MacArthur's 1945 Retaking of Corregidor: Airdrop, Tunnel Warfare, and the Fulfillment of "I Shall Return"
On February 16, 1945, the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment's paratroopers were deployed onto Corregidor by American C-47 transports, marking the start of Operation Topside. The operation was spearheaded by Colonel George Jones, who synchronized efforts with a seaborne landing by the 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment at San Jose beach. Corregidor, which had been fortified by the U.S. since 1898, had succumbed to Japanese control in 1942. Captain Akira Itagaki commanded 6,000 troops who misjudged the impact of the airdrop. After three weeks of bombardment, paratroopers killed Itagaki, disrupting the defenses. By nightfall, American forces secured the beach despite suffering over 200 fatalities and nearly 1,000 injuries. General MacArthur returned on March 2, 1945, presenting Jones with the Distinguished Service Cross.
Key facts
- American paratroopers of the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment jumped onto Corregidor on February 16, 1945, from 400–500 feet in 20 mph winds
- Colonel George Jones commanded Operation Topside, a combined airdrop and amphibious assault by the 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment
- The Japanese garrison of 6,000 men was led by Captain Akira Itagaki of the Imperial Japanese Navy, who was killed when paratroopers landed on his command bunker
- Corregidor fell to Japan in 1942 when General Jonathan Wainwright surrendered; MacArthur had been evacuated on March 11, 1942
- Three weeks of air, naval, and artillery bombardment preceded the assault and concealed the airborne plan
- On February 21, 1945, Japanese troops set off demolition charges in the Malinta Tunnel, causing hundreds of deaths
- A February 26, 1945 blast at Monkey Point killed 50 Americans and hundreds of Japanese and flipped a Sherman tank
- American casualties were just over 200 killed and close to 1,000 wounded; only about 50 Japanese were captured alive
- MacArthur returned to Corregidor by PT boat on March 2, 1945, raised the American flag at Topside, and awarded Jones the Distinguished Service Cross
- The Malinta Tunnel became a tourist attraction after 1954, and above-ground ruins were intentionally left as a memorial
Entities
Artists
- Douglas MacArthur
- Jonathan Wainwright
- George Jones
- Akira Itagaki
- Franklin Roosevelt
- George Marshall
Institutions
- 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment
- 34th Infantry Regiment
- Sixth Army
- Imperial Japanese Navy
- US Department of Defense
- US Army Signal Corps
- US Army
- The Collector
- History.com
- National Park Service
- UNESCO
- The Diplomat
- Military Times
- World War Photos
Locations
- Corregidor
- Philippines
- Manila Bay
- Manila
- Bataan Peninsula
- Luzon
- Leyte
- Malinta Tunnel
- Topside
- San Jose beach
- Monkey Point
- Pearl Harbor
- Washington
- Spain
- United States
- Japan
- Manila Hotel