Figure 1.--After the fall of Battan, American and Filipino soldiers defended Corregidor for a month under sustained Japanese artillery fire. They were finally forced to surrender (May 6). Notice how the islsand had been rediced to rubble. Unknown to these men as well as their Japanese captors, only days earlier, the U.S. Navy achieved a decisive victory at Midway, sinking four main-line carriers at Midway.

Corregidor is a small rocky islet just south of Bataan. While small, it was strategically placed. It is located at the entrance of Manila Bay, one of finest natural harbors in the Pacific. It was like a rocky cork in a bottle. Corregidor dominated Manila Bay. After the retreat to Baatan, the defense of the Philippines was conducted from Corregidor. Corregidor which also became the seat of the Philippine Commonwealth government. The Japanese first bombed Corregidor (December 29) and intensive attacks continued for about a week until the focus shifted to Bataan. Japanese artillery began to target the island (early-February). It was from Corregidor that Philippine President Manuel Quezon and General MacArthur departed for Australia (March 1942). General MacArthur was replaced by Lt. Gen. Jonathan M. Wainwright. He commandeed what was left of U.S. Forces in the Philippines (USFIP) (March 21-May 6, 1942), General MacArthur remained the nominal commander. After the fall of Bataan (April 9), the Japanese concentrated on Corregidor. The surface of the island and fortification was blasted to pieces. The garrison retreated into the island's caves and tunnels. After a month of daily shelling, General Wainwright sent a message to MacArthur in Australia, �Situation here is fast becoming desperate.� (May 3) MacArthur failed to admit how serious the situation was or show any willingness to order surrender. The Japanese started landing (May 5). The first wave was cut up by small arms fire and the few artillery pieces still in action. Additional landings gradually overwealmed the American defenses. Wainwright finally decuded to surrender (May 6 at noon). He ordered the American flag lowered and a white flag raised. He radioed General Sharp of the Visayan-Mindanao Force to release command of the Visayas and Mindanao islands to him. Wainwright only wanted to surrender Corregidor so that resistance could continue in the south. He sent the final signal from Corregidor to President Roosevelt, �With broken heart and head bowed in sadness but not in shame, with continued pride in my gallant pride in my gallant troops, I go to meetthe Japanese commander." This was the beginning of the end of organized American resistance in the Philippines. The Japanese took Wainwright to Cabcaben, Bataan, to formally surrender to General Homma. Wainwright insisted he only had control over Corregidor, but Homma refused to accept this. He pressured Wainwright by threatenig to torture and kill the American POWs. Wainwright was especially concerned about the Army nurses on Corregidor. He thus signed the surrender agreement (May 7). He was brought to a radio station to inform all of the American forces in the Philippines. MacArthur safely in Australia was furious and never forgave Wainright. The Corregidor garrison was not involved in the Bataan Death March. They Japanese took them to Manilla where they were paraded through the streets. They were then transorted by train to Prison Camp Cabanatuan. The final signal from Gerneal Wainright was That was the last the American people saw of him untill he appeared with General MacArthur and dmiral Nimitz under the big guns of the USS Misorri in Tokyo Bay to witness the Japanese surrender (September 1945). General Homma would be convicted of war crimes and execured by firing squad (April 1946),

Created: 5:13 AM 8/9/2010
Last updated: 10:49 PM 5/24/2012