11-037 Garand Picture of the Day-Philippines 1945

[Mark in Rochester]

Troops in action in the field during battle for the Philippines.
Location: Luzon, Philippines
Date taken: 1945
Photographer: Carl Mydans



Troops in action in the field during battle for the Philippines.
Location: Luzon, Philippines
Date taken: 1945
Photographer: Carl Mydans

The assault on Luzon was launched, as planned, on 9 January 1945, codenamed S-day. The Japanese forces reported more than 70 Allied warships entering the Lingayen Gulf. Pre-assault bombardment of Japanese shore positions from these ships began at 07:00h. The landings were commenced an hour later. The landing forces faced strong opposition from Japanese kamikaze aircraft. USS Ommaney Bay was destroyed by a kamikaze attack, while a destroyer and several other warships were also sunk Aircraft from the US Third Fleet assisted the landings with close air support, strafing and bombing Japanese gun positions.

The landings at the Lingayen Gulf on 9 January were carried out by the US Sixth Army under the command of General Walter Krueger. Approximately 175,000 troops from the Sixth Army landed along the twenty-mile beachhead within a few days, while the I Corps protected their flanks. XIV Corps under General Oscar Griswold then advanced south towards Manila, despite Krueger's concerns that his eastern flank was unprotected and vulnerable if the Japanese forces attacked. However, no such attack occurred, and the US forces did not meet much resistance until they reached the Clark Air Base on 23 January. The battle there lasted until the end of January, and after capturing the base, XIV Corps advanced towards Manila

Information

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[covenantranch]

Here is an excerpt from my dad's diary, he was stationed on USS McCord DD534.

January 5, 1945

Fueled from tanker

January 6, 1945

Our planes hit Luzon - sea is rough.

January 9, 1945

Very rough weather - our planes are having a field day on aircraft and shipping - we are in the South China Sea - operating mostly between Formosa and Luzon.

January 12, 1945

Big day - our planes sunk 30 ships including DD, HK -CL - sea is pretty rough.

January 15, 1945

Still patrolling between Luzon, Formosa, and Hong Kong - Hit Hong Kong today - had a bad time.

January 18, 1945

Another storm, but not like the other one.

January 20, 1945

Ticonderoga took a bomb hit Our planes shot down 15 Japs and 3 of our own.

January 22, 1945

25 degrees L. 450 miles from Tokyo.
January 23, 1945

Started back to Ulithi.

[Bob Seijas]

IIRC we used that bottom shot on the rear cover of the GCA Journal. On the big version, you can see the fins of an unexploded mortar round in the foreground.