Bataan Falls: The March of Death Begins
The surrender of 76,000 American and Filipino troops on the Bataan Peninsula on April 9, 1942, was the largest capitulation in American military history. Japanese forces had landed on Luzon in December 1941, and General MacArthur's forces retreated to Bataan, where they held out for three months on half rations. The subsequent forced march to Camp O'Donnell covered 65 miles in tropical heat. Japanese guards bayoneted, shot, or beheaded stragglers. An estimated 600-650 Americans and 5,000-10,000 Filipinos died during the march. Thousands more perished in the camps from disease and starvation. General Homma Masaharu was later executed for war crimes related to the Death March.
April 9, 1942
84 years ago
Key Figures & Places
United States
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Royal Navy
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Bataan Peninsula
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Sri Lanka
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Ceylon
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Imperial Japanese Navy
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destroyer
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aircraft carrier
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Royal Australian Navy
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Bataan Death March
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Battle of Bataan
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Trincomalee
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HMS Hermes (95)
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HMAS Vampire (D68)
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