Battle of Luzon

Battle of Luzon
Part of the Philippines campaign (1944–1945) of World War II

A squad leader points out a suspected Japanese position at the edge of Balete Pass, near Baguio, where troops of the 25th Infantry Division are in fierce combat with Japanese forces. 23 March 1945.
Date9 January 1945 – 15 August 1945
Location
Luzon, Philippines
Result Allied victory
Territorial
changes		 Allies liberate the Luzon island group
Belligerents

 United States

 Japan

Commanders and leaders
Strength

United StatesUnited States
Sixth Army (9 January-30 June 1945)[2]

  • 146,119 authorized, 143,993 assigned (17 Jan)
  • 247,085 authorized, 232,925 assigned (12 Feb)
  • 187,022 authorized, 179,746 assigned (30 Jun)
  • Total replacements 9 Jan-30 Jun: 51,940

Eighth Army (1 July-15 August 1945)[3]

  • 76,989 authorized, 72,922 actual (1 Jul)
  • 83,210 authorized, 80,305 actual (15 Aug)
  • Total replacements 1 Jul-15 Aug: 11,375

Fifth Air Force (During Sixth Army period)[4]

  • 550 fighters[a]
  • 192 light bombers[b]
  • 128 medium bombers[c]
  • 192 heavy bombers[d]
  • 66 reconnaissance[e]
  • 166 Marine SBDs
  • 1,294 total (2/3 operable)

PhilippinesPhilippines
(under USAFFE)[f]

  • 59,723 (Sixth Army phase)[5]
  • 43,000 (Eighth Army phase)[6]

Empire of JapanJapan
(Including Naval personnel)
US Post-battle Estimate[7]

  • 126,760 Mobile Combat
  • 35,580 Base Defense
  • 95,550 Service Troops
  • 257,890 Total (excludes ~13,000 laborers)

Per US Army Official History[8]

  • 275,685 (includes 23,500 civilians)
Casualties and losses
United States United States

Army Battle Casualties

  • Total[9][g]
  • 8,436 killed and missing
  • 32,129 wounded

Army Nonbattle Casualties

  • Sixth Army:[10]
  • 86,954 sick
  • 5 missing
  • 254 deaths
  • 6,209 injured
  • Eighth Army:[13]
  • 6,443 total

Navy, Merchant, Shipboard[h]

  • 13 Dec. 1944-13 Jan. 1945[14]
  • Includes Royal Australian Navy
  • 1,655 killed
  • 2,100 wounded
  • 24 ships sunk
  • 67 ships damaged

Philippines Philippines

  • USAFIP (NL):[15]
  • 1,441 killed
  • 84 missing
  • 3,475 wounded
  • Other guerrilla losses unknown
  • Mexico Mexico
  • 5 dead (non-combat)[16]
Empire of Japan Japan

Battle/Nonbattle Casualties

Equipment

  • US estimate to 30 June 1945[21]
  • 308 tanks
  • 51 armored vehicles
  • 2,022 motor vehicles
  • 955 artillery pieces
  • 686 AA guns and cannon
  • 1,196 mortars (837 50 mm and "knee mortars")
  • 600 aircraft (13 Dec. to 13 Jan. 1945)[22]

Interned after 20 August 1945

  • 63,500+ survivors[23]

The Battle of Luzon (Tagalog: Labanan sa Luzon; Japanese: ルソン島の戦い; Spanish: Batalla de Luzón) was a land battle of the Pacific Theater of Operations of World War II by the Allied forces of the U.S., its colony the Philippines, and allies against forces of the Empire of Japan. The battle resulted in a U.S. and Filipino victory. The Allies had taken control of all strategically and economically important locations of Luzon by March 1945, although pockets of Japanese resistance held out in the mountains until the unconditional surrender of Japan.[24] While not the highest in U.S. casualties, it is the highest net casualty battle U.S. forces fought in World War II, with 192,000 to 217,000 Japanese combatants dead (mostly from starvation and disease),[25] 8,000 American combatants killed, and over 150,000 Filipinos, overwhelmingly civilians who were murdered by Japanese forces, mainly during the Manila massacre of February 1945.

  1. ^ Escuadrón 201, a Mexican fighter–bomber squadron that participated during the last phase of the battle.
  2. ^ Report of Luzon Operation, vol. III pp. 4-5, 8. Retrieved 29 Dec. 2023
  3. ^ Report of Commanding General, Eighth Army on Luzon mop-up Operation p. 38. Retrieved 29 Dec. 2023
  4. ^ Report of Luzon Campaign vol. I pp. 100-101. Retrieved 29 Dec. 2023
  5. ^ Report of Luzon Operation, vol. III p. 3. Retrieved 29 Dec. 2023
  6. ^ Operational Monograph of Luzon mop-up p. 7. Retrieved 29 Dec. 2023
  7. ^ Enemy on Luzon: An Intelligence Summary p. 152. Retrieved 29 Dec. 2023
  8. ^ [1] https://history.army.mil/html/books/005/5-10-1/CMH_Pub_5-10-1.pdf Smith, "Triumph in the Philippines"] p. 694 Retrieved 29 Dec. 2023
  9. ^ a b "The War With Japan" Part 3, p. 95. Retrieved 29 Dec. 2023
  10. ^ a b Report of Luzon Operation, vol. III p. 7. Retrieved 29 Dec. 2023
  11. ^ Report of Commanding General, Eighth Army on Luzon mop-up Operation p. 35. Retrieved 29 Dec. 2023
  12. ^ Operational Monograph of Luzon mop-up p. 58. Retrieved 29 Dec. 2023
  13. ^ Report of Commanding General, Eighth Army on Luzon mop-up Operation p. 52. Retrieved 29 Dec. 2023
  14. ^ Smith, "Triumph in the Philippines" pp. 65-66
  15. ^ Liberation of Northern Luzon (after-battle Report) p. 110. Retrieved 29 Feb. 2024
  16. ^ Vega, J. G.; (March 1997); The Mexican Expeditionary Air Force in World War II:The Organization, Training, and Operations of the 201st Squadron; (Mexico); Retrieved 2 October 2019
  17. ^ John Dower, "Lessons from Iwo Jima" quoting Akira Fujiwara, Uejinishita Eireitachi ("The War Dead Who Starved to Death"). Retrieved 29 Dec. 2023
  18. ^ Report of Luzon Campaign vol. I p. 36. Retrieved 29 Dec. 2023
  19. ^ JM-7 p. 100. Retrieved 23 Dec. 2023
  20. ^ JM-7 p. 135. Retrieved 29 Dec. 2023
  21. ^ Enemy on Luzon: An Intelligence Summary pp. 221-222 Retrieved 29 Dec. 2023
  22. ^ Smith, "Triumph in the Philippines" pp. 65-66
  23. ^ Report of Commanding General, Eighth Army on Luzon mop-up Operation p. 41. Retrieved 29 Dec. 2023
  24. ^ Cite error: The named reference brochure was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  25. ^ Spector, Eagle Against the Sun, p. 529


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