The War of Resistance: My Expedition, My Country

Chapter 233 Difficulties Encountered by the US Military in Manila

The next day, the US 24th Army continued its offensive. After a full day of fierce fighting, it finally succeeded in advancing the front line by about 2000 meters and approached the villages on the outskirts of Manila. However, that night, despite the US military's full preparations, it was still met with a tenacious counterattack by the Japanese Marines and was eventually driven back to its starting position a day earlier.

The 14th Army in the north had been attacking continuously for a whole week, but the area it had finally secured was less than 15 square kilometers, and the deepest point it had advanced was only about 1300 meters. At this point, the 14th Army was clearly unable to continue the attack, so it requested the 24th Army to find a way to advance at least 2000 meters so that the two sides could successfully meet up.

The commander of the Manila operation was General Bavet, commander of the 8th Army. The 8th Army comprised three corps totaling nearly 20 troops, plus the 5th Corps from the 24th Army, for a total strength exceeding 25. The vast majority of these troops were concentrated in the area surrounding Manila. However, after nearly ten days of continuous attacks, they failed to even capture the city. This left General Bavet feeling deeply embarrassed and ashamed. After all, for a high-ranking general, such a performance was hardly satisfactory.

General Sebert was even more dissatisfied. His 24th Army was fighting well in the south, but was called here by telegram. In just two days, it had lost more than 3000 people. The soldiers under him were very dissatisfied and it was almost impossible to suppress them. The impact on morale was even greater than when they fought in Leyte more than a month ago.

By this time, the southeastern portion of Manila had been completely cut off by two divisions of the Sixth Army. The two main Japanese troop groups were trapped in a narrow strip of land, approximately 6 square kilometers centered on Manila and approximately 300 square kilometers in San Pablo. With the Japanese completely trapped and the American forces also facing difficulties, Bavitt was forced to temporarily halt the offensive and gather his generals to discuss the next steps to encircle and annihilate the Japanese.

Chief of Staff of the 8th Army, Bavet, pointed to the map and, based on the intelligence collected by various units, conducted some analysis of the Japanese defense, focusing on the main defense line of the Japanese army in Manila.

Bavitt pointed to the northern front and said, "The 14th Army has been attacking in the north for over a week, but the offensive has been hindered. The Japanese 68th Brigade, with its strong fortifications, has posed a huge threat to the 14th Army. On the western coast, a division of the 10th Army occupied the beach area, but was quickly driven into the sea by the Japanese. Currently, we can only adopt a naval blockade strategy and continue to implement non-stop artillery bombardment to absorb the Japanese manpower. To the east, the 20th Army has cut off the Japanese army's last retreat. To the southwest, the 24th Army has appeared, but has also been blocked by the Japanese Marines. For two consecutive days, no progress has been made."

He continued, "The Japanese have clearly made sufficient preparations. The west is the sea, and the southeast is mostly mountainous. They've used the mountains, tunnels, and bunkers to block our attack with only a small number of troops. Therefore, we must also try to launch a clearing operation against the Japanese troops in Manila from the north and southeast."

After the Chief of Staff finished his briefing, Bavitt slowly stood up, his face grim. His voice was low and firm as he spoke: "I have to admit, we are indeed in trouble now. However, for the honor of the United States, we must do everything we can to break through the Japanese defenses and capture Manila."

He glanced at the generals present and continued, "Some have privately asked why the Chinese Expeditionary Force wasn't allowed to join the battle in Manila. I want to make it clear again that the capture of Manila is America's own business. The orders given to us by Generals Spruance and Sutherland are very clear: we must rely on our own strength to capture Manila!"

At this time, the commander of the 24th Army, Sebert, stepped forward, a look of worry in his eyes. "General, I believe that at no time should we allow the young men of America to die innocently. Since we can't directly arrange for the Chinese army to join the war, can we try another method? There are also a large number of Americans in the Chinese army. Whether they are Chinese Americans or of other identities, as long as they are citizens of America, we should call them over. As for how many men they can lead to join the war, that is not the most important thing. The key is to ensure that America successfully captures Manila."

The commander of the 14th Army immediately grasped Sebert's point. He knew that the agreement between the Flower Plantings and the United States required their expeditionary forces to participate in island warfare, sacrificing their lives in exchange for national interests. Without hesitation, he said, "General Sebert, why don't we be more direct? Let American generals lead the Chinese directly into battle, flying the United States flag."

Bavitt knew that the Eighth Army was already under great pressure here, and he didn't want to see too many of his soldiers suffer. He pondered for a moment, and a better idea gradually came to his mind.

He thought to himself, "We can definitely offer some conditions to the expeditionary force, such as providing more supplies and other support, in exchange for their coming here as individuals. This way, we can reduce our own casualties and achieve our goal of occupying Manila."

There was a glint of cunning in Bavit's eyes, as if he saw the dawn of victory. This was obviously impossible for him, an army group commander, so he set his sights on higher-ups.

Since they had already made up their minds, the military meeting was hastily adjourned. After the meeting, Admiral Bavitt, taking advantage of his good personal friendship with General Spruance, personally visited his superior and good friend, told him his ideas, and hoped to get his help.

Bavitt got straight to the point. "Spruance, my old friend, you should know that the Eighth Army is in trouble in Manila. As the theater commander, our failure has had a significant impact on you. Now is the time to help."

General Spruance was also closely following the Battle of Manila. The 8th Army and the 24th Army, totaling over 20 men, besieged a shattered Japanese force of just over 5. Despite overwhelmingly superior equipment and numbers, they were effectively defeated. He himself was deeply dissatisfied. However, because Bavet was an old friend, he remained silent. Privately, he transferred some of the gunboats of the 3rd Fleet, which had been assisting Yang Hong in preparing the attack on Kalimantan, and even increased his air force deployment, secretly supporting Bavet and hoping he would capture Manila soon.