Empire Strikes Back PTO (id:#65894)

(From the Cellar Pack#12 ID: FT323)   [next]   [previous]

Clark Airfield, Luzon, Philippines 1945-01-29 (13 others)

Overview:

At dawn on 9 January, three days after the appearance of the first Allied naval elements in Lingayen Gulf, outposts of the 23rd Division observed two vast transport groups with a total of nearly 100 ships maneuvering into position off the southern and southeastern sectors of the gulf coast. While naval units raked the shore with intense covering fire, landing craft loaded with assault troops began moving in toward the beaches. The American invasion of Luzon was under way. The first major enemy attack of the Japanese defenses was launched 25 January. The Takayama Detachment fought stubbornly in defense of each hill mass, but after two days of severe combat the detachment was forced to pull back toward its second-line positions. American forces had meanwhile driven on southward along Highway 3 to seize Mabalacat and Angles. As this advance developed, the Yanagimoto Detachment had pulled back its elements from Pornac, and were preparing to engage the enemy when it received orders from Maj. Gen. Tsukada to evacuate Angles, and move into the main positions in the Clark Field-Fort Stotsenburg sector. The detachment therefore withdrew without making any serious defense of Angeles, which the enemy occupied on 27 January.

Defender: American (27th Infantry Division with Armor Reinforcements)  

Errata (source)