Philippine Division (United States)

Philippine Division
12th Infantry Division
Shoulder sleeve insignia
Active
  • 1922 – 1942
  • 1944 – 1947 (as 12th Infantry Division (Philippine Scouts))
Country United States
Branch United States Army
TypeSquare Division
HeadquartersFort William McKinley
EngagementsWorld War II
Philippine Islands
Commanders
Notable
commanders
MG Jonathan M. Wainwright
MG William Weigel
Insignia
Distinctive unit insigniaNone authorized
Square Division example: 1940 US Infantry Division. On the far left can be seen two Brigades of two Regiments each

Philippine Division, or from 1944–1947 the 12th Infantry Division, was the core U.S. infantry division of the United States Army's Philippine Department during World War II.

The division was organized in April 1922 and primarily consisted of United States Army officers and Filipino enlisted men. It primary purpose was to defend the Philippines from invasion. When the Philippine Army was established in 1935, it provided a potential candidate pool of Filipinos with military experience.

On 31 July 1941, the division consisted of 10,473 troops, mostly enlisted Filipinos, known as the Philippine Scouts who formed the 45th and 57th US Infantry Regiments. All of the division's enlisted men, with the exception of the 31st Infantry Regiment, and various military police and headquarters troops, were Philippine Scouts.[1]

In October 1941, as part of the U.S. Army Forces Far East, plans were made to "triangularize" the division. The 34th Infantry was detached from the 8th Infantry Division and moved to a port of embarkation in December 1941, along with two battalions of 105mm field artillery. The Philippine Division was to have two complete U.S. regimental combat teams in place by January 1942 to provide General Douglas MacArthur with a modern, trained mobile reaction force, while freeing up Philippine Scouts for rounding out other units. The outbreak of war in December 1941, however, isolated the Philippines and prevented implementation of the plan.