1945: "Battle of Manila" (1959) US Army in World War II from "The Big Picture" [video]
Title
1945: "Battle of Manila" (1959) US Army in World War II from "The Big Picture" [video]
Description
[From YouTube]:
"DOCUMENTARY ON INVASION OF THE PHILIPPINES, COVERING THE LANDINGS THROUGH THE FINAL LIBERATION OF THE CITY OF MANILA."
Public domain film from the National Archives, slightly cropped to remove uneven edges, with the aspect ratio corrected, and mild video noise reduction applied.
The soundtrack was also processed with volume normalization, noise reduction, clipping reduction, and/or equalization (the resulting sound, though not perfect, is far less noisy than the original).
The Battle of Manila, also known as the Liberation of Manila, fought from 3 February to 3 March 1945 by American, Filipino and Japanese forces, was part of the 1945 Philippine campaign. The one-month battle, which culminated in a terrible bloodbath and total devastation of the city, was the scene of the worst urban fighting in the Pacific theater, and ended almost three years of Japanese military occupation in the Philippines (1942--1945). The city's capture was marked as General Douglas MacArthur's key to victory in the campaign of reconquest...
Background
On 9 January 1945, the Sixth U.S. Army under Lt. Gen. Walter Krueger waded ashore on Lingayen Gulf and began a rapid drive south.
Three weeks later on 31 January, the Eighth United States Army of Lt. Gen. Robert L. Eichelberger, consisting of the 187th and 188th Glider Infantry Regiments of Col. Robert H. Soule, components of the U.S. 11th Airborne Division under Maj. Gen. Joseph M. Swing landed unopposed at Nasugbu in southern Luzon and began moving north toward Manila. Meanwhile, the 11th A/B Division's 511th Regimental Combat Team of Col. Orin D. "Hard Rock" Haugen parachuted into Tagaytay Ridge on 4 February and spearheaded the southern advance.
By 4 February, the rapid drive to Manila by U.S. forces began. Using intelligence provided by Filipino guerrillas, American units were able to find intact bridges and shallow rivers everywhere they went.
Japanese defense
As the Americans converged on Manila from different directions, the bulk of the defending Japanese troops had earlier engaged on a tactical move to the outskirts on orders of General Tomoyuki Yamashita, commander in chief of Japanese forces in the Philippines. Yamashita had withdrawn his main forces to Baguio City, where he planned to hold back the Filipino and U.S. forces in northern Luzon, poised for the invasion of Japan...
On 3 February, elements of the U.S. 1st Cavalry Division under Maj. Gen. Verne D. Mudge pushed into the northern outskirts of Manila and seized a vital bridge across the Tullahan River, which separated them from the city proper. A squadron of Brig. Gen. William C. Chase's 8th Cavalry, the first unit to arrive in the city, began a drive towards the sprawling campus of the University of Santo Tomas which had been turned into an internment camp for civilians and the US Army and Navy nurses sometimes known as the "Angels of Bataan"...
On 4 February, General MacArthur had announced the imminent recapture of the capital while his staff planned a victory parade. But the battle for Manila had barely begun. Almost at once the 1st Cavalry Division in the north and the 11th Airborne Division in the south reported stiffening Japanese resistance to further advances into the city...
The final attack on the outer Japanese defenses came from the 11th Airborne Division, under XIV Corps control since 10 February. The division had been halted at Nichols Field on 4 February and since then had been battling firmly entrenched Japanese naval troops, backed up by heavy fire from concealed artillery. The airfield finally fell to the paratroopers the next day, and the acquisition allowed Maj. Gen. Swing's division to complete the U.S. encirclement of Manila on the night of 12 February...
Aftermath
For the rest of the month the Americans and Filipino guerrillas mopped up resistance throughout the city. With Intramuros secured on 4 March, Manila was officially liberated, but large areas of the city had been leveled. The battle left 1,010 U.S. soldiers dead and 5,565 wounded. An estimated 100,000 Filipinos civilians were killed, both deliberately by the Japanese and from artillery and aerial bombardment by the U.S. military force. 16,665 Japanese dead were counted within Intramuros alone.
In the month-long battle, the Americans and Japanese inflicted worse destruction on Manila than the German Luftwaffe had exacted upon London, which resulted in the destruction of the city and in a death toll comparable to that of the Tokyo firebombing or the atomic bombing of Hiroshima...
"DOCUMENTARY ON INVASION OF THE PHILIPPINES, COVERING THE LANDINGS THROUGH THE FINAL LIBERATION OF THE CITY OF MANILA."
Public domain film from the National Archives, slightly cropped to remove uneven edges, with the aspect ratio corrected, and mild video noise reduction applied.
The soundtrack was also processed with volume normalization, noise reduction, clipping reduction, and/or equalization (the resulting sound, though not perfect, is far less noisy than the original).
The Battle of Manila, also known as the Liberation of Manila, fought from 3 February to 3 March 1945 by American, Filipino and Japanese forces, was part of the 1945 Philippine campaign. The one-month battle, which culminated in a terrible bloodbath and total devastation of the city, was the scene of the worst urban fighting in the Pacific theater, and ended almost three years of Japanese military occupation in the Philippines (1942--1945). The city's capture was marked as General Douglas MacArthur's key to victory in the campaign of reconquest...
Background
On 9 January 1945, the Sixth U.S. Army under Lt. Gen. Walter Krueger waded ashore on Lingayen Gulf and began a rapid drive south.
Three weeks later on 31 January, the Eighth United States Army of Lt. Gen. Robert L. Eichelberger, consisting of the 187th and 188th Glider Infantry Regiments of Col. Robert H. Soule, components of the U.S. 11th Airborne Division under Maj. Gen. Joseph M. Swing landed unopposed at Nasugbu in southern Luzon and began moving north toward Manila. Meanwhile, the 11th A/B Division's 511th Regimental Combat Team of Col. Orin D. "Hard Rock" Haugen parachuted into Tagaytay Ridge on 4 February and spearheaded the southern advance.
By 4 February, the rapid drive to Manila by U.S. forces began. Using intelligence provided by Filipino guerrillas, American units were able to find intact bridges and shallow rivers everywhere they went.
Japanese defense
As the Americans converged on Manila from different directions, the bulk of the defending Japanese troops had earlier engaged on a tactical move to the outskirts on orders of General Tomoyuki Yamashita, commander in chief of Japanese forces in the Philippines. Yamashita had withdrawn his main forces to Baguio City, where he planned to hold back the Filipino and U.S. forces in northern Luzon, poised for the invasion of Japan...
On 3 February, elements of the U.S. 1st Cavalry Division under Maj. Gen. Verne D. Mudge pushed into the northern outskirts of Manila and seized a vital bridge across the Tullahan River, which separated them from the city proper. A squadron of Brig. Gen. William C. Chase's 8th Cavalry, the first unit to arrive in the city, began a drive towards the sprawling campus of the University of Santo Tomas which had been turned into an internment camp for civilians and the US Army and Navy nurses sometimes known as the "Angels of Bataan"...
On 4 February, General MacArthur had announced the imminent recapture of the capital while his staff planned a victory parade. But the battle for Manila had barely begun. Almost at once the 1st Cavalry Division in the north and the 11th Airborne Division in the south reported stiffening Japanese resistance to further advances into the city...
The final attack on the outer Japanese defenses came from the 11th Airborne Division, under XIV Corps control since 10 February. The division had been halted at Nichols Field on 4 February and since then had been battling firmly entrenched Japanese naval troops, backed up by heavy fire from concealed artillery. The airfield finally fell to the paratroopers the next day, and the acquisition allowed Maj. Gen. Swing's division to complete the U.S. encirclement of Manila on the night of 12 February...
Aftermath
For the rest of the month the Americans and Filipino guerrillas mopped up resistance throughout the city. With Intramuros secured on 4 March, Manila was officially liberated, but large areas of the city had been leveled. The battle left 1,010 U.S. soldiers dead and 5,565 wounded. An estimated 100,000 Filipinos civilians were killed, both deliberately by the Japanese and from artillery and aerial bombardment by the U.S. military force. 16,665 Japanese dead were counted within Intramuros alone.
In the month-long battle, the Americans and Japanese inflicted worse destruction on Manila than the German Luftwaffe had exacted upon London, which resulted in the destruction of the city and in a death toll comparable to that of the Tokyo firebombing or the atomic bombing of Hiroshima...
Source
Type
Video
Coverage
Transcript from YouTube [edited]:
0:12
[the United States Army presents]
0:16
[The Big Picture], an official report
0:20
[produced for the Armed Forces and the American people]
0:34
when you're in the army [you get] a chance to do a lot of traveling
0:37
see a lot of sites [and] meet all kinds of interesting people
0:41
[for me] some of the most interesting have been right here in our own country
0:45
my name [is] Sergeant Stuart Queen
0:48
[host] for The Big Picture, [a] good percentage of ideas for The Big Picture
0:53
is taken right out of our history [books]
0:55
other stories featured [current army] activities of interest to the nation
1:00
but once in a while something unusual
1:03
comes along, [tying] in the present with the past
1:06
and we come up with [a] warm human interest story. in my work I get
1:12
around the country quite a bit
1:14
[it’s part of] my job and when I [arrive] in this particular [vicinity]
1:18
along this stretch [of] road I stop by [a quaint little] restaurant called [Charlie’s]
1:22
[Harbor Inn] because it was here at [Charlie’s]
1:25
this story happened some months ago
1:28
it was right here I discovered for myself that [truth] can be stranger than
1:32
fiction
1:39
it was the kind [of incident you read about in a novel]
1:41
[or see in a great B movie] but if anyone told you it was a true story
1:46
well
1:48
nobody believe it in a thousand years and I wouldn't blame [them]
1:52
but this story really did happen
1:57
I know because I was there when it did and I saw it all
2:07
anything wrong officer? this your car?
2:09
[yeah] why? that's why
2:14
so help me officer I didn't even know it was there. let me [see your] license
2:18
look officer I've only been here about 10 minutes
2:22
yeah I know
2:25
I was just making an important phone call
2:35
don't I know you from somewhere? now look here officer I'm an honest
2:39
law-abiding citizen
2:41
I've never been in trouble with the police or anybody else why I never even
2:45
[hey] okay forget it
2:46
you ever been in the service? yeah but [what’s] that got to do with it?
2:51
nevermind that just [answered] the question. when [did you serve?]
2:54
World War [2 in] the army. where?
2:58
what part of the world? the Pacific [say] what is this an inquisition…
3:02
[take it easy, buddy. take it easy]
3:04
where in the Pacific? started in Australia
3:08
then New Guinea, [New] Britain
3:11
the [Admiralties] and let's see the Philippines
3:16
the [Philippines?] where in the Philippines?
3:19
mostly [Leyte and] Luzon [aha Luzon]
3:22
we had [landed down the Gulf then headed right on to Manila]
3:25
[you were] in the Battle of Manila? from the kick off till [the] final whistle
3:30
Santo Tomas. mean anything to you?
3:33
I rode the back at the first tank [in] I thought I recognized [you]
3:38
me? from where? from Santo Tomas you see
3:42
I was one of the civilian prisoners there on [Manila that you and your]
3:45
[outfit liberated]
3:46
no kidding yeah well [if this don’t beat… , well if this ain’t]
3:50
[look, you got a minute?]
3:54
sure let me buy [you a cup of] coffee? yeah sure
3:58
well who ever [thought that…]
4:03
here was a veteran of World War two
4:08
[and] here was a man [he] helped liberate both meeting for the first time since that
4:13
historic battle [of Manila in] 1945
4:18
[…] as I said before
4:22
a true story stranger than fiction taking place right before my eyes
4:27
man [you] batted a few pounds here and there
4:32
food's better [over here] and the [wife’s a good cook]
4:35
say don't I remember your wife [at Santo Tomas?]
4:39
kinda frail? that's right after you arrived we had to take her out on a
4:44
stretcher
4:44
how is she now? couldn't be better matter-of-fact
4:49
we got four kids. [four? that’s great]
4:52
my wife and I often talk about those days
4:55
we never did get much of a chance to thank you [and] your outfit for
5:00
[liberating us] I'll never forget the first day you arrived at Santo Tomas
5:06
how'd [your outfit] get there so soon?
5:09
well it was all part of [the] stepped-up liberation [of the Philippines]
5:13
as I recall you really want to hear about [it?]
5:19
yeah I sure would. well as I recall
5:24
the [GIs had taken Leyte and] landed on [Mindoro]
5:27
the island directly south [of Luzon] so my outfit
5:31
[and] a lot of others were ready for the main event. we hit the beach [at]
5:36
[Lingayen Gulf] about a hundred miles north [of Manila]
5:40
[we thought we’d be moving right into the teeth of Jap resistance but we were]
5:43
wrong, that was to come later
5:51
[we pushed] on down the valley [toward Manila]
5:56
cleaning [out] little pockets of resistance where we found them
6:04
out ahead of us Air Force and Navy planes were softening up the way
6:42
we moved cautiously forward wondering
6:45
what [had] happened to the enemy and for a while there
6:49
looked like we were [tourists having] ourselves a real ball
6:56
along the way one [of] the GIs picked up an innocent looking piece of paper [which]
7:00
turned out to be a Japanese field order it stated
7:04
all Filipinos found on the field of battle were subject to [immediate]
7:08
execution. this applied to all Filipinos in [Manila]
7:12
Filipino guerrillas [brought in] reports that American and Allied prisoners were
7:18
starving and being mistreated in the city
7:20
so we stepped up the pace [in] the outskirts of [Manila and]
7:24
finally established contact with the enemy but we still lost [it]
7:28
the we realized that the Japs were withdrawing to the heart of the
7:35
[city. at Grace Park where the monument stands]
7:38
[snipers took] potshots at [us and slowed down our advance somewhat and]
7:41
the only satisfaction I recall here was that my outfit was the first [to]
7:46
[enter Manila] proper
8:00
a fierce battle suddenly developed in [of all] places
8:04
[Rizal] Stadium, [Manila’s] baseball park. the enemy
8:08
[had dug] himself [in under the stands and] we slugged it out with him with no cover
8:24
[Rizal] Stadium a baseball park
8:27
no game today
8:37
and we raced into the University of Santo Tomas and liberated along with you
8:41
hundreds of American and Allied [internees. it had been]
8:45
three years since this [pathetic] group of prisoners [had seen a]
8:48
free American or a square meal. everyone [in Santo Tomas] was fortunate that
8:54
there'd been US Army and Navy nurses
8:56
[who’d] been captured on [Corregidor to care] for you during those dark years
9:00
after we arrived wires were sent home by the [internees and]
9:04
many replies came back in a few hours affecting some noticeably
9:15
but for everyone
9:16
[a liberation was a big] celebration party. kids [who’d had no toys] for three
9:22
years now [had] giant sized [ones]
9:24
and all of us were discussing how wonderful it was that the nightmare was
9:29
over
9:30
[at last]
9:43
[but] the nightmare wasn't all over the enemy started [shelling us at Santo Tomas]
9:47
we saw internees [who’d survive the] three years as prisoners
9:52
killed by the incoming fire. I'll never forget how the [shelling of this]
9:57
non-military [target] continued for several days
10:00
[while] we evacuated [the] seriously ill [and injured]
10:06
finally the shelling of Santo Tomas let up
10:10
the Japs needed their artillery fire [more urgently] elsewhere
10:14
[then the] internees were evacuated to the [States]
10:17
most [of them by] plane [but] I guess you'd remember more about [that] evacuation [than] I would
10:22
I'll never forget it if you'd been a few more days
10:26
rescuing us I don't think my wife could have held out
10:30
but she made it okay thanks to you and your buddies
10:33
that's the way the ball bounces you never know when you can help the next
10:37
guy
10:37
yeah I remember when I left [Luzon] the battle [in Manila]
10:42
seem to be getting worse [it sure] was what [would] the excitement [of]
10:47
going back to the States after being a prisoner for three years
10:50
I never did get [the dope] straight on how the final stages of the battle went
10:55
its it's all kind of [fuzzy] in my mind
10:59
all I know is we won but it was quite a scrap [wasn’t it?] it was rough
11:05
yeah I know [how’d] you make a
11:10
after I left well we got ourselves a good taste [of]
11:14
street fighting being jungle GIs up till then we found we had a lot to learn
11:18
about
11:19
fighting [in] city streets big office buildings but we [learned] fast
11:23
combat [is] one thing for sure a good teacher [how’d you] come out?
11:28
[oh] me personally okay but not so for some of the others
11:32
the [deeper] we gone [to Manila] the more fanatical
11:36
the [Jap] resistance became [they couldn’t escape]
11:39
and [they] wouldn't surrender so they
11:42
[fought till they died] most [of them anyway our]
11:45
casualties were [heavy]
11:48
[and the] more we moved into the heart of the city
11:52
the [more the enemy] took advantage of the huge government buildings for
11:55
defensive [positions]
11:57
[some of the] buildings had to be ripped apart stone by stone
12:00
[before] we could continue our [advance]
12:03
[the enemy defensive] plan soon became apparent he was fighting delaying actions to
12:08
allow [his] troops to cross the [Pasig] river which cuts Manila East and West
12:12
right through the middle we pressed forward as fast as we could
12:16
through fantastic tangles [of] broken [buildings]
12:50
after each [Jap unit crossed the]
12:54
[Pasig river]
12:55
[a bridge] was destroyed leaving one less for us when [we reached the river]
12:59
our troops found out the hard way just about all there is to know about
13:03
street to street building to building combat
13:06
and the more we [learned the] faster we moved
13:10
denying the enemy the [advantage of a leisurely withdraw]
13:13
[those Japs] who couldn't pull back [dug in and fought till they died] many Filipinos
13:19
[braved front line fire]
13:20
handing out cigars [and candy] to show their gratitude to [us]
13:39
the enemy had orders from the Imperial [high command]
13:43
[hold Manila or burn it] the torch was put to those parts of [Manila the Japs could]
13:49
no longer hold
13:57
barrels and drums of gasoline and motor oil were [detonated by by the Japs]
14:01
[inside buildings]
14:01
from one end [of Manila to the other]
14:04
[and through all of the inferno the GIs kept up]
14:07
[the initiative carrying] the attack forward [toward the Pasig river]
14:28
[any of the] firefighting equipment which had survived the street fighting was used
14:33
but it was hardly [worth the effort]
14:42
[the fire gained] momentum [burning] city blocks at a time consuming everything in its
14:48
path that would burn
14:49
and it seemed to reach [its peak of] destruction [that night]
14:56
[the battle of Manila had] reached a decisive [phase]
14:59
we were [north of the Pasig] River and the [Japs] were [south] and moving into the
15:03
famed old walled city called [Intramuros]
15:06
[we kept] the enemy [pinned down with our] fire while we brought up [troops to]
15:10
prepare for a boat crossing [of the Pasig]
15:34
several times [we saw] General MacArthur supervising the direction [of battle]
15:39
[had one] moment he gazed [out] across Manila Harbor [and] an island [of] rock
15:43
called [Corregidor] no doubt he recalled [how] the Japanese [had] attacked the
15:48
Philippines in December 1941
16:09
and then in May 1942
16:13
the [enemies swarmed over Corregidor]
16:16
[no doubt too] the General [had] many times pondered the fate of his troops who are
16:19
outnumbered
16:20
[out of] ammunition food and medical supplies and [thus] compelled to surrender
16:25
[the tide of] hope [had] reached its lowest ebb
16:28
for Americans when General Jonathan [Wainwright] decided to surrender table and
16:34
the American flag was lowered on Corregidor
16:51
[there was] one thing General MacArthur wanted more information about the condition of the
16:55
prisoners taken on Corregidor and elsewhere in the [Philippines]
16:58
the word had gotten around about the death march
17:02
[the] forced march [of] the American prisoners by the Japanese which caused many [to die]
17:07
[these were] the troops the General had in mind when he returned to the
17:11
Philippines
17:14
the General had all [of] those depressing memories of 1942 to consider while he
17:18
directed the battle in [Manila]
17:19
three years later during February 1945
17:24
[an] isolated [pocket of Jap] resistance developed in [Manila’s]
17:27
city [prison called Bilibid] Filipinos brought in worse than American prisoners
17:33
many captured on [Corregidor were] being held in [Bilibid]
17:36
we stepped up the attack and [restored the city prison]
17:50
[inside Bilibid we wiped out the Japs]
17:53
and found [the] GI prisoners starved abused
17:56
all beyond their years [but possessing an] undaunted spirit
18:03
[they] lined up for [chow with a] three-year appetite
18:10
these were young fighting [men on Corregidor]
18:13
now they were no longer young [but]
18:16
they were alive
18:19
[while a] battle [raged] on
18:21
preparations were made for an aerial invasion [of Corregidor]
18:24
[for Manila] could not be secure [without Corregidor] in our hands
18:28
a parachute jump would be coordinated with an amphibious landing on the island
18:32
[fortress]
18:33
air force and navy
18:37
[pounded] the rock while the troop carriers [flew] in the [parachutists]
18:47
and when the drop zone on [Corregidor was lined up]
18:51
[there] was nothing left to do but [jump]
19:16
supplies were dropped right where they were needed
19:29
while [the parachutists seize their objectives on] top [of] the island
19:33
[an amphibious] task force [hit the beaches]
19:46
[another air drop of supplies for]
19:49
[at] first everything was delivered [by parachute]
20:02
although [Corregidor] was lightly defended [every Jap there fought a]
20:06
fanatical [battle]
20:07
while the island fighting continued
20:10
the battle [in Manila] was going into the final phases
20:14
[all of] the enemy forces [alive had] withdrawn into the [walled city]
20:17
[south of the Pasig] River now the [Japs]
20:21
literally had their backs to the wall
20:23
[they couldn’t escape] and wouldn't [surrender]
20:27
so we got [set] for the final round [the plan] roughly
20:30
was to concentrate our artillery mortar and small arms fire on the enemy while
20:34
we cross the [Pasig]
20:36
wire [communicationswere strung to assure] the closest
20:41
coordination [of overhead fire]
20:48
finally when everything was all set
20:52
the order was given to commence [firing]
22:02
we lined up assault boats [and] amphibious tracked vehicles [and then] made the first
22:06
river crossing attempt we [had] no way of knowing how successful [our] concentration
22:11
[of] fire
22:12
[had] been on [the enemy in the walled city]
22:14
[but we found that] they apparently were [effective] since the only incoming fire on
22:18
us was small arms
22:27
[soon] we were pouring across the river getting established on the south side
22:31
and moving toward the closest [wall]
22:33
on the [walled city]
22:43
all of us [knew] by now that the [toughest] barrier [of Manila]
22:46
was directly ahead [the fourteen-foot]
22:49
[thick wall of Intramuros while] we approached our objective
22:54
[our] artillery and tracked vehicles gave us direct fire support
23:06
between the river and the [walled city] was an open [park] area and as we moved
23:11
[over it]
23:12
we realized that this was the first open spot we had crossed
23:16
since the Battle of Manila had begun
23:28
the closer we got to the walled city [the more we saw of] the effectiveness of our
23:32
artillery and mortar fire in softening up the enemy [positions]
23:36
Filipinos willingly pointed out prepared defensive positions [of] the enemy
23:57
finally we [reached] the outside wall
24:14
it took a great deal of probing [to] find the proper place to make the assault
24:19
for breaching this [fortress] was no easy matter regardless of how much artillery
24:24
we [had poured] into it [but we]
24:26
finally cracked [it]
24:52
once inside Intramuros the city within the walls
24:56
a [battle] was suddenly [over] only the rubble and
25:00
[chaos of] combat remained and among the debris we found human [wreckage]
25:28
many [of the] Filipinos who had lived in [Intramuros were dead]
25:33
[those who] somehow miraculously survived started a great mass
25:37
[exodus] across the river to go anywhere anywhere away from the horrors
25:42
of the walled city
26:04
although the fighting in [Manila] was over
26:08
there still was one more military action to be taken
26:12
a General have said he would return [he had]
26:18
now with a flag raising ceremony [on Corregidor]
26:21
the [battle of Manila] was officially over
26:33
[did not saw the battle of Manila win]
26:35
was a rough one [gruesome] at times
26:38
[and] thank my lucky stars I got out [of it] okay
26:42
some of my best friends didn't maybe [you’ll] understand how
26:46
[indebted] I feel towards them yeah I guess so [look]
26:50
you gotta come out to the house and see the wife I can't tell you how happy
26:54
she'll be to meet you again
26:56
[why don’t you] come out some night for dinner
26:59
soon [whenever] you say good looks like we've got some unfinished business here
27:11
yeah it sure does
27:16
well there's one way to finish it but good
27:25
[and that’s] just the way it [happened]
27:28
and a good finish it was for a true story in an important sense the incident
27:34
has meaning for all of us
27:35
for it brings into sharp focus the great sacrifices [and courage] which [typify] our
27:41
armed forces
27:42
it is [this type of unsung] action
27:45
[that] gives depth and meaning and purpose to military history
27:49
and to a country's heritage oh yes
27:52
one more thing I'm sure about it'll be a long time before I can forget [Charlie’s]
27:58
[place]
27:59
it will always remind me of a certain [careless] motorist and a good-natured
28:04
forgiving [cop]
28:16
[The Big Picture] is an official report
28:19
for the armed forces and the American people
28:23
produced by the Army Pictorial Center
28:30
presented by the Department of the Army in cooperation with
28:34
[this station]
0:12
[the United States Army presents]
0:16
[The Big Picture], an official report
0:20
[produced for the Armed Forces and the American people]
0:34
when you're in the army [you get] a chance to do a lot of traveling
0:37
see a lot of sites [and] meet all kinds of interesting people
0:41
[for me] some of the most interesting have been right here in our own country
0:45
my name [is] Sergeant Stuart Queen
0:48
[host] for The Big Picture, [a] good percentage of ideas for The Big Picture
0:53
is taken right out of our history [books]
0:55
other stories featured [current army] activities of interest to the nation
1:00
but once in a while something unusual
1:03
comes along, [tying] in the present with the past
1:06
and we come up with [a] warm human interest story. in my work I get
1:12
around the country quite a bit
1:14
[it’s part of] my job and when I [arrive] in this particular [vicinity]
1:18
along this stretch [of] road I stop by [a quaint little] restaurant called [Charlie’s]
1:22
[Harbor Inn] because it was here at [Charlie’s]
1:25
this story happened some months ago
1:28
it was right here I discovered for myself that [truth] can be stranger than
1:32
fiction
1:39
it was the kind [of incident you read about in a novel]
1:41
[or see in a great B movie] but if anyone told you it was a true story
1:46
well
1:48
nobody believe it in a thousand years and I wouldn't blame [them]
1:52
but this story really did happen
1:57
I know because I was there when it did and I saw it all
2:07
anything wrong officer? this your car?
2:09
[yeah] why? that's why
2:14
so help me officer I didn't even know it was there. let me [see your] license
2:18
look officer I've only been here about 10 minutes
2:22
yeah I know
2:25
I was just making an important phone call
2:35
don't I know you from somewhere? now look here officer I'm an honest
2:39
law-abiding citizen
2:41
I've never been in trouble with the police or anybody else why I never even
2:45
[hey] okay forget it
2:46
you ever been in the service? yeah but [what’s] that got to do with it?
2:51
nevermind that just [answered] the question. when [did you serve?]
2:54
World War [2 in] the army. where?
2:58
what part of the world? the Pacific [say] what is this an inquisition…
3:02
[take it easy, buddy. take it easy]
3:04
where in the Pacific? started in Australia
3:08
then New Guinea, [New] Britain
3:11
the [Admiralties] and let's see the Philippines
3:16
the [Philippines?] where in the Philippines?
3:19
mostly [Leyte and] Luzon [aha Luzon]
3:22
we had [landed down the Gulf then headed right on to Manila]
3:25
[you were] in the Battle of Manila? from the kick off till [the] final whistle
3:30
Santo Tomas. mean anything to you?
3:33
I rode the back at the first tank [in] I thought I recognized [you]
3:38
me? from where? from Santo Tomas you see
3:42
I was one of the civilian prisoners there on [Manila that you and your]
3:45
[outfit liberated]
3:46
no kidding yeah well [if this don’t beat… , well if this ain’t]
3:50
[look, you got a minute?]
3:54
sure let me buy [you a cup of] coffee? yeah sure
3:58
well who ever [thought that…]
4:03
here was a veteran of World War two
4:08
[and] here was a man [he] helped liberate both meeting for the first time since that
4:13
historic battle [of Manila in] 1945
4:18
[…] as I said before
4:22
a true story stranger than fiction taking place right before my eyes
4:27
man [you] batted a few pounds here and there
4:32
food's better [over here] and the [wife’s a good cook]
4:35
say don't I remember your wife [at Santo Tomas?]
4:39
kinda frail? that's right after you arrived we had to take her out on a
4:44
stretcher
4:44
how is she now? couldn't be better matter-of-fact
4:49
we got four kids. [four? that’s great]
4:52
my wife and I often talk about those days
4:55
we never did get much of a chance to thank you [and] your outfit for
5:00
[liberating us] I'll never forget the first day you arrived at Santo Tomas
5:06
how'd [your outfit] get there so soon?
5:09
well it was all part of [the] stepped-up liberation [of the Philippines]
5:13
as I recall you really want to hear about [it?]
5:19
yeah I sure would. well as I recall
5:24
the [GIs had taken Leyte and] landed on [Mindoro]
5:27
the island directly south [of Luzon] so my outfit
5:31
[and] a lot of others were ready for the main event. we hit the beach [at]
5:36
[Lingayen Gulf] about a hundred miles north [of Manila]
5:40
[we thought we’d be moving right into the teeth of Jap resistance but we were]
5:43
wrong, that was to come later
5:51
[we pushed] on down the valley [toward Manila]
5:56
cleaning [out] little pockets of resistance where we found them
6:04
out ahead of us Air Force and Navy planes were softening up the way
6:42
we moved cautiously forward wondering
6:45
what [had] happened to the enemy and for a while there
6:49
looked like we were [tourists having] ourselves a real ball
6:56
along the way one [of] the GIs picked up an innocent looking piece of paper [which]
7:00
turned out to be a Japanese field order it stated
7:04
all Filipinos found on the field of battle were subject to [immediate]
7:08
execution. this applied to all Filipinos in [Manila]
7:12
Filipino guerrillas [brought in] reports that American and Allied prisoners were
7:18
starving and being mistreated in the city
7:20
so we stepped up the pace [in] the outskirts of [Manila and]
7:24
finally established contact with the enemy but we still lost [it]
7:28
the we realized that the Japs were withdrawing to the heart of the
7:35
[city. at Grace Park where the monument stands]
7:38
[snipers took] potshots at [us and slowed down our advance somewhat and]
7:41
the only satisfaction I recall here was that my outfit was the first [to]
7:46
[enter Manila] proper
8:00
a fierce battle suddenly developed in [of all] places
8:04
[Rizal] Stadium, [Manila’s] baseball park. the enemy
8:08
[had dug] himself [in under the stands and] we slugged it out with him with no cover
8:24
[Rizal] Stadium a baseball park
8:27
no game today
8:37
and we raced into the University of Santo Tomas and liberated along with you
8:41
hundreds of American and Allied [internees. it had been]
8:45
three years since this [pathetic] group of prisoners [had seen a]
8:48
free American or a square meal. everyone [in Santo Tomas] was fortunate that
8:54
there'd been US Army and Navy nurses
8:56
[who’d] been captured on [Corregidor to care] for you during those dark years
9:00
after we arrived wires were sent home by the [internees and]
9:04
many replies came back in a few hours affecting some noticeably
9:15
but for everyone
9:16
[a liberation was a big] celebration party. kids [who’d had no toys] for three
9:22
years now [had] giant sized [ones]
9:24
and all of us were discussing how wonderful it was that the nightmare was
9:29
over
9:30
[at last]
9:43
[but] the nightmare wasn't all over the enemy started [shelling us at Santo Tomas]
9:47
we saw internees [who’d survive the] three years as prisoners
9:52
killed by the incoming fire. I'll never forget how the [shelling of this]
9:57
non-military [target] continued for several days
10:00
[while] we evacuated [the] seriously ill [and injured]
10:06
finally the shelling of Santo Tomas let up
10:10
the Japs needed their artillery fire [more urgently] elsewhere
10:14
[then the] internees were evacuated to the [States]
10:17
most [of them by] plane [but] I guess you'd remember more about [that] evacuation [than] I would
10:22
I'll never forget it if you'd been a few more days
10:26
rescuing us I don't think my wife could have held out
10:30
but she made it okay thanks to you and your buddies
10:33
that's the way the ball bounces you never know when you can help the next
10:37
guy
10:37
yeah I remember when I left [Luzon] the battle [in Manila]
10:42
seem to be getting worse [it sure] was what [would] the excitement [of]
10:47
going back to the States after being a prisoner for three years
10:50
I never did get [the dope] straight on how the final stages of the battle went
10:55
its it's all kind of [fuzzy] in my mind
10:59
all I know is we won but it was quite a scrap [wasn’t it?] it was rough
11:05
yeah I know [how’d] you make a
11:10
after I left well we got ourselves a good taste [of]
11:14
street fighting being jungle GIs up till then we found we had a lot to learn
11:18
about
11:19
fighting [in] city streets big office buildings but we [learned] fast
11:23
combat [is] one thing for sure a good teacher [how’d you] come out?
11:28
[oh] me personally okay but not so for some of the others
11:32
the [deeper] we gone [to Manila] the more fanatical
11:36
the [Jap] resistance became [they couldn’t escape]
11:39
and [they] wouldn't surrender so they
11:42
[fought till they died] most [of them anyway our]
11:45
casualties were [heavy]
11:48
[and the] more we moved into the heart of the city
11:52
the [more the enemy] took advantage of the huge government buildings for
11:55
defensive [positions]
11:57
[some of the] buildings had to be ripped apart stone by stone
12:00
[before] we could continue our [advance]
12:03
[the enemy defensive] plan soon became apparent he was fighting delaying actions to
12:08
allow [his] troops to cross the [Pasig] river which cuts Manila East and West
12:12
right through the middle we pressed forward as fast as we could
12:16
through fantastic tangles [of] broken [buildings]
12:50
after each [Jap unit crossed the]
12:54
[Pasig river]
12:55
[a bridge] was destroyed leaving one less for us when [we reached the river]
12:59
our troops found out the hard way just about all there is to know about
13:03
street to street building to building combat
13:06
and the more we [learned the] faster we moved
13:10
denying the enemy the [advantage of a leisurely withdraw]
13:13
[those Japs] who couldn't pull back [dug in and fought till they died] many Filipinos
13:19
[braved front line fire]
13:20
handing out cigars [and candy] to show their gratitude to [us]
13:39
the enemy had orders from the Imperial [high command]
13:43
[hold Manila or burn it] the torch was put to those parts of [Manila the Japs could]
13:49
no longer hold
13:57
barrels and drums of gasoline and motor oil were [detonated by by the Japs]
14:01
[inside buildings]
14:01
from one end [of Manila to the other]
14:04
[and through all of the inferno the GIs kept up]
14:07
[the initiative carrying] the attack forward [toward the Pasig river]
14:28
[any of the] firefighting equipment which had survived the street fighting was used
14:33
but it was hardly [worth the effort]
14:42
[the fire gained] momentum [burning] city blocks at a time consuming everything in its
14:48
path that would burn
14:49
and it seemed to reach [its peak of] destruction [that night]
14:56
[the battle of Manila had] reached a decisive [phase]
14:59
we were [north of the Pasig] River and the [Japs] were [south] and moving into the
15:03
famed old walled city called [Intramuros]
15:06
[we kept] the enemy [pinned down with our] fire while we brought up [troops to]
15:10
prepare for a boat crossing [of the Pasig]
15:34
several times [we saw] General MacArthur supervising the direction [of battle]
15:39
[had one] moment he gazed [out] across Manila Harbor [and] an island [of] rock
15:43
called [Corregidor] no doubt he recalled [how] the Japanese [had] attacked the
15:48
Philippines in December 1941
16:09
and then in May 1942
16:13
the [enemies swarmed over Corregidor]
16:16
[no doubt too] the General [had] many times pondered the fate of his troops who are
16:19
outnumbered
16:20
[out of] ammunition food and medical supplies and [thus] compelled to surrender
16:25
[the tide of] hope [had] reached its lowest ebb
16:28
for Americans when General Jonathan [Wainwright] decided to surrender table and
16:34
the American flag was lowered on Corregidor
16:51
[there was] one thing General MacArthur wanted more information about the condition of the
16:55
prisoners taken on Corregidor and elsewhere in the [Philippines]
16:58
the word had gotten around about the death march
17:02
[the] forced march [of] the American prisoners by the Japanese which caused many [to die]
17:07
[these were] the troops the General had in mind when he returned to the
17:11
Philippines
17:14
the General had all [of] those depressing memories of 1942 to consider while he
17:18
directed the battle in [Manila]
17:19
three years later during February 1945
17:24
[an] isolated [pocket of Jap] resistance developed in [Manila’s]
17:27
city [prison called Bilibid] Filipinos brought in worse than American prisoners
17:33
many captured on [Corregidor were] being held in [Bilibid]
17:36
we stepped up the attack and [restored the city prison]
17:50
[inside Bilibid we wiped out the Japs]
17:53
and found [the] GI prisoners starved abused
17:56
all beyond their years [but possessing an] undaunted spirit
18:03
[they] lined up for [chow with a] three-year appetite
18:10
these were young fighting [men on Corregidor]
18:13
now they were no longer young [but]
18:16
they were alive
18:19
[while a] battle [raged] on
18:21
preparations were made for an aerial invasion [of Corregidor]
18:24
[for Manila] could not be secure [without Corregidor] in our hands
18:28
a parachute jump would be coordinated with an amphibious landing on the island
18:32
[fortress]
18:33
air force and navy
18:37
[pounded] the rock while the troop carriers [flew] in the [parachutists]
18:47
and when the drop zone on [Corregidor was lined up]
18:51
[there] was nothing left to do but [jump]
19:16
supplies were dropped right where they were needed
19:29
while [the parachutists seize their objectives on] top [of] the island
19:33
[an amphibious] task force [hit the beaches]
19:46
[another air drop of supplies for]
19:49
[at] first everything was delivered [by parachute]
20:02
although [Corregidor] was lightly defended [every Jap there fought a]
20:06
fanatical [battle]
20:07
while the island fighting continued
20:10
the battle [in Manila] was going into the final phases
20:14
[all of] the enemy forces [alive had] withdrawn into the [walled city]
20:17
[south of the Pasig] River now the [Japs]
20:21
literally had their backs to the wall
20:23
[they couldn’t escape] and wouldn't [surrender]
20:27
so we got [set] for the final round [the plan] roughly
20:30
was to concentrate our artillery mortar and small arms fire on the enemy while
20:34
we cross the [Pasig]
20:36
wire [communicationswere strung to assure] the closest
20:41
coordination [of overhead fire]
20:48
finally when everything was all set
20:52
the order was given to commence [firing]
22:02
we lined up assault boats [and] amphibious tracked vehicles [and then] made the first
22:06
river crossing attempt we [had] no way of knowing how successful [our] concentration
22:11
[of] fire
22:12
[had] been on [the enemy in the walled city]
22:14
[but we found that] they apparently were [effective] since the only incoming fire on
22:18
us was small arms
22:27
[soon] we were pouring across the river getting established on the south side
22:31
and moving toward the closest [wall]
22:33
on the [walled city]
22:43
all of us [knew] by now that the [toughest] barrier [of Manila]
22:46
was directly ahead [the fourteen-foot]
22:49
[thick wall of Intramuros while] we approached our objective
22:54
[our] artillery and tracked vehicles gave us direct fire support
23:06
between the river and the [walled city] was an open [park] area and as we moved
23:11
[over it]
23:12
we realized that this was the first open spot we had crossed
23:16
since the Battle of Manila had begun
23:28
the closer we got to the walled city [the more we saw of] the effectiveness of our
23:32
artillery and mortar fire in softening up the enemy [positions]
23:36
Filipinos willingly pointed out prepared defensive positions [of] the enemy
23:57
finally we [reached] the outside wall
24:14
it took a great deal of probing [to] find the proper place to make the assault
24:19
for breaching this [fortress] was no easy matter regardless of how much artillery
24:24
we [had poured] into it [but we]
24:26
finally cracked [it]
24:52
once inside Intramuros the city within the walls
24:56
a [battle] was suddenly [over] only the rubble and
25:00
[chaos of] combat remained and among the debris we found human [wreckage]
25:28
many [of the] Filipinos who had lived in [Intramuros were dead]
25:33
[those who] somehow miraculously survived started a great mass
25:37
[exodus] across the river to go anywhere anywhere away from the horrors
25:42
of the walled city
26:04
although the fighting in [Manila] was over
26:08
there still was one more military action to be taken
26:12
a General have said he would return [he had]
26:18
now with a flag raising ceremony [on Corregidor]
26:21
the [battle of Manila] was officially over
26:33
[did not saw the battle of Manila win]
26:35
was a rough one [gruesome] at times
26:38
[and] thank my lucky stars I got out [of it] okay
26:42
some of my best friends didn't maybe [you’ll] understand how
26:46
[indebted] I feel towards them yeah I guess so [look]
26:50
you gotta come out to the house and see the wife I can't tell you how happy
26:54
she'll be to meet you again
26:56
[why don’t you] come out some night for dinner
26:59
soon [whenever] you say good looks like we've got some unfinished business here
27:11
yeah it sure does
27:16
well there's one way to finish it but good
27:25
[and that’s] just the way it [happened]
27:28
and a good finish it was for a true story in an important sense the incident
27:34
has meaning for all of us
27:35
for it brings into sharp focus the great sacrifices [and courage] which [typify] our
27:41
armed forces
27:42
it is [this type of unsung] action
27:45
[that] gives depth and meaning and purpose to military history
27:49
and to a country's heritage oh yes
27:52
one more thing I'm sure about it'll be a long time before I can forget [Charlie’s]
27:58
[place]
27:59
it will always remind me of a certain [careless] motorist and a good-natured
28:04
forgiving [cop]
28:16
[The Big Picture] is an official report
28:19
for the armed forces and the American people
28:23
produced by the Army Pictorial Center
28:30
presented by the Department of the Army in cooperation with
28:34
[this station]
Notes
Uploaded to YouTube by Jeff Quitney
Files
Collection
Citation
“1945: "Battle of Manila" (1959) US Army in World War II from "The Big Picture" [video],” FHL-Roderick Hall, accessed May 2, 2024, https://fhl.omeka.net/items/show/1007.