
Bilibind Prison
Bilibid Prison looks like a giant railway turntable from the air with the main sentry tower in the middle and the prison cells look like a spoke wheel arrangement A POW and Civilian prison camp. After Corregidor surrendered, most of the prisoners were billeted at Bilibid before they were transported elsewhere. Still in use as a prison today, located in the heart of Manila, near the Recto station of the LRT-2. You can clearly see it from there. Today it is know as the National Bilibid Prison, where the Philippines most dangerous criminals are incarcerated Thanks to Tony Feredo for details.
Muntinlupa
Present day prison in Muntinlupa municipality.
Intramuros (The
Walled City)
Spanish walled city, built beginning
in 1589, surrounded by a moat and twenty foot high stone outer wall,
that encloses 64 hectors of land. It was inside this walled city
that Japanese defenders made their final fanatical stand against
US forces.
National Museum of the Philippines (Department of Finance)
Valencia Circle, Rizal Park
This building was build during the American colonia period in the Phipippines, to serve as the department of finance. Heavily damaged during the liberation of Manila in 1945 by American artillery. In the national musuem's collection, formally installed at this location in 1978. The museum includes artifacts, art and historical treasures related to the Philippines. Also known as the Museum of the Filipino People.
Binodo Church (Malate Church)
Quintin Paredes Street
Also known as Church of our Lady of the Rosary / Shrine of San Lorenzo Ruiz. faces a small park and beyond that Manila Bay in the Chinatown area. The church was built originally on this spot in the sixteenth century by the Augustinians, during the latter part of the 16th century to accommodate the Christian baptized Chinese and is one of the oldest churches in Manila outside of Intramuros. Noted for its six-storey octagonal bell tower the shrine of the first canonized Filipino-Chinese martyr and saint, San Lorenzo Ruiz. British soldiers took refuge in this church during their occupation of the Philippines and attack on Intramuros in 1762-63. Destroyed in 1773, rebuilt, badly damaged in World War II, and later restored again.
Fort
Bonifacio (Fort William McKinley)
Army fort
built next to Nichols Field. On February
9, 1945 General Yokoyama moved his HQ to Fort McKinley. It
includes the Manila American Cemetery.
Genko Line
Defended by the Japanese Navy, during the Battle of Manila. A lot of Japanese equipment and armament were captured here.
Manila
American Cemetery & Memorial
Dedicated
December 8, 1960. This is the largest cemetery administered
by the American Battle Monuments Commission, with 17,206 graves
of Americans killed in the Pacific and the names of the 36,279
MIAs listed on tablets in the center of the cemetery.
Libingan ng mga Bayani (LNMB, Cemetery of the Heroes)
Located at Fort McKinley, south-wesst of the American cemetary. Established in May 1947 as a for Filipinos who brought honor to the country and fought for the sake of freedom and democracy. It includeds a tomb of the unknown soldier, memorial gate, black stone walls, and WWII Guerrilla Pylon. As of October 2003, there are 43,592 remains interred at the Libingan Ng Mga Bayani and this includes the 32,268 remains of military personnel who died at Camp O'Donnel.
VFP Museum (Veterans
For Peace Museum)
Veterans
Road, Tuguig (Western Bicutan)
Nichols
Field (Manila International Airport)
Prewar American airfield, today it is Manila's International Airport / Nino Aquino
Airport
