The Buckeye Drive

The Japanese empire shocked the world with their attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, in the days and weeks following, they successfully invaded the Philippines, Guam, the Gilbert Islands, and Wake Island. The invasion of the Philippines pushed the American forces back to Bataan and forced General Douglas MacArthur to leave the island. The remaining Americans, depleted of food and ammunition, were left no choice but to surrender on May 6th, 1942. From that day forward, General MacArthur made it a priority of his to return to the Philippines and free the people from the occupying Japanese force. The campaign in the Southwest Pacific eventually led to the 6th Army’s invasion of Luzon, the northern part of the Philippines, which eventually resulted in the taking of Manila and the rest of the Philippines. The 6th Army was made up of the XIV, I, and the XI Corps, each of whom played a vital role in the taking of the Philippine Islands. The 37th Infantry (Buckeye) Division was a key component in the XIV Corps’ successful drive to Manila. They did this by establishing the beachhead and conducting reconnaissance, clearing out Japanese opposition along the path south, and playing a large role in securing the city of Manila.

The light resistance for the 37th’s landing at Lingayen Gulf allowed the division to deploy its forces and effectively push further inland and establishing a foothold in order to protect the left flank of the XIV Corps. The initial landings, which took exactly one hour for the entire division to get ashore, and the push inland toward Camaley, which was nearly unopposed by Japanese forces. This allowed the 148th Regimental Combat Team (RCT) and the 129th RCT to rapidly move south and secure objectives and establish outposts. Due to the light resistance, the division was moving quicker than planned. It was important to ensure that they did not drive too far south because that would not only expose their flanks, but rather leave the 40th Infantry division on their right and the I Corps on their left vulnerable. The XIV Corps’ first objective was to “land, destroy the hostile forces encountered, and seize the Army Beachhead Line.” This was accomplished on January 11th, 1945, just two days after the initial landings, in large part because of the success and rapid movement of 37th’s Regiments. For example, 129th was able to secure a bridge near Calasiao over the Mayruso River, which was strengthened by engineers. This allowed for troops and Jeeps to be able to cross severely restricted terrain. Due to the 37th’s ability to secure these roads and bridges, the Corps’ operation could continue on time.

Once a foothold was established, the XIV Corps’ next objective was to move south through the Central Plains, the 37th Infantry Division conducted extensive reconnaissance to develop a situational report in preparation for the Corps’ movement. With the use of Jeeps and light tanks, the 37th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop moved along the Agno River toward Wawa to find where the enemy was positioned. The patrols only ran into small groups of enemy fighters that were left to slow the U.S. advance. The reconnaissance helped determine that the Corps was able to cross the Agno River without much difficulty. They set up multiple road blocks and continued to patrol the area, which allowed time for the division engineers to construct vital bridges for the advance south. Bridge construction proved to vital to the success of every operation within the campaign. Due to extensive practice and preparation, the 117th Engineer Battalion rapidly constructed both standing bridges and floating bridges across multiple rivers. This allowed the division to move troops and vehicles further inland. The other RCTs of the 37th ID continued to patrol their sectors and repelled any resistance they met until the river crossing on January 18th.

From 19 January to 3 February, the 37th ID engaged small pockets of Japanese resistance and successfully reached each of their objectives; securing airfields, bridges, and roads in order to clear the XIV Corps’ sector of enemy soldiers and move on to Manila. They did all of this while still protecting the Corps’ left flank. In the beginning days after crossing the Agno River, the 6th Infantry Division, part of the I Corps, met heavy resistance. This left the XIV Corps’ left flank exposed for nearly fifteen miles. Reports warned of enemy troops and armor in the area, therefore the 37th had to take extreme caution in order to protect the entire Corps. The division’s response to the situation was to begin taking key terrain. The Rosalles Airfield in Carmen was secured by the 129th RCT, seizing this area protected them from the east. On 21 January, the enemy destroyed a bridge east of La Paz. To combat this, the 37th organized local guerilla fighters to guard the railroad bridges in order for supplies to move through the XIV Corps’ sector. While moving south, the 37th had the task of taking Fort Stotsenburg as well as clearing part of Clark Field. This was one of the first locations where multiple enemy tanks, artillery, and mine fields were used to slow the U.S. advance. The steep hills surrounding the area known as the “Top of the World” were infested with tunnels and caves that were cleared by the 129th RCT. The 37th and the 40th Divisions worked alongside one another in order to secure this area. The Corps Commander, Major General Oscar Griswold, determined that it was necessary to use both divisions to take this objective before they would be able to move on to Manila. The retaking of the Fort and Clark Field was very significant to the operation since it had fallen to the Japanese almost three years prior and was one of the first places reclaimed as General MacArthur had promised.

The beginning of the battle to take Manila started with the 37th securing key roads leading into the city that would act as a supply line for the XIV Corps as they continued south, establishing a foothold in the city would allow for a base of operations to clear out the Japanese resistance. On February 2nd, part of the division secured Highway 3, the main road leading into Manila. Other roads were also secured that connected the 37th to 1st Cavalry Division as well as one leading back to the 40th Division in order to maintain open channels of communication throughout the Corps. Highway 3 allowed for troops and supplies to move south into Manila and wounded to move north away from the fighting. The 37th ID entered Manilla Proper on February 4th and began to maneuver through the city along with the 1st Cavalry Division. The 148th RCT entered Bilibid Prison freeing the 465 civilian prisoners and the 810 American POWs, most of whom could not walk. In preparation for the arriving Americans, the Japanese had started fires and set time fused explosives in the business district. These fires forced the Americans to be pushed back and evacuate all of the prisoners from the prison and move them to the division command post. Once the division established their position, it became evident that the Japanese resistance would be much harder than anything they had encountered thus far in the campaign.

The ninth field order that MG Griswold pushed down was to seize the entire city of Manila, all three of the 37th’s RCTs were used to conduct house to house fighting in an effort to clear the western sector of Manila. Japanese defenses had strengthened its defenses and made a stand. It was estimated that a garrison of roughly 18,000 men were defending the city with machine guns, mortars, and artillery. The RCTs of the 37th had to clear multiple buildings and drive the Japanese Garrison out of Manila. The most notable of this operation was with the 129th RCT in the New Police Station, the fortifications were described as: “some of the hardest obstacles the Regiment had ever encountered.” Elements of the 37th continued to push west into the city fighting to secure key building such as the University of the Philippines and the Philippine General Hospital. This allowed 148th RCT to push all the way to Manila Bay. Both the 1st Cavalry and the 37th Infantry were stopped at the Pasig River due to blown out bridges, the river ran through the middle of Manila creating a natural defense line for the Japanese. The 148th RCT conducted an amphibious assault across the river to secure the bridgehead on the other side. This broke the stalemate and allowed both divisions to continue advancing. The XIV Corps then had to secure Intramuros, Manila, the “Walled City” in the western sector of Manila that was heavily defended. It posed many challenges to the Corps when intelligence found that there were extensive tunnel systems that the Japanese soldiers would use, there was also a large civilian population, which made it difficult to use aerial bombings on enemy fortifications. Both the 129th and the 145th RCTs were used to breach the walls and assault Intramuros. After days of intense fighting, the majority of the walled city was secured, and patrols were sent to search for any remaining pockets of resistance. Through good communication with the neighboring divisions and decisive action from each RCT in the 37th ID, the Japanese force in Manila was defeated on March 3rd.

After the fighting in Manila had died down, the XIV Corps was given a small window to relax before getting ready to move on and assist General Krueger’s Sixth Army in moving through the rest of the Philippines. In the first two months after the landings at Lingayen Gulf, the 37th Infantry Division was constantly at the front of the Corps’ spear driving south towards Manila. Their reconnaissance gave a true picture of the situation and enabled a rapid advance in the beginning stages of the campaign. Swift actions from 148th, 129th, and 145th RCTs in securing key terrain aided the Corps in reaching their objectives on time while also protecting their flank and maintaining contact with the neighboring units. Lastly, the division’s drive into Manila fighting house to house, sometimes even hand to hand, helped take back the city and nearly annihilate the entire Japanese Garrison defending it. Had the 37th ID not been where they were during the Luzon Campaign, the XIV Corps would not have been able to claim a decisive victory in the same amount of time or without gaining extra casualties due to an exposed flank; therefore, the 37th was vital to the overall success in Luzon.

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