SPREADING THE FREEDOM
1942, March
Although Japanese manage to surprise the Allies with their swift surge to Burma and Indonesia, their attacks quickly loose momentum. Recently the situation gets even worse since the offensive war turns into a defensive. More and more Allied ships raid the Japanese waters and their naval bombers start harassing the newly established supply and resource routes to Borneo. Seeing the situation Hirohito organizes a secret meeting with the Military. Ordinary people must not find out about this meeting or the questions discussed during it, since it could damage the Japanese "invincibility" myth.
A few dozen of high-ranking military leaders, including Kotohito, Yamamoto and Osumi, return to Tokyo and meet Hirohito in the Imperial Palace. It is early in the morning and the Emperor is clearly angry and tired. Few days earlier the news about the first Japanese defeats in Burma arrived and Hirohito spent several sleepless nights thinking and speculating about the outcome of this war.
“People are starting to ask questions… Why are there no new victories? No new conquests? The newspapers were ordered to be quiet about your mistakes and the enemy attacks, leaving the population with no news from the frontlines whatsoever…” – Hirohito circles the room and continues: “How are the plans for the invasion of Philippines? Are they ready yet? I want to see them!” Osumi quickly brings a heap of maps and documents “They are not ready yet, Emperor…” Hirohito runs through the maps with his eyes and replies: “There is no time to perfect them. Don’t you realize that the enemy is benefiting from our constant delays? Look – the reports show that they are reinforcing the islands! I want you all to sort out the details right here right now and begin the preparations tomorrow!” The generals obey and quickly modify the plans, making them as simple as possible. Thanks to solid cooperation between all the Military branches the invasion forces are quickly assembled and prepared for the new Japanese enterprise – the invasion of Philippines.
The landings begin on March 5th, as the attacking IJA forces simultaneously land in various locations near Lingayen Gulf, Aparari and Panay. The Japanese have 9 divisions at their disposal, including 3 armor, 3 marine and 3 cavalry divisions. IJN is also closely operating with the landing forces to ensure a safe landing and constant shore bombardment.
The Battle of Bataan
1942, March 15th
Japanese cavalry land in the North and quickly overrun most of Luzon, driving the few enemy defenders South. Meanwhile, the IJA tank divisions are unloaded on the Western coast of Luzon, that is also abandoned by the US and Filipino forces. Only few USAF bombers conduct a bombing raid against the Japanese landing, damaging two transport ships. Meanwhile, the SNLF secure the island of Panay and begin preparing for further attacks in the South. Although the Allied forces outnumber the Japanese, they are spread all over the islands.
The first encounter with the Allied forces takes place in the Clark Field, where they gather to stop a supposed airborne Japanese assault, that later proves to be a false alarm. The Filipino soldiers are caught watching the skies and retreat after a short battle. They escape to Bataan, and join the US Far East garrison. Kotohito has devoted some of the best divisions for this invasion, but the experienced Japanese soldiers quickly lose their vigilance. On March 15th, Kotohito’s cavalry corps charge the supposedly weak enemy defensive lines in Bataan, but encounter stiff resistance and are forced to step back the very next day. Unexpected casualties shock Kotohito and he decides to halt the offensive until the armor support is available.
Japanese tanks quickly reach the new frontline. With no anti-tank weapons available, the Filipino and US soldiers are left with no choice but to surrender or die. On March 18th, the American garrison is encircled and captured. Meanwhile, the Filipino soldiers try to escape towards Corregidor near Manila, but they are swiftly destroyed by the Japanese bombers, operating from the recently captured Clark Field.
The captured US soldiers become a huge burden for the advancing Japanese soldiers. Nobody in Japanese HQ expected to take so many prisoners. With no means of transporting them all to the POW camps with trucks, they are forced to march on foot almost 100 kilometers. The march quickly turns into a torture. Exposed to tropical heat, diseases and with little food or water the US soldiers soon run out of energy, further angering their Japanese captors. Kotohito’s promises to treat the prisoners with respect remain just promises. The “mercy” killings rapidly escalate and, eventually, everyone becomes a likely target for a random bayonet stab…
But the victory in Bataan doesn’t mark the end of hostilities, on contraire – it is just the beginning. The loss of the air base in Clark Field proves to be the biggest Allied mistake. Now IJAAF is dominating the skies above Philippines, striking deep behind the enemy lines and destroying their reinforcements before they reach the frontlines.
The Allied Response
1942, March 10th – March 16th
When Roosevelt receives the news about Japanese landings in Philippines he becomes furious. The springboard for further US offensives against Japan is about to fall to the enemy hands. But not everything is lost – Allied expeditionary corps, including Gurkhas, are still standing strong around Manila. It will take time for the IJA to brake their defenses and Roosevelt knows that. He immediately orders his generals to prepare a crushing offensive against Japanese holdings in the Pacific - "Strike the Japs while they are busy elsewhere!"
A plan is quickly thrown together and on March 10th, five days after the invasion of Philippines, US carries out a series of air raids against Japanese garrisons in Carolines, followed shortly by two amphibious assaults on Yap and Wolelai.
The Japanese garrisons are heavily outnumbered, but the hate for the enemy keeps them fighting under all odds. Nevertheless, the US soldiers start slowly gaining ground on the islands. After two days of fighting the situation in Yap turns critical and Osumi orders the 1st paratrooper division, stationed in Guam, to assist the defenders. The very next day US soldiers notice hundreds of unknown planes over their heads. Seconds later the sky fills with thousands of Japanese paratroopers. This greatly inspires the defenders and shocks the attackers.
Meanwhile, American attack on Wolelai turns into a fiasco from day one. The enemy forces are lead by an inexperienced US general Blackmore, who has never commanded an unit larger than a division. But now he is somehow placed in charge of the entire amphibious operation. Soon his soldiers begin suffering from the lack of proper leadership and Japanese defenders exploit this against them.
Although some Japanese paratroopers miss the island and land in the water, drowning or losing their gear, the overall operation is a success. The paratroopers join forces with the Yap garrison and begin pushing the US soldiers back to the beaches. But the enemy is still too strong to be defeated on land. The only way to crush them is strike their ships. That is precisely what Kaga’s Northeastern fleet is ordered to do. Being one of the few surface fleet admirals not participating in the invasion of Philippines, he was returning from South China Sea to his positions near Marcus island when the order arrives. Kaga reaches Yap in 12 hours, but the Americans receive information about the incoming IJN fleet and quickly evacuate their troops. The closest that Kaga manages to get to the enemy transport ships is 200 kilometers…
The combined attack on USN transports near Wolelai brings a little bit more success. This time the enemy is ambushed and suffers great losses before disengaging. Nevertheless, they manage to take most of their soldiers with them.
After six days of continues fighting the Pacific is calm again. IJN garrisons return to their normal duties and begin preparing for a new enemy attack that could come any moment.
In the middle of March Detroit suddenly becomes a center of race riots. Thousands of blacks and whites begin a long rioting and looting campaign that ends only when Roosevelt himself intervenes by sending in the National Guard. Although these news are insignificant compared to other events taking place around the world, they still reach Japan. However, Japanese hopes that these riots will paralyze one of the major US industrial centers prove to be naive. Alas, it shows that American society is rotting from the inside.
