Phi

l
ippi
neMi
l
itar
yHi
st
oryDur
ingWor
ldWar2

TheCommonweal thoft hePhili

ppineswasat t
ackedbyt heEmpi reofJ apanon8
Dec ember1941,ni nehour saf tertheattac konPear lHarbor( thePhi l
i
ppinesi sont heAs ianside
ofthei nternationaldateline).TheUni t
edSt atesofAmer icac ontr
olledthePhi lippinesatt he
ti
meandpos sessedimpor t
antmi li
tar
ybas esthere.Thec ombi nedAmer i
c an-Fi
lipinoar mywas
defeatedi ntheBat tleofBat aanandt heBat tl
eofCor regidorinApr il1942,butguer ri
ll
a
res
istanceagai nstt
heJ apanes ec onti
nuedt hroughoutt hewar .Unc apturedFi l
ipinoar myuni ts,
acommuni stinsurgency,ands uppor ti
ngAmer ic
anagent sal lplay
edar olei nther es i
stance.
Duet ot hehugenumberofi slands ,t
heJ apanesenev eroc cupiedmanyoft hes mal lerandmor e
minori sl
ands .Japanesec ontrolov erthec ountrys
ideands mallertownswasof tent enuousat
best.

I
n1944,Al
li
edf
orc
esl
i
ber
atedt
hei
sl
andsf
rom J
apanes
econt
roli
nanav
ali
nvas
ion.