The attack on the Philippines started on December 8, 1941 ten hours after the attack on Pearl Harbour in Hawaii. It was defended by
12,000 filipino scouts and 16,000 american troops under General Douglas MacArthur. The American fleet withdrew and all the aircraft had
been destroyed due to the fact that there was no air cover.MacArthur concentrated his troops on the Bataan peninsula to await the relief of
reinforcements from the United States. The relief never came to the Americans and after MacArthur was ordered to Australia, 76,00 sick
and starving soldiers were left to the mercy of the Jap's. The Japanese led their captives on a cruel and criminal Death March on which
700,000 died or were murdered before arriving at the Death camps ten days later. Only 13,000 survuved and they were kept captive
right up to the day that Japan surrendered. General MacArthur true to his word came back with 700 amphibious assault boats and 174,00
soldiers and liberated the soldiers. The Japanese desperately fought to keep their hold on the island and in February After a month of fighting
the japanese surrendered.
Photo courtesy of http://www.tribo.org/history/ww2.html, Info: http://www.ualberta.ca/~vmitchel/fw6.html,
