Today in Philippine History (Philatelic Edition):
FEBRUARY 3, 1945
The Battle for the liberation of Manila began.
This battle fought between the American forces under General Douglas MacArthur and the Japanese troops of General Tomoyuki Yamashita is considered as the bloodiest fighting in the Philippine campaign.
Around 100,000 civilians in a city of 1 million were killed by American shells or slaughtered by the Japanese.
William Manchester, author and historian wrote in American Caesar, “The devastation of Manila was one of the great tragedies of World War II. Of Allied cities in those war years, only Warsaw suffered more. Seventy percent of the utilities, 75 percent of the factories, 80 percent of southern residential district and 100 percent of the business district were razed."
American forces captured Manila in a bloody street to street fighting. At Fort Santiago, the bodies of 600 Filipinos and Americans were recovered in the dungeons.
General MacArthur gave his troops three objectives: first, was to liberate the University of Santo Tomas where Allied civilians were interned by the Japanese; second, was to capture Malacañan Palace, the seat of the presidency; and third, reclaim the Legislative Building, where Congress was housed.
The battle ended on March 3, 1945. General Yamashita and his men withdrew to Baguio City with the intention to hold back the American and Filipino forces in Northern Luzon.
(Design, concept, stamps and research: Richard Allan Uy) All rights reserved
Photo credit: Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines
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