USS Swordfish

APRIL 3
MARCH 12, 1942 • The Japanese commenced a massive artillery barrage that
• The torpedo boat PT 41 evacuated General Douglas resulted to the complete collapse of the USAFFE defense
MacArthur from Corregidor. lines.
• MacArthur sailed south and arrived at the northern shore
of Mindanao two days later. APRIL 9
• From Mindanao, MacArthur was flown to Australia by a B- • Major General Edward King sought out the Japanese to
17 on the midnight of March 16 and arrived in Australia the discuss the terms of capitulation. And on the same day, the
following day defenders of Bataan surrendered

APRIL 11, 1942
• Although the earlier evacuations were successful, the
evacuation of Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos was not
• On Zamboanguita Point, Abad Santos sought the
permission of Quezon to remain in the Philippines.
• Quezon in return appointed him as his delegate and
acting president in the Philippines.
• Jose Abad Santos was captured by the Japanese in
Cebu (on April 11, 1942) and was subsequently
executed on May 2, 1942 in Lanao.
JANUARY 6, 1942
• A defensive line composed of the elements of the
Philippine Army and the Philippine Scouts was established by
Filipino forces at Layac Junction, the road that enters into
Bataan.
• With the bulk of the USAFFE arriving safely in Bataan, the
Filipinos and Americans withdrew to the defenses of the
Abucay Line, which ran from Mabatang to Mauban.
• Despite initial success in holding off Japanese attacks,
General Jonathan Wainwright made a crucial mistake in
leaving the area of Mount Natib undefended, allowing
enemy infiltration, which resulted to the collapse of the
defense line
JANUARY 22
• In an attempt to seize key points in the western side of the
Bataan Peninsula, the Japanese launched an amphibious
operation that would enable the capture of the port of
Mariveles.
• With the surrender of Bataan, the Bataan Force
Headquarters under General Edward
King sought out their Japanese counterparts in order to
facilitate the cessation of hostilities.
• The Japanese representative was turning a deaf ear to all
assurances of proper conduct and treatment of USAFFE
prisoners of war and was only singularly demanding the
whereabouts and location of General JonathanWainwright,
who was in command of Corregidor.
• Approximately 80,000 USAFFE defenders (70,000 Filipino
and 12,000 American soldiers) surrendered.
• All these prisoners of war were ordered by the Japanese to
march on foot from both Mariveles and Bagac towards
Balanga, and from there proceed again towards San
Fernando
• As the survivors reached San Fernando, they were then
ordered to board trains that would take them to Camp
O’Donnell in Capas, Tarlac.
• More than a hundred sick and weary prisoners were packed
in railway cars that could only accommodate 40 to 50 men,
and many prisoners perished as a result.
• Of the estimated 80,000 that started the death march, only
54,000 made it to Camp O’Donnell.
• The death march from Bataan to San Fernando resulted in
the deaths of approximately 10,000 Filipinos and 2,330
Americans.

• Four days after, the USAFFE troops withdrew towards the

next defensive position which was the Orion-Bagac Line.

• It was in this defense line that the Japanese advance was

temporarily stopped despite efforts to punch through the
USAFFE defenses during the Battles of the Points and
Pockets.

FEBRUARY 9
• Japanese pulled back, having lost many men and
equipment in the process.

MARCH
• The Japanese managed to build up their forces while the
USAFFE troops suffered from disease and starvation