1941-42 Philippine reinforcement "endgame"?
May 28, 2019 22:01:30 GMT 8
Karl Welteke, chadhill, and 1 more like this
Post by rickthelibrarian on May 28, 2019 22:01:30 GMT 8
I was reading Donald Caldwell's new book, Thunder on Bataan: The First American Tank Battles of World War II in which he describes possible addition to the Provisional Tank Group. He said, that under American Army doctrine, there should have been a medium tank battalion and Caldwell hints that one may have been planned, possibly with M3 Lee/Grant tanks.
That got me thinking to what the "final" reinforcement of the Philippines would have looked like, had war been delayed until at least April, 1942, or later. Of course, one of the main sources to investigate this question is Glen Williford's fine book, Racing the Sunrise: Reinforcing America's Pacific Outposts, 1941-1942
1). MacArthur had been offered one called up National Guard division (usually thought to be the 41st I.D.) but he said he would only need enough reinforcement to bring the Philippine Division up to full strength. This would have been accomplished by bringing in the 161st Infantry Regiment (Washington National Guard) to form an additional regimental combat team. In addition, the 34th Infantry Regiment would be brought in and used as "fillers", mostly for the understrength 31st Infantry Regiment - Williford also says that some of the men of the 34th would have changed their occupation from infantrymen to "cannon cockers" and would have been assigned to the 59th and 60th Coast Artillery! The 45th and 57th Regiments (Philippine Scouts) would be combined into another full-strength combat team.
At least four battalions of field artillery were scheduled, including one battalion of 155mm howitzers. The other units were to be 75mm "British" guns (although modernized). Also scheduled, however, were 40 new 105mm howitzers with ammunition. The 75mm guns would be turned over to the Philippine Army. There were also numerous smaller units (MP platoon, cavalry recon, etc.). Together with the equipping of the Philippine Army, no fewer than 500,000 tons of equipment/supplies were needed.
2. The 200th and 60th Coast Artillery Regiments would have been significantly reinforced with the addition of at least three AA regiments and two brigade headquarters. Probably these would have included at least some of the new 90mm AA guns.
3. The air reinforcemtns have been a little documented. 52 A-24s of the 27th Bomb Group (L) and 18 P-40Es, contained on the Pensacola Convoy assumed to be for the 34th Pursuit squadron, so they could ditch their old P-35s. Also a number of pilots for the 21st and 34th Pursuit Squadrons.
There were 20 more P-40s coming, supposedly to equip the 70th Pursuit Squadron, which, together with the 21st and 34th Pursuit, would have formed the 35th Pursuit Group.
There were to be four heavy bomb groups, although as far as I can tell only the 19th and 7th were identified. Virtually all were to be B-17Cs, Ds, and Es. A few of the LB-30 (the export version of the new B-24) was hinted at and two B-24As were to be sent as recon ships (one was caught on the ground and destroyed in Hawaii on Dec. 7th). One group of light bombers (the A-24s) and several groups of pursuits (including some of the P-39 "interceptors".
I've often argued that it wasn't a case of the Philippines being "abandoned" but that the heavy reinforcements were on the way - however, they were sent too late!
That got me thinking to what the "final" reinforcement of the Philippines would have looked like, had war been delayed until at least April, 1942, or later. Of course, one of the main sources to investigate this question is Glen Williford's fine book, Racing the Sunrise: Reinforcing America's Pacific Outposts, 1941-1942
1). MacArthur had been offered one called up National Guard division (usually thought to be the 41st I.D.) but he said he would only need enough reinforcement to bring the Philippine Division up to full strength. This would have been accomplished by bringing in the 161st Infantry Regiment (Washington National Guard) to form an additional regimental combat team. In addition, the 34th Infantry Regiment would be brought in and used as "fillers", mostly for the understrength 31st Infantry Regiment - Williford also says that some of the men of the 34th would have changed their occupation from infantrymen to "cannon cockers" and would have been assigned to the 59th and 60th Coast Artillery! The 45th and 57th Regiments (Philippine Scouts) would be combined into another full-strength combat team.
At least four battalions of field artillery were scheduled, including one battalion of 155mm howitzers. The other units were to be 75mm "British" guns (although modernized). Also scheduled, however, were 40 new 105mm howitzers with ammunition. The 75mm guns would be turned over to the Philippine Army. There were also numerous smaller units (MP platoon, cavalry recon, etc.). Together with the equipping of the Philippine Army, no fewer than 500,000 tons of equipment/supplies were needed.
2. The 200th and 60th Coast Artillery Regiments would have been significantly reinforced with the addition of at least three AA regiments and two brigade headquarters. Probably these would have included at least some of the new 90mm AA guns.
3. The air reinforcemtns have been a little documented. 52 A-24s of the 27th Bomb Group (L) and 18 P-40Es, contained on the Pensacola Convoy assumed to be for the 34th Pursuit squadron, so they could ditch their old P-35s. Also a number of pilots for the 21st and 34th Pursuit Squadrons.
There were 20 more P-40s coming, supposedly to equip the 70th Pursuit Squadron, which, together with the 21st and 34th Pursuit, would have formed the 35th Pursuit Group.
There were to be four heavy bomb groups, although as far as I can tell only the 19th and 7th were identified. Virtually all were to be B-17Cs, Ds, and Es. A few of the LB-30 (the export version of the new B-24) was hinted at and two B-24As were to be sent as recon ships (one was caught on the ground and destroyed in Hawaii on Dec. 7th). One group of light bombers (the A-24s) and several groups of pursuits (including some of the P-39 "interceptors".
I've often argued that it wasn't a case of the Philippines being "abandoned" but that the heavy reinforcements were on the way - however, they were sent too late!