The Battle for Manila with John McManus-Episode 402
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- Опубликовано: 24 июн 2024
- This week, Seth, Bill and good friend John McManus take a look at the the battle for the Filipino capital of Manila. The team dissects the incredibly violent and horrific fight for General Douglas MacArthur's beloved Pearl of the Orient. The fighting in Manila was one fo the most violent combat areas of the entire war and the team breaks the fighting down to the nuts and bolts. The guys discuss the stories of Medal of Honor recipients Cleto Rodriguez and John Reese, as well as the liberation of Bilibid Prison, and much more.
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My Filipina grandmother told me of how she was so happy to see the Americans come back. She loved Americans until she died, and her brother flew an American flag in front of his house until he passed away.
I’ll never forget her telling me of seeing Japanese soldiers bayoneting babies when she was a teenager, or an American corpsman giving her chocolate and her father medical supplies and food.
That chocolate! AFAIK it was a block of Hershey's formulated to be so bitter you could only gnaw it a little bit at a time, so it'd feed the troops basically forever. Of course, a lot of them decided to give the damn things away, like this G.I. who gave his to my mom when his unit passed through Baliuag on their way to Manila. But shavings from that block, mixed with lots of sugar, gave my mom and her family hours of enjoyment. To the end of her days she never forgot that G.I.'s generosity.
Philippines and US are so closely tied and co-dependent, especially after 1946.
I appreciate the good men and women who were brave, enduring, and kind. It is my favorite Air Force base and Asian City.
@@seanbigay1042I'm sure the GI wished that he had more to give than that for all you went through.
God Bless Them.
@@richardbennett1856 Really, there's a reason Tom Brokaw called this generation of Americans the Greatest Generation. (And you know what? It just struck me that this is SUPERMAN's generation.)
That’s incredible
My mom, who was a teenager during the war, befriended the commander of the Japanese garrison in her hometown of Baliuag. She described the poor guy as a stranger in a strange land, hated by the Filipinos, held in barely insubordinate contempt by his own soldiers. It must have been a relief for him to be able to confide in my mom's family, especially one day in 1942 when he told them what had happened to his country's navy at Midway.
The commander returned the favor with interest in late 1944 or early 1945. His men were going crazy, on the ragged edge of going into a berserk rage and tearing into the townsfolk of Baliuag, when the commander on his own initiative rounded them all up and bundled them all off to Manila. That was the last my mom ever saw or heard of him. It's likely he died with his men fighting MacArthur.
My Father fought in the liberation of Manila in January 1945 and was awarded a Gold Star.
Silver star ?
West Texas Deputy here. Doing a stakeout watching for mailbox thieves. This podcast helps me make it through the long night.
My great uncle was in the 96th ID. Seth, he was a Fighting Texas Aggie, drafted while he was in the Corps of Cadets to fight in the Pacific. In 1942, the entire Corps of Cadets was drafted.
Y’all do phenomenal work, gentlemen. Thank you so much.
Stay safe from retired police officer!
I knew things are bad in the US these days but had no idea thieves stealing mailboxes was so bad! 😅
@@aussiedonaldduck2854 well, it may be a texas thing. In Texas mailboxes are as big as houses in other states
@@marting1056 It's not the size of the mailbox here in OZ it's the distance from the house too the mailbox! 😂
@WilliamAllen-qd1jh ARE THE BADDIES stealing mail boxes or their content ? Good luck to Van Horn (twice drove thru from Austin to SD, turn of the 90s. Suggest watch"Paris, Texas" (1984) again) o er & out 🇫🇮
My mother's family was in the southern portion of Manila, south of the Pasig River. They had to hunker down in the burnt out ruin of their family house while fires and explosions erupted in the neighborhood. They hid my mother's teenaged sisters under sheets of corrugated roofing to prevent them from being raped by the Japanese. When they saw soldiers coming down the street, they thought they were done for, but they were actually GIs who had crossed the river. They finally made their way north, crossing the Pasig River, to find sanctuary among relatives in the liberated part of the city. My mother was around seven at the time. She was too small to cross the river herself, so her uncle carried her on his shoulders in the crossing.
No doubt this will be great episode again. Greetings from the UK
Cheers, mate.
I teach a kid in a year 12 Modern History class whose family is from Manila. She had never heard of this battle and massacre.. interesting how the Filipino people treat it in terms of their historiography
Your comment worries me. I've heard tell that some schools here in the Philippines don't even teach their students about the Bataan Death March anymore. It's like they're pretending the war never happened. I hope I'm wrong about this.
They do teach it but in my opinion, world war 2 here is overshadowed by the Spanish colonial history and battle for independence in which Filipinos had more control over their destiny. As an example, independence day in the Philippines is June 12 which had its traces during the end of spanish colonialism and not July 4 When the Philippines achieved independence.
As far as the destruction of Manila, there are some historians who see it with bitter anger towards the Americans and Japanese alike. Most see it as an unfortunate event in war.
@@seanbigay1042yes sir, I've had many Pinoy at Pinay comment that I know more about their history and geography, even in Zambales at Pampanga. Palarin Ka Sana. Super country, hope your young people change that trend. I was shocked once, rolling down Roxas Blvd(MNL) their were Jap flags everywhere to suck up to visiting politicians, as if nothing ever happened. Of course I understand the people there are concerned with earning a living today.
That's not unusual.
Most Americans don't realize that the British fought a massive war to protect American colonies from being eradicated or enslaved by the French and their Native American allies. It was substantially bloodier than the American Revolution.
As an unconnected example;
Just look at New Amsterdam. It was a thriving colony until the British took possession. All the Dutch settlers were displaced into Native American territory or sent to the Caribbean. The vast majority subsequently died horribly.
New Amsterdam was renamed New York... And the colony would become the most recognized city in the US.
There is a bit of a cultural blind spot here - one that does a disservice to the Filipino men and women that fought as part of the USAFFE and as guerrillas. Same goes to the Filipino contribution in the Korean War.
As far as some of my relatives know - there was a war, then there was Marcos, then Aquino in 1986, and we arrive at the present. They did forget our own relatives fought as guerrillas too.
I showed them WW2TV’s Philippines Week programs and they had no idea, but they were drawn in. So there is hope.
(Bill and Seth - sorry for referencing another RUclips channel, but it couldn’t be helped)
Respect to Seth, Bill and John once again for covering an often overlooked aspect of the Pacific War. Manila and the Philippines Campaign have been waiting in the wings, time to give them their due!
Bill, many congratulations to your nephew and you. He's entering a very uncertain times for the US Armed Forces. I wish him the very best.
Let's hope for change this Nov. I have two close friend's sons in USA academies, West Point and Annapolis. I have the same concerns for those young men..
And Seth will be on Woody's WW2TV soon. I am glad that came about.
Look forward to that. Another great RUclips channel for those interested in WWII history
@@douglaskillock3537 it is. I was poking Woody to try and set something up some months ago, and it seems he succeeded. Crossovers between good history channels enrich both participants. I am also glad to have set up Drachinifel and Jon Parshall a few years ago. That one was my idea and start effort, and lots of good came out of it.
@@PalleRasmussen It is scheduled for tomorrow morning at 11 AM EDT. The subject is The Great Marianas Turkey Shoot. It should be great to see Seth on with Paul "Woody" Woodadge.
Also, John McManus and Dave Holland have appeared on both channels.
@@PalleRasmussen Nice work. I have recently been listening to the We Have Ways podcast which deals more with the ETO. A good listen, particularly for a British audience though they cover the whole thing. John McManus has appeared on the show a number of times. Very knowledgeable but a good sense of humour too so fits in well
Yes, part one was great. P2 soon
Impressive as always. You guys getter better and better. Regards from Down Under.
@@gustaloni3107 We love and thank our brave Aussie heroes for doing more than their fair share.
Note how much better you kick ass when an Australian general is running the show instead of a British one.
My grand father who is currently 95 remembers watching 3rd fleet aircraft dive bombing japanese ships from the top of the Old Manila City Hall.
He survived the battle of Manila from inside the city proper.
About a dozen years ago, I visited Manila for three days. I wanted to visit the stronghold of Correigidor, and was amazed at the complexity of its many interior tunnels. One of the most moving sights, however, was the little war cemetery which had been established there after the war, by the Filipinos. In a worthy display of forgiveness to those who had tortured and murdered them, they set up a Japanese are of the cemetery, complete with a little Japanese shine set in the midst of the Japanese dead. A wonderful, forgiving gesture, indeed.
One that you would hope would be reciprocated by an official apology, admitting guilt. In
It is a good tour. Spend the night at the little hotel next time. Corregidor is an amazing place for people that love history.
One more comment, guys, if I may. If there were Emmys for Podcasts, these on Luzon would be shoo-ins. The cover photo of the podcast the GI carrying the young girl - is hard do get out of one's mind. The steely look of disgust, and compassion on the young man's face is hard to forget. Thanks again for all the work you guys put into this, its a story that needs to be told.
"Delta lies like MacArthur"
I need that T-shirt!
🤣
San Miguel is a Pilsner averaging about 5% similar to European pilsners. The Japanese owned another brewery in the PI. After the war the war San Miguel, which had acquired the Japanese brewery prior to war, refused to sell any product that had been produced under Japanese control but instead gave it for free to U.S. and PI forces. This was completed within two weeks…
I can’t lie - I’ve watching and waiting since Season 1 for you to get to Manila. I hate watching the destruction of the Pearl of the Orient in all documentaries but it needs to be told and shown so it is not lost to time.
Thank you for giving the Stalingrad of the Pacific its just due. Well done gentlemen.
Well done gentleman. A truly somber episode.
In anticipation, another great episode.
Thanks from Aus 😁
A comment about the reaction of the Prisoners seeing MacArthur.....they felt, and I think we can all agree abandoned and felt that for years on end....not just by him. But by America itself how many times before surrender were they told supplies and reinforcements were headed their way, if they could just hold out a little bit longer? What they were reacting to, and why I personally feel as much as I detest MacArthur as both a person and as a General..his fight to make the P.I. the priority was correct....America was keeping its promise, that we hadn't forgotten them. That a Strategic decision had been made(ok they would have no idea about the Formosa/P.I. debate) to come and get them no matter the cost. That is the great take away here and a reason we should all be proud? The decision was made to get the Philippines back....we kept our promise. In times when it seems our word means less and less.....maybe a push should be made to hold this country's liberation up just as high, if not higher then the Liberation of Europe....we weren't kicked out of Europe....we were kicked out of the Philippines and despite a plan that arguably may have reduced casualties and maybe even shortened the way being put forth....we were able to agree keeping our word to them was more important in the end.
Great job guys. Memories of this horror are everywhere here in the Philippines.
The information you guys passed at the beginning of this broadcast about the USS Harder was absolutely fantastic. ❤
Thanks as always guys! John your insightful comments at the end are another aspect we fail to realize in all cities and hamlets throughout that horrible war on all fronts.😢
I really appreciate the hard work y'all do in putting these podcasts together. Great Torpedo Tuesday guys.
Superb analysis. My father was stationed on the USS Arkansas. I enjoyed hearing these trenchant descriptions. Makes me remember my father. MacArthur sure was a complicated man. Thanks
This episode and the one about the university are real tear jerkers.
Lived on Clark AFB in my early childhood- later I was in the First Cavalry.
So I kinda have skin in the game on this one.
Lots of old Clark airmen are still here, now retired. Many old Subic sailors also.
@@joebombero1
I was only 3 and 4 years old back in 1968-69.
But I remember a lot (Philippines was so much different than the states- it stood out)
"Two baseball-playing nations fighting it out in a ballpark." At Imphal-Kohima the British and Japanese were fighting it out across a tennis court. And at Stalingrad the Nazis and Soviets were fighting it out over a house -- the Nazis downstairs trying to get at the Soviets upstairs.
@@seanbigay1042 The irony of war.
Good point, sir.
Your description of MacArthur returning to his home is his having his own Bag End moment, for those who have read all of The Lord of the Ring series.
That’s actually a pretty good description.
We have a tour company here in the Philippines and have been lucky to handle a lot of World War II groups. Most notably, we've handled a group of former POWs that were interned in Santo Tomas, the Battling Bastards of Bataan, veterans of the Leyte Landings and more. I've managed to be friends with a lot of the vets then and am just amazed at the stories they had. Visiting places around the Philippines where they fought made WW2 more real and alive for me. Listening to you guys discussing the Pacific War never gets old for me. Keep it going!
I feel like the people who read Martin's books before Game of Thrones was broadcast. They new the Red Wedding episode was coming and many dreaded it. I knew this episode was coming and dreaded it. To be honest I clicked on it merely to support you guys and the great work you are doing. Such a tragic event that so few people know anything about
Thank you guys for another great video. God bless America, God Bless you guys.
Good morning from Fayetteville Arkansas thankyou
The home of Arkansas State.
@@JohnnySmithWhite-wd4ey I live miles from university Arkansas woo pig
I grew up in Shreveport. I was always amazed at how the terrain seemed to instantly change from flatland to hills and mountains right when we crossed the Louisiana/Arkansas border lol.
I never severed in the military, never been around any artillery but I know how big 155mm is and I know how far 250 yards is. I can't imagine what the impact on a concrete building must have been like. This was a tough episode to watch but thank you for your efforts in telling it like it was.
You guys are AWESOME, thank you all for the great insights about the Philippine campaign (especially the command aspects). Keep up the great work 👍
Another great episode. Thank you gentlemen.
Thank you for a great episode. I appreciate the details of battle and The bravery of our troops
Tremendous podcast, thanks.
Very good episode. Thanks gents
You know, this video was essentially three oldish guys talking history -- very little of the archival footage we've come to expect in accounts of World War II. But then you listen to what they're describing ... and after a while you're very, very glad you don't actually see what's happening.
I live in Quezon City. But my dad used to work in Manila, and my family used to eat out there on Sundays. So it hurts to listen to what happened to the city. THIS IS MY HOME, DAMMIT. We didn't deserve to have this happen to us. What the hell was that guy Iwabuchi thinking?
Thanks for the (I guess) compliment. Regarding footage: I often see people complain about me not putting more footage in the videos. My response usually is-if I don't have footage of the actual event, I'm not including it. If I ain't got it, you can't see it. Also, I'm not just going to throw footage for the sake of entertainment into a serious historical discussion. Footage of the fighting for Manila is there, and I have included it where appropriate. In the end, I am an historian, and it bothers me to no end to see inaccurate footage simply thrown into something to satisfy people's desire for visual entertainment. Stuff like that is how history can get twisted. (I saw a video on Manila and it showed British carriers at sea, I ddidn't know the Brits were there! Wow!). See what I mean?
@@sethparidon8654- HEAR, HEAR!!!!
I saw a photo of Manila after it had been fought through. It was as trashed as Stalingrad. It's probably for the best that there is no film or photos of the fighting.
No doubt. The same Marine getting wounded on Hawaii, then Guadelcanal and all points east. Can't say I spend much time looking at ya'lls mugs, or John Parshall's wallpaper, but I must say, you guys paint a picture. Bravo!
Thank you Bill Seth and John.
You spoke of Cdr Sam Dealey. Did you know he was the nephew of George Bannerman Dealey, a newspaper man in Dallas, TX. He was the namesake of Dealey Plaza where JFK was assassinated.
A friend of mine, David Wilkenson, fought in New Guinea. And he told me that he hated the Japanese. For him being a Christian and hating was an anathema. Watching this episode I understand why he did and i understand as a Christian why he struggled to release that hate. Manila was the epitome of evil, hell on earth. How do you come out of a battle like this without a profound hate. The cruelty in this battle is beyond belief.
Insightful comment. And theologically spot on.
Always excellent content. Thanks guys!
Great stuff. Thank you.
I'm so happy to hear about the 37th ID getting to enjoy cold beer in the midst of the campaign.👍
These episodes are always superb!
With regards to Iwabuchi. He would probably have a better chance to regain his honour if he challenged VADM Willis "Ching" Lee to a pistol duel than what happened in Manilla.
Which would have had an obvious outcome.
@@briantrewella6230oh I know. Is it realistic for such a thing to happen? Not in the slightest. But it would save a lot of suffering.
Reece and Rodriguez: Kind of very much like SGT York of WWI fame. Initiative is the hallmark of the United States Army Infantry. So sad about Reese though.
Was worried at first that I couldn't take these episodes. But, comments from those that were there or have family that were gave me the guts I was lacking. My biggest inspiration is that Filipinos are still capable of such tremendous love to this day despite this.
Great show gentlemen.
I will be in Manila next month and be wandering around looking for places associated with the war
Manila American Cemetery in BGC
Corregidor is open already accesible by boat from MOA. Go to Clark as well, some of the less travelled spots there are the Kamikaze monument on the west airfield where the first Kamikaze took off, the Collin P Kelly memorial. Bataan Mt Samat memorial is about 1 hr from Clark, same with the Cabanatuan POW camp that inspired the movie “The Great Raid”
Im an airline pilot and recreational pilot here in the Philippines. You could also go to the Lingayen Beachhead where the old Lingayen airfield still looks pretty much the same despite being an active operational airfield, the beach is only 500 meters walk away and is pretty much the same as well.
As an airline pilot some of the more fascinating things ibe flown over are Sibuyan Sea where Musashi was sunk, San Bernardino Strait and Surigao Strait. The approach into Surigao airport takes the airplane over leyte then strait south through the straight and you will have a quick appretiation of how narrow that water passage is. Flying from where Kinkaid’s battle line was down to where Nishimura and Shima tracked north, you would wonder how the US destroyers fit in on both flanks. I fly the ATR 72 so i operate at the same altitudes as the US Dive Bomber back then (13000 to 17000 feet)
@@RAYMONDCANILAO-sv3wc #1 on my list,
Corregidor, Clark, Mt Samat memorial in Bataan, Cabanatuan prison camp
@@Pilot-hr1rp i will be visiting those places,And im also going to walk sections of the death march
Informative and powerful as always; armed combat is horrific by any standard but the battle for Manila took it up a notch (or 10). The sheer violence of the fighting combined with the atrocities committed by the Japanese almost defies description. While a different theater of war there are some parallels between this and some of the battles in Europe and on the Eastern Front, such as Stalingrad and later Berlin. A sobering reminder of just how brutal and destructive World War II was.
Steeling myself for today's episode, having listened to James M. Scott's audiobook Rampage. It took me 6 months to get through that audiobook, where as normally I finish one that length in 3 weeks. My father-in-law, Purple Heart with 1st Cav Div at Manila. 40:46, that's going to take a steeling myself for.
An enraging and debilitating account. Thank you for putting this together. I've nieces and nephews half filipino who grew up here and have little idea of the history. They now thanks to you gentlemen have a new perspective.
Great show, as usual, with John. His knowledge and research of these actions is ‘top notch’. Great to see Seth do a crossover episode with Woody -WW2 tv. Hope you include Bill in Part 2 of the Mariana’s Turkey Shoot! Great job guys!
Wife's cousin's uncle (I know it is a family stretch) was awarded the MOH in Manila. William J. Grabiarz Troop E, 5th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry division
Another Great show guys. 😁👍
I do feel that in terms of Filipino American relations that the liberation of the Philippines was necessary politically and it has shaped how the relations of the two nations since.
While from an 80 year hindsight, it can be argued that much bloodshed would have been avoided on the Filipino side had the Americans simply bypassed the islands, I dont think it is how Filipinos at the time would feel and they would certainly feel betrayed if they were bypassed given the level of suffering the people endured during Japanese rule.
This is one of those actions that must be seen and must be done to build friendship and trust and in the end, it is the Japanese who is ultimately responsible for this war and the majority of the Filipinos see it this way .
Agreed. My Filipina grandmother was there, and she ended up loving Americans until she died. I remember her telling stories of how the returning Americans gave chocolate, food, and medical supplies to her and her father.
The Philippines would never have been bypassed. Imagine if the Japanese had seized Hawaii. Do you expect it could have been bypassed? Believe it or not, there was more US corporate investment in the Philippines than Hawaii. More dollars, more infrastructure, perhaps not more US population but the citizen count would be close. It was the corporate investmentbthat drove the recapture, however. Money talks. There were a lot of US bankers pushing Roosevelt.
@@joebombero1 there was a time when Admiral King and the Navy was pushing for bypassing the Philippines for Formosa.
@@Pilot-hr1rp agreed. You can see a strategic rationale for it. There were generals who wanted to bypass Paris, until they realized the Germans were not going to defend it. But politically, you just can't do it.
The team discussed this on a prior episode. It was a compelling argument. One that almost happened.
I enlisted in the United States Marine corps in 1979 and was pretty much indoctrinated with the lack of respect for general Douglas MacArthur although this episode has softened me a little bit just a little bit 🇵🇭🇵🇭🇵🇭🇵🇭🇵🇭🇵🇭🙏🙏🙏🙏🤠🤠🤠
Good reporting gentlemen. I don't think that I have the fortitude to watch an episode on the atrocities, but that's on me.
i watched it with tears stinging my eyes the entire time, but these things must be looked at often so that we will never forget............
Well done guys please more on the prison camp raids.
They're coming.
Great episode! I wasn’t familiar with the war in Manila .
Ghastly. Thanks for shedding light on a part of the war not nearly enough folks know about. I realize that, understandably, you guys subscribe to the Navy's point of view, but leaving the Philippina population, American civilian and military POWs to the mercy of their Japanese occupiers while we bypassed the Philippines to invade Formosa would have been morally unforgivable.
100% agree
Agreed 100%. Retaking the Philippines was without a doubt the correct decision.
Bill's dry outro reflects my mood: depressed... and yet there's far worse to cover in the next episodes
Yeah.
Long time listener, first time caller (commenter). Marine Corps combat veteran (tanker) from Desert Storm. This is an outstanding podcast - I've recommended it to a number of friends and family.
I thought John made an apt comparison to Hue when he was describing the fighting in Manila (which I have to admit I didn't know much about). I have studied Hue fairly extensively and visited the city a few years ago. When you were describing the use of the 155mm arty pieces to blow open the walls of the Manila bank building, I couldn't help thinking of Earnie Cheatham (2/5 Btn Cmdr) giving himself a crash course on urban warfare after the NVA had taken Hue. Whether Manila, Seoul (the battle Cheatham was learning from), Hue, Mogadishu, or Fallujah - it seems we have to relearn those lessons each time. Big Earnie's conclusion was that you needed to stay off the streets and blow holes in the walls of adjacent buildings/compounds to move through the city. Bowden's book, Hue 1968, on pgs 238-240 covers this in some detail.
Keep up the good work.
[And speaking of Seoul, I really hope you'll consider an Unauthorized History of the Korean War series when you complete this one. My disdain for Douggie Mac is primarily due to his ineptitude re: Peleliu and Chosin (and the Yalu in general) - and OP Smith should be canonized for largely ignoring Mac and Almond, but I digress.]
Thanks for checking us out. One thing I have to mention though, MacArthur had nothing to do with Peleliu. That was all Chester Nimitz.
Dave Wright ty for your service🇺🇸. 65 to 72 here.
When thinking of the utter destruction of Manila the thought of the countless murders of civilians is alarming but I don’t often think of the culture that was lost as John discussed with the history of that country. What another travesty of war. Another excellent episode.
This video brought back fond memories of the time I met with Charlie Russell, USN who was a classmate of my father-in-law in Manila before WWII. I spent the evening enthralled at these two old friends swapping stories of their youth over uncountable "hacendero" cocktails - a deadly mixture of gin, angostura bitter, shaved ice and . . . sugar.
When dealing with history especially the atrocities committed against the population it is important to view it based on the realities of the past. People behave based on the environment and the cultural norms of the time. I’m a Filipino on vacation here in Japan and I go here often for vacation as I love the country and the people. It is hard to reconcile what you see in Japan and the Japanese of today and its past knowing its history. It is hard to imagine that the Japanese would behave in such ways but they did.
The important lesson from history is more on “this is what can happen when one country invades another and extremists ideas are allowed to flourish”. Nations like China right now are looking back at history to ignite past hatred and atrocities of their enemies to justify their behavior. Look at all the talk of war reparations and even colonialism and how it damaged societies. None of us alive today were directly harmed by these people from the past so we cannot play victim to it. Conversely, none of those alive today made the decision to harm others so they should not be held accountable. It is like asking for reparations from someone’s kid over the crimes made by his grandfather long before he/she was alive. It is important for civilized people to realize that World War 2 ended decisively and the demons of its past have long gone. We move forward learning the lessons of the importance of defending our freedoms and suppressing extremism and hate.
Now back to scouring the hobby shops for model ships and airplanes. I’m here with my significant other for our anniversary but also to look for more stuff to build :)
It breaks my heart that history has taken a backseat in the philippines. japan, they barely even acknowledge World War ii. We need to keep this history alive for future generations.
Morning gents
Good morning! 👍
We are all to ready to jump on Mac . He was an historic and complex person ! I read the huge book “American Caesar “ he was pan oriental , he believed in defeat Japan first . His management of Japan post war was well done !
Good morning, from SC!
Thank you for another excellent episode! I have no words to speak about the horrors of the battle for Manila, so I will refrain from commenting on that subject. I will, however, note that if I have a choice, I will never fly Delta airlines. If I need to, I will pay more (within reason) to fly with a different carrier if it's possible. One major negative (completely avoidable if Delta had done the right, common sense thing) experience in the 1990s was bad enough to make me swear off Delta for life.
"7,896 rounds of artillery are used at Intramuros." (Bear in mind that Intramuros isn't a very big place -- I'd say it wasn't much bigger than a cavalry fort from an old Western.)
And bringing 155mm howitzers u to "stupid close" ranges for use as DIRECT FIRE weapons? Pouring 145 of these shells into the old City Hall from a range of 250 YARDS?
Yea, verily it is said, "There is no such thing as overkill. There is only 'Open fire!' and 'Reload!'"
Bill, congratulations on getting to commission your nephew.
I hope you talk about the battle of Zig-Zag Pass in a future episode.
My favorite beer from the Philippines....Red Horse, malt liquor brewed by San Miguel.
I LOVE Red Horse! I always drink it with my inlaws when we go to the Philippines every year!
Congrats on your nephew's commission, Captain Bill. I have 2 uncles who are USCG grads class of 1936, career men. Sons of Italian immigrants!
The opening video has got all new images, but the most riveting for me is the toddler shaking head to toe. 😢 The opening frames also show a GI carrying a child out of the battle zone, giving some hope.
Iwabuchi, MF Iwabuchi! I can't even hear that name without my hackles rising.
Bill, I really liked the way you described his actions. He will attempt erase his shame at not going down with Kirishima by bringing about even more shame. I couldn't talk about him without sputtering rage and name calling. I've got no connection to Manila, I simply read about his actions in this battle at age 11. I could barely believe, at that age, that someone could be such a bastard. His story just hit me at the right moment in my life, I suppose.
If there is a shrine to that man anywhere in the world, I hope it is routinely pissed on.
Listening to the guys talk about urban warfare, it just occurred to me that the japanese didn't have any kind of rocket launchers to attack tanks.I know they had 37 mm anti tank guns,but as far as having a shoulder fired rocket launcher,their manufacturing division came up short.I wonder why?
Japanese army made a 20mm anti-tank rifle, but it was underpowered. Personal anti-tank weapons weren't developed because in 1941 the Allies and USA had few armored vehicles, much less actual tanks, deployed. the wretched Chinese Republican Army had no tanks. So the R&D was concentrated on other things. So later on they resorted to anti-tank grenades.
they didn't had any type of rocket launcher other than captured US Bazooka and few, if any Panzerfaust or shrek arrived from submarine.
My grandfather fought in the 11th airborne and he said the stadium fighting was very tough.
Difficult subject. Well done.
Thanks guys for telling all of us the way it really happened. A terrible fight for Manila and tragic losses. The Japanese were truly a horrible part of human culture.
I like to think of Ma'carthur as the scurge of the pacific he was also influential into the veitnam war and a negative influence all around!
So tell me Bill, as hard as you have driven home Mac's failures do you not think he paid the debt Miss Karma bestowed upon him in watching Manila's destruction first hand ?
That in retrospect you may have been too harsh knowing this episode would bring this to light?
Im curious if it was necessary, and how you feel about it now even though you knew (or may not have known) this episode was coming up?
Let me be clear, Mac's reporting lies, his treatment of allies at home and abroad, that no way he should given any quarter in this regard.
Greetings guys. I’ve watched every episode and as an Australian, l fully appreciate the role of the USA in defending the Pacific BUT here’s the question. If the USA hadn’t taken over the Philippines from the Spanish, would the USA gone to war in late December 1941 when the IJN and Japanese Army took out S E Asia? Because if they wouldn’t to protect colonies controlled by the British, Dutch, Spanish, French and Portuguese. I suspect the answer is No. in which case, as an Australian I’m eternally grateful that the USA felt it owed a debt to the Phillipines.
Perhaps if the Spanish still controlled the Phillipines in 1941, the IJN would not have needed to attack Pearl.
I would now be able to speak Japanese.
the Filipinos would not be as aligned to the Americans if they were bypassed. This is one of those fights that needed to be done to shape the relations of two nations for years to come.
My opinion is yes. FDR wanted to get into the war, and he was right to want to get into the war. Pearl Harbor gave him the excuse he needed, and it meant we had to commit to the Japanese campaign, if for no other reason that out of retribution and to protect Australia. The strategy would have been different-- may not have felt the obligation to liberate the Philippines when we did, but we would have definitely been at war in the Pacific.
@@TomSmith-lf8tr i agree with this. Had the Philippines not been an American colony, the Japanese would have simply grabbed the oil rich Dutch East Indies or even Singapore and there would not have been any political power to stop them. The British would probably have negotiated to secure australia.
The Philippines would probably be an independent nation by then given the waning Spanish colonial power and the rising insurrection at the time the Americans first came. Philippines would have likely become like Thailand back then. It would have probably aligned with Japan from the start and the greater east asia co prosperity sphere would have succeeded. I dont think they would have gone into Australia though as all the resources they need to supply their war with China are within the SE asian region.
It would be a different map for sure. Even if say the Philippines was an american colony and were bypassed i would think the americans would have fought the vietnam war in the Philippines as well with the rising communist influence at the time.
It is funny that I am writing these from Fujikawaguchiko in Japan as I am taking my time off from work in the Philippines. Time indeed moved on and wounds healed. Such is the reality of a Total War where there are clear winners and clear losers. People move on. Compare that to the proxy wars on going right now.
@@Pilot-hr1rp Agreed. Bypassing the Philippines was never an option, it had to be done.
If you are getting saturated with battle and suffering, however well presented, I humbly recommend E. B. Sledge's postwar memoir "China Marine". It gives hope in the context of this terrible rape of Manila, which is as bad as the more infamous Rape of Nanking. But the salvation of the people in Manila is occurring at the same time as the suffering. "CHINA MARINE" E.B.Sledge. It's a unique account from an exceptional person who saw the worst of close combat on Pelilieu and Okinawa and although physically untouched, is pretty scrambled with post trauma psychosis. This makes me even more aggrieved at the loss of Andrew Haldane at Pelilieu, and the loss of his potential.
Stalingrad was appalling, but the battle for Berlin was on another level of destruction/casualties.
They made a major movie about Stalingrad, but I’m not aware of any comparable quality movie about the battle for Manila. Seems a shame.
Using 155mm howitzers at 250 yards you have a small chance of watching the shell base come flying back the other way. It's one of those pieces of a shell that is hard to make fragment properly today, much less back then. It's one of the pesky factors setting the danger close distance.
Such an informative podcast. Thank you gentlemen for the important work that you do!
Mac Arthur was critical to the success of post war Japan. He understood the Japanese culture.
Dude, the last shogun of Japan wasn't a Tokugawa -- it was Douglas MacArthur.
@@seanbigay1042 Exactly this a thousand times over.
I know this is a bit late in the game (I just found you guys a week or so ago), but it would be helpful if you provide the actual numbers of men, tanks, guns, etc when you mention a "division", "battalion", etc. Many of us can only look up definitions that say something like "Battalion: 400 to 1000 men", which is a big range. I don't know if the Army and Marines use the same size groups, if there were changes during the war or if the numbers used then are the same as now. It does not help that Google has started using an AI engine to provide answers which are very often wrong. Even specialist sites like WW2 Facts sometimes provides numbers without mentioning whether they are just for the British.
Thank you for a excellent podcast. It seems that much of what I had seen before was wrong (like MacArthur's numbers for the Battle of the Bismarck Sea).
I think the amount of information you're asking for would bog down the podcast quite a bit. The sizes of all of those units varied quite a bit depending on attachments, casualties, disease, etc. It's also often tough to separate out combat strength (# of infantrymen whose primary duty is combat) vs paper strength (including logisitical and headquarters personnel).
Regardless, for the US in the Pacific War, a company is approx. 150-200, a battalion around 800, a regiment 2500, and a division 15,000. None of these units fights alone, and often have additional supply detachments and artillery assigned from higher headquarters.
I highly recommend the channel Battle Order if you really want to get a feeling for organization quantities like this.
@@TheFirstIcon I think it would not be that difficult to say about 1000 men with 100 pieces of artillery and 30 tanks. Each of those items are discussed individually, so simply stating a rough number should not bog things down very much. Thank you for the information, though.
First like- ready for a new season 🫡❤️
"fist" ?
@@davidwatson8118with or without lube?
@@davidwatson8118
Too early four correct spelling 🤣
A story to be remember. Thank you all, so much. Take care and God bless.
Thanks! have no idea what the Pasig River looked like in 945 (56:00). In the 1980s the river was an open sewer. You could walk acrss on the trash that floated on the surface.
Next time you will vote to remain part of the United States ( before Biden)
Regarding direct-support arty, the Soviets also came onto the same solution -- bring up an couple or four SP 152s as battering rams to drop a strong-point. Convergent evolution, the solution suggests itself.
Captain Toti. What is that picture of over your right shoulder.? Is it the nicknamed machine gun cruiser?