Havoc at the Hospital

Against the express orders of the Army Commander in Chief, the Naval Commander in Manila, Rear Admiral Iwabuchi (perhaps still influenced by defeats at Guadalcanal two years earlier), was determined to fight a last-ditch battle and had his men in the Manila Naval Defense Force fortify the city. The U.S. …

1945-02-16

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Against the express orders of the Army Commander in Chief, the Naval Commander in Manila, Rear Admiral Iwabuchi (perhaps still influenced by defeats at Guadalcanal two years earlier), was determined to fight a last-ditch battle and had his men in the Manila Naval Defense Force fortify the city. The U.S. 1st Cavalry Division (on the east side) and the 37th Infantry Division moved in from the north even as General Douglas MacArthur was declaring that “Manila had fallen.” Before the final attack on the city center of Intramuros and the government buildings ringing the walled city could be launched, however, a number of strongpoints along the way had to be eliminated. The areas assigned to the 148th Infantry Regiment covered the Philippine General Hospital and the University of the Philippines along the west side of Taft Avenue. Having fought room-by-room since entering Manila, the men of the 148th’s 2nd Battalion on 13 February now faced the concrete buildings of the hospital-university complex and its well armed, dug-in defenders.

Manila, Philippines

The Battle of Manila (3 February – 3 March 1945) was a major battle of the Philippine campaign of 1944–45, during the Second World War. It was fought by forces from both the United States and the Philippines against Japanese troops in Manila, the capital city of the Philippines. The month-long battle, which resulted in the death of over 100,000 civilians and the complete devastation of the city, was the scene of the worst urban fighting in the Pacific theater. Japanese forces committed mass murder against Filipino civilians during the battle. Along with massive loss of life, the battle also destroyed architectural and cultural heritage dating back to the city's founding, and Manila became one of the most devastated capital cities during the entire war, alongside Berlin and Warsaw. The battle ended the almost three years of Japanese military occupation in the Philippines (1942–1945). The city's capture was marked as General Douglas MacArthur's key to victory in the campaign of reconquest. To date, it is the last of the many battles fought within Manila's history.

American

Japanese

Scenario Type = Starter Kit