MARINE .AVIATION IN THE
PHILIPPINES Mt. Angel Abbey library . 5t. Benedic.t, Oregon 97373
HISTORICAL DIVISION HEADQUARTERS U. S. MARINE CORPS
Major Charles W. Boggs, Jr.
USMC
1951
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Marine Corps Monographs in This Series
The Defense of Wake $1.25 The Battle for Tarawa $1.50 Marines at Midway $.50 Bougainville and the Northern Solomons $2.00 The Guadalcanal Campaign $4.25 The Assault on Peleliu $2.50 Saipan: The Beginning of the End $3.25 The Seizure of Tinian $2.50
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D. C.
COVER: DIVE BOMBER over Luzon. Marine airmen flew these SBD's (Douglas Dauntlesses) in over 20,000 individual sorties against the Japanese on the islands of Luzon, Mindanao and Sulu Archipelago. Primary mission: close air support of U. S. Sixth and Eighth Army ground troops. Marine air liaison parties directed many of these strikes against enemy positions as close as 100 yards to friendly troops.
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Foreword
The return of Allied forces to the Philippines in the fall of 1944 further throttled Japan's already tenuous pipe line to the rich resources of Malaya and the Netherlands Indies, and with it the last vestige of her ability to meet the logistical requirements of a continuing war. The Battle for Leyte Gulf marked the end of Japan as a naval power, forcing her to adopt the desperation kamikaze tactic against the United States Fleets. The Philippine victories were primarily Army and Navy operations. Marines, comprising only a fraction of the total forces engaged, played a secondary but significant role in the overall victory. The campaign was important to the Corps in that the Marine aviators, who had battled two years for air control over the Solomons, moved into a new role, their first opportunity to test on a large scale the fundamental Marine doctrine of close air support for ground troops in conventional land operations. This test they passed with credit, and Marine flyers contributed materially to the Philippine victory. Lessons learned and techniques perfected in those campaigns form an important chapter in our present-day close air support doctrines.
c.
B. CATES
GENERAL, U. S. MARINE CORPS COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS
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Preface MARINE AVIATION IN THE PHILIPPINES is the ninth in a series of operational monographs, based on official sources and documented in detail, being prepared by the Historical Division, Headquarters, U. S. Marine Corps. The purpose of these monographs is to afford both military students and casual readers a factually accurate account of the several Marine Corps operations in World War II. The scope and treatment of this monograph must of necessity be somewhat different from that of the rest of the series. Not only was the reconquest of the Philippines primarily an Army story, but the Marine aviation forces that took part in the campaign were under an overall Army Air Force command. The scope of this monograph has been limited to Marine activities, except for other details necessary to proper perspective and background. Valuable information and assistance have been contributed from many sources. To the several hundred participants in the actual operations who furnished comments, corrections, and elaborations, grateful acknowledgment is made herewith. Special thanks are extended to: Division of Naval Records and History, Department of the Navy; Office of the Chief of Military History, Department of the Army (in particular to Dr. M. Hamlin Cannon and Mr. Robert R. Smith of the Pacific Section) ; Historical Division, Air University Library, Department of the Air Force; Naval Records and Library; Departmental Records Branch, Adjutant General's Office, Department of the Army; the Philippine Embassy; and finally to Captain John A. Gibson, Jr., USMC, and Mr. Jefferson D. Bates for their extensive assistance in the preparation of this monograph. Maps were prepared by the Reproduction Section, Marine Corps Schools, Quantico, Virginia. Official U. S. Marine Corps photographs have been used except as' otherwise noted.
J. C. McQUEEN BRIGADIER GENERAL, U. S. MARINE CORPS DIRECTOR OF MARINE CORPS HISTORY
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Contents FOREWORD .... ..... .... ..... ....... ..... ....... .... .. .... ..Y PREFACE .. .. .. .... .. ........ .. .. ............ ..... ... ....... vi CHAPTER I.
BACKGROUND .... ... .. ................. ... .. 1
Organization of Far East Air Forces, p.1 . High-Level Planning, p. 4 June Proposals of the JCS, p. 5 The 1st Marine Aircraft Wing on Bougainville, p. 6 Search for a Combat Mission, p. 8 The Timetable Moves Up, p. 9 Landings at Peleliu and Morotai, p. 11 Plans for the Leyte Assault, p. 12 Air Forces, p. 12 Third Fleet, p. 12 Seventh Fleet, p. 12 Assault Air Force, p. 12 Supporting Air Forces, p. 12 Ground Forces, p. 13 Seventh Fleet, p. 14 Situation of Japanese Forces - Fall 1944, p.14 Japanese Plans for Defense of the Philippines, p. 14 Disposition of Japanese Forces, p. 16 U. S. Air Intelligence, p. 16 CHAPTER II. LEYTE AND SAMAR CAMPAIGNs.. ... ..... 19
The Leyte Landings, p. 19 The Battle for Leyte Gulf (23-26 October) , p. 20 Tacloban Airdrome, Leyte, p. 22 Kenney Assumes Responsibility For Air Operations Over Leyte, p. 23 The November Stalemate, p. 26 MacArthur and Halsey Request Marine Squadrons, p . 28 Marine Night Fighters Ordered to
Leyte from Peleliu, p. 29 Marine Aircraft Group 12 Moves to Leyte, p. 30 First Marine Air Action Over Leyte, p.31 The Big Job: To Attack Japanese Reinforcements, p. 33 Convoy Strike-7 December, p. 33 Convoy Strikes - 11-12 December, p.34 Air Cover Over U. S. Shipping11-12 December, p. 37 Operational Accidents, p. 39 Air Cover For Mindoro, p. 40 Ground Support Mission, Leyte, p.43 Sixth Army Relieved, p. 44 Closing Marine Air Operations, 1944,p.44 Marine Night Fighters Return to Palaus, p. 45 Preparations For Landings on Luzon, p. 46 Luzon Attack Force Convoy: The Kamikaze Attacks, p. 47 Carrier-Based Marine Squadrons, p.48 Assignment of Marine Aircraft Group 14 to the Philippines Campaign, p. 48 MAG-14 Begins Combat Operations, p.50 Operational Difficulties and Accidents at Guiuan, p. 51 Work of MAG-14 Ground Crews, p. 52 Routine Operations; p. 53
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CHAPTER III. LUZON CAMPAIGN ...... ........ ......... ..56 Assignment of a Mission, p. 56 A Study of Close Air Support, p. 59 Training for the Miss~on, p. 61 Luzon Landings to be Delayed, p. 63 Movement to Lingayen Gulf, p. 63 Lingayen Landings and Development of an Airbase, p. 65 Marine Aircraft Groups, Dagupan, p.67 Arrival of Flight Echelons at Mangaldan, p. 69 Combat Operations Begin, p. 70 The Final Drive to Manila, p . 73 Plans are made to use Marines on Mindanao, p. 80 Close Air Support Takes Hold, p . 81 Operational Difficulties and Innovations, p. 91 Departure of MAG-32 Ground Echelons from Luzon, p. 94 Enemy Air Raids on Mangaldan, p.95 Close Support Along a Sprawling Front, p . 96 Supporting the Guerillas, p. 98 MAG-32 Airmen leave for Zamboanga, p. 102 Luzon Finale for MAG-24, p. 104 Summary of Marines' Luzon Operations, p. 106 CHAPTER IV. SOUTHERN PHILIPPINE OPERATIONS . ... 107 Strategic Backgrounds for the Victor Operations, p. 107 Prelude to Zamboanga, p. 109
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The Landings at Zamboanga- Victor IV, p.112 Close Air Support-Magszam, p . 114 Marine Bombing Squadron 611 Joins Magszam, p. 117 The Southern Visayas-Victor I, p.118 The Southern Visayas-Victor II, p.119 Drive into the Sulu Archipelago begins, p. 121 Close Air Support at J 010, p. 122 Strategic Background of Victor V, p.123 The Landings at Malabang- Victor V, p.125 Air Support on Mindanao, p . 128 Closing Operations of the Philippines Campaign, p . 131
APPENDICES ... . I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII.
VIII. IX.
.......... 136
Bibliography, p. 136 Chronology, p. 140 Casualties, p. 142 Command and Staff, Marine Aviation Units, p. 143 Marine Ground Troops in Leyte Action, p. 146 Pilot Survival Reports, p. 151 Performance Data on Types of Aircraft Used by Marines in the Philippines, p . 158 Navy Unit Commendations, p.159 Index, p. 161
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