North Luzon Force
The North Luzon Force was a corps-sized grouping of the U.S.-sponsored Philippine Army, defeated in battle against the Japanese in 1941–42.
| North Luzon Force (I Philippine Corps) | |
|---|---|
| NLF | |
| Active | November 4, 1941 – April 9, 1942 |
| Country | United States of America |
| Allegiance | USA, Philippines |
| Branch | Philippine Army United States Army |
| Type | Corps |
| Role | Territorial Defense |
| Size | 40,000 |
| Part of | Luzon Force US Army Forces in the Philippines |
| Fort | North Luzon |
| Engagements | Philippines campaign (1941–1942) Battle of Bataan |
| Decorations | US Presidential Unit Citation |
| Commanders | |
| Commanders | MGen. Albert F. Jones, USA MGen. Jonathan M. Wainwright IV, USA |
| Deputy Commander | BGen. Edward P. King Jr |
| Chief of Staff | Col. William F. Maher, USA |
| Operations G3 | Col. Robert Hoffman, USA |
| Supply G4 | LCol. Gyles Merrill, USA |
| Chief of Artillery | Col. Everett C. Williams, USA |
| Chief of Engineers | Col. Harry A. Skerry, USA |
On November 4, 1941, United States Army Forces Far East (USAFFE) announced the creation of new commands to organize, train, and equip Philippine Army forces and US Philippine Department forces. The new commands are North Luzon Force (NLF), South Luzon Force (SLF), Visayan-Mindanao Force (VMF), and Harbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays under BGen. George F. Moore.
Initially BGen. Edward P. King Jr was selected as commander established his headquarters in Fort Stoltenberg in Angeles, Pampanga. However, as war was looming MGen. Jonathan Wainwright IV, replaced General King to command and he was given 11th Infantry Division under Col. (Later BGen) William Brougher, USA, 21st Infantry Division under BGen. Mateo Capinpin a native filipino army officer, 31st Infantry Division under Col (Later BGen.) Clifford Bluemel, and 71st Infantry Division under Col. (Later BGen. Clyde Selleck). 71st Division can be committed only with direct permission by USAFFE Hq.).[1]
War came in the Philippines on December 8, 1941, when Japanese bombed Clark Air Fields and other military facilities with warning. Combat units of the NLF was still partly assembled and trained. The equipment dated to the First World War, and the majority of the trainees has not fired a rifle due to lack of training facilities and ammunition.
Later additional units where added 26th US Cavalry Regiment (PS), 31st US Infantry Regiment the only all American personnel infantry unit and 88th US Field Artillery (PS). Also added are antiaircraft artillery units of recently arrived 200th US Coast Artillery (AA) Regiment a National Guard unit from New Mexico, US. Another unit was added before the start of the hostilities, 1st Provisional Light Tank Group composed by 192nd US Tank Battalion and 194th US Tank Battalion (Less Company C and D) equipped with M3 Stuart Light Tanks and M2 Half Tracks. 301st US Field Artillery under Col Edward Quintard was created locally and was equipped with M1918 155mm Howitzers (Long Tom) and Canon de 155mm guns found in the island but lacks the fire controls.
| USAFFE Commands in the Philippines | ||||
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Deployments
General Wainwright deployed his troops mainly in Lingayen Gulf area expecting a major landings in the area. 21st Infantry Division posted at the west coast of Lingayen Gulf and 11th Division at the eastern coast. Also, anticipating landings in Cagayan area which he posted a unit to create token resistance. 26th US Cavalry and 94th Tank Battalion are posted at Fort Stoltenberg and Clark Air Fields in Pampanga to prevent airborne landings. 31st Infantry Division based in Camp Dau will defend the other are of Central Plains of Luzon.
Japanese Landings
As expected there was landing in Lingayen Gulf what was not expected was Japanese landed in the east coast in La Union not in the west coast in Lingayen, Pangasinan where bulk of his defenses are prepared by 21st and 11th Divisions. As a result General Wainwright deployed his reserve force 71st Division of BGen Selleck along with the 26th US Cavalry Regiment of Colonel Pierce at Rosario to prevent them from going to Baguio the summer Capital of the Philippines. Tank Company of 194th Tank Company was also sent to support the opposing forces at Pozurrubio, Pangasinan but these forces wasn't able to stop the Japanese from reaching Rosario where junction road to Baguio starts. As a result 14th Infantry Regiment of 11th Division and a battalion of 71st Infantry, 71st Division who was posted in Baguio was cutoff. As a result General Wainwright decided that any defenses above Agno river is futile so he requested to withdraw below Agno river which General MacArthur approved.
Withdraw to Bataan
Along the Bataan defensive line the NLF became the I Philippine Corps. MGen. Albert Jones took over the command when the command in the Philippines were restructured. MGen. Wainwright was promoted to Lieutenant General and took over command of forces in entire Philippines thus creating US Forces in the Philippines (USFIP). All Forces in Bataan was under MGen. Edward P. King Jr became Luzon Force making I Philippine Corps (NLF) and II Philippine Corps (SLF) its subordinate.
To prevent further annihilation of his battered and hungry troops, plus no more ammunition left General King surrendered his Luzon Force on May 9, 1942 to Japanese. His troops was forced to walked under the heat without food and water later known as Death march. Taking more casualties and those who endured was cramped to a train for Camp O'Donnell in Capas, Tarlac. More death to both Filipino and American soldiers upon reaching the POW camp. Thus, ending the Bataan campaign effectively.
Guerilla activities
Few months after surrender those units who were isolated and those refused to surrendered started guerilla campaign against the Japanese. New recruits and more join when Filipino soldiers were released on September 1942 setting up the USFIP-NL a guerilla unit commanded by Colonel Martin Moses and later Colonel Russell Volckman.
Order of Battle
11th Infantry Division (PA) – BGen. William Brougher, USA
21st Infantry Division (PA) – BGen. Mateo Capinpin, PA
31st Infantry Division (PA) – BGen. Clifford Bluemel, USA
71st Infantry Division (PA) – BGen. Clyde Selleck, USA
US Provisional Light Tank Group – Colonel James R.N Weaver, USA
26th US Cavalry (Motorized) Regiment – Colonel Clinton Pierce, USA
31st US Infantry Regimental Combat Team – Colonel Charles Steel, USA
200th US Coast Artillery (AA) Regiment – Colonel Charles Sage, USA
1/60th US Coast Artillery (AA)
86th US Field Artillery
83rd Engineer (Aviation) Battalion
See also
References
- Chapter IV: Prewar Plans, Japanese and American The Fall of the Philippines US Army in WWII: The War in the Pacific p70
- Drea, Edward J.; Cole, Ronald H.; Poole, Walter S.; Schnabel (2013). The History of the Unified Command Plan 1946–2012.". Washington DC: Joint History Office, Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
External links
- Timeline, Philippine Archives Collection, National Archives
- U.S. Army Forces, Far East, HyperWar
- USAFFE December 1941, World War II Armed Forces – Orders of Battle and Organizations, Niehorster.org
- Final SWPA operations and organization of AFPAC, extracted from MacArthur Reports, Center for Military History, United States Army