CHAPTER XIV
The Philippine Islands Campaign
PLANNING AND OPERATION OF THE LEYTE CAMPAIGN
In October 1944, 2? years after the loss of Leyte to theJapanese, U.S. troops landed on that island in the first engagement of thePhilippine Islands Campaign. Leyte, which constituted the geographic center ofthe Philippines, was of strategic importance as an airbase and support centerfor operations in the Luzon-Formosa-China coast area.
In planning medical supply support for the operation, pastexperience in the Pacific was reviewed, and steps were taken to minimize suchcommon weaknesses as pilferage and breakage, the breakdown of property exchangeunder conditions of air evacuation, and the loss of supplies and equipmentbecause of excessive humidity.
Built around the X and XXIV Corps, the assault on Leyte wasto be the largest amphibious operation of the Pacific war to date (fig. 123).The Surgeon, Sixth U.S. Army, directed that a typical field army type medicalservice would be used to serve all combat and service troops. Fixed medicalsupport would be furnished by the Army Service Command which would stay in Leyteand be responsible for the buildup of bases for future operations.1
Medical Supply Planning
All units supporting the landings were advised to bring 30 days'medical supplies to the objective area, and the assault troops would carry a5-day supply. All service units carried a 30-day supply at debarkation.
Resupply plans called for nine assault medical maintenanceunits, each consisting of 10 days' supply for 10,000 troops, to arrive from A(Assault Day) +15 to A+30. In addition to these, and scheduled to arrive at thesame time, were 1,000 litters; 2,000 blankets; 10 million Atabrine (quinacrinehydrochloride) tablets; and 100 cylinders of oxygen. From A-day to A+30, 10preloaded ships from the San Francisco Port of Embarkation were to arrive with30 days' medical supplies for 20,000 troops on board. Twelve additionalpreloaded ships were scheduled to arrive from A+30 to A+60.
One hundred tons of selected nonexpendable medical supplieswere to be phased into predetermined points after A+ 40. Thirteen preloadedships con-
1For a more detailed description of the Leyte operation, see: (1) Cannon, M. Hamlin: Leyte: The Return to the Philippines. United States Army in World War II. U.S. Government Printing Office, 1954. (2) Daboll, Warren W.: The Medical Department: Medical Service in the Asiatic Theater. United States Army in World War II. The Technical Services. [In preparation.]
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FIGURE 123.-LST headed for the invasion ofLeyte, Philippine Islands, 20 October 1944.
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taining 30 days' supply for 60,000 troops were due to arrivefrom the Central Pacific Area during the period A-day to A+60.2
Medical Supply Support for the XXIV Corps
The XXIV Corps, which had trained in Hawaii in preparation foran assault on Yap Island, left Hawaii on 15 September 1944. When the ultimatedestination of the convoy was changed to the Philippines, it became necessary toacquire large quantities of Atabrine, which were issued to troops on board ship.Support of the XXIV Corps was to come from the Central Pacific Area in a uniquesituation in which the corps was loaned to the Southwest Pacific Area.
Equipment for the corps was palletized to permit easyhandling and loading into small craft and sledding on the runners to the initiallocation. The pallets were waterproofed to facilitate unloading through thesurf. Planning and loading of medical supplies was under the supervision of thecorps medical supply officer.
The first section of 10 days' supply landed on 10 pallets,each weighing 1,840 pounds, and was carried in by a battalion landing team andthe division headquarters ship. The second section, 20 days' supply, wascarried in three sections on three attack cargo ships.
In all the XXIV Corps Supply Detachment was divided toincrease dispersion and to provide for an easy transition when the corps assumedcontrol of the division dumps on the 6th day. Once established ashore, the smallsupply team supported a corps, which at times consisted of five divisions, andan unanticipated large-scale civilian medical care program during 5 months ofcombat. Under the direction of Lt. Clifford C. Long, MAC, and Lt. Harold A.Bates, MAC, a small field army type depot at Dulag, Leyte, and a port medicalreceiving yard for initial receipt of supplies unloaded over the beach wereoperated by the 2d Medical Supply Team.
Supply Problems of the XXIV Corps
Because of the large number of civilian casualties from aerialand naval bombardment, more surgical supplies and tetanus antitoxin were needed.Naval vessels, particularly hospital ships, became a ready source of scarceitems, even whole field hospital assemblies. The occurrence of rabies anddiphtheria required emergency delivery of special drugs.
During a time of "supply plenty," scheduledshipments were generally adequate except for a shortage of calamine lotion.
To support the 11th Airborne Division, which was for a timeisolated in the middle of the island, a portable surgical hospital wasairdropped. Later, a small airstrip was built which aided in supply.
2(1) Operational History, Surgeon's Office, Headquarters, Sixth U.S. Army, 1944 (Leyte Campaign). [Official record.] (2) Quarterly Report, Surgeon, Sixth U.S. Army, Southwest Pacific Area, 1 Oct.-31 Dec. 1944.
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Resupply of the XXIV Corps was in the form of medicalmaintenance units sent from west coast ports, supplemented by supplies from theSouth Pacific Area where a surplus existed. One ship from the South Pacific Areahad 10,000 packages of medical material ranging from combat bandages tooperating tables, suitable only for permanent or semipermanent installations.Many items, such as whirlpool baths, refrigerators, and Balkan frames, whichwere considered surplus to combat operations were turned over to the 34thMedical Depot Company which had arrived on 15 December 1944.
Because of the scarcity of firm ground on which to stacksupplies and a general lack of dunnage, the bottom tier of supplies often sankout of sight in the deep mud. Despite every effort to recover, clean, and shipthese damaged supplies, many of them were lost.
Refrigeration for blood and other medical items, such aspenicillin, was scarce. Gas refrigerators had to be replaced with electricrefrigerators because the concussion of nearby artillery blew out the gas flame.Since small refrigerators proved to be inadequate, each division medical supplywas equipped with one walk-in model, moved on a 2?-ton truck. To offset thelack of power, 5-and 15-kilowatt generators were brought in from the SouthPacific Area to meet the needs of various hospitals and clearing stations.
Shortages of such items as Merthiolate, foot powder,paregoric, bismuth, sulfaguanadine, cathartics, and laxatives as well as iodine,Fraser's Solution, and bandages occurred early in the fighting because many ofthese items were partially expended on ship even before landing due to the longperiod afloat. The inability of the Southwest Pacific Area depots to supplythese drugs made it necessary to have them airshipped from the Pacific OceanAreas. The combat medical maintenance units designed for smaller operationslacked some necessary items and had insufficient amounts of others.
With the progress of combat operations across Leyte, the XXIVCorps medical supply dump was moved in mid-December to Ormoc, where it was indirect support of action and later supported two divisions operating on the westcoast. A section of the 34th Medical Depot Company had relieved the 2d MedicalSupply Team to give better support for west coast operations.3
SUPPLY OPERATIONS WITH X CORPS ON LEYTE
Initial Landings
The X Corps, composed of the 1st Cavalry and the 24thInfantry Divisions, landed on Leyte with 30 days' medical supplies. Resupplywas to be handled by the 21st Medical Supply Platoon (Aviation). Because oflight enemy opposition, unloading of supplies was uninterrupted.
By 22 October, however, enemy aircraft had damaged theLiberty ship Thomas, anchored off White Beach and, as a result, medicalsupplies in its
3(1) Quarterly Report, Surgeon, XXIV Corps, 1 Oct.-31 Dec. 1944. (2) See footnote 2, p. 485. (3) Medical Report, King II Operation, Appendix "C" to G-4 Report, Headquarters, 7th Infantry Division, 26 Dec. 1944-10 Feb. 1945. (4) Annual Report, 34th Medical Depot Company, 1944.
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FIGURE 124.-Discharging supplies at the docksat Tacloban, Leyte Island, 1 November 1944.
hold were never unloaded. The Alden, another Libertyship containing emergency medical supplies, reached the area on 24 October, butwas not unloaded until approximately 5 November. Supplies from the Alden eventhen proved to be valuable in those critical days.
The 21st Medical Supply Platoon (Aviation) moved up toTacloban (fig. 124), where it set up its depot and operated until relieved on 1December by an advance section of the 34th Medical Depot Company (map 43).4
Early Supply Problems of X Corps Units
During the latter part of October, the flow of supplies andequipment into Leyte was interrupted by increased Japanese naval activity whichreached its peak at the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Transportation was handicapped bythe distance from resupply bases, continuous enemy air attacks, and theoccurrence of three typhoons, which, with accompanying heavy rainfall, turnedthe area into a quagmire.
4Quarterly Report, X Corps, October-December 1944.
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MAP 43.-Medical supply depots onLeyte, 1944-45.
The heavy rains also delayed construction of warehouses and, bymaking roads impassable, hindered supply support to frontline troops who werebeing pressed to defeat the recently reinforced Japanese forces. To add to theexisting confusion, medical units were being unloaded without their equipment.One field hospital had to be left behind because its equipment was not loaded inthe transport assigned to it. In some instances, as much as a month elapsedbefore the equipment reached the specific unit.
Through use of captured Japanese medical supplies, theproblem of caring for large numbers of civilians was eased. It had become soacute that one clearing company had to be set up as a hospital to careexclusively for civilians (fig. 125).
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Some units fared well. Lt. Col. John F. Wurz, MC, Surgeon,32d Infantry Division, reported that efficient planning and supervisionpermitted superior routing and transporting of medical supplies. The medicalsupply dump was far enough forward so that all returning ambulances could carrysupplies to the front as needed. Supplies were often carried to portablesurgical hospitals and aid stations by native litter carriers. Emergency itemswere requested by radio or telephone and dropped from artillery and liaisonplanes. Very often, units on the frontlines received these emergency supplies ina matter of minutes.
Property exchange in air evacuation was nonexistent and, toalleviate the resultant shortages, weekly radio requisitions were sent to rearbases, requesting that stock of items lost through air evacuation be sentforward by any available air or water transportation. During this period of aninsufficient number of beds, the Army was given much assistance by medicalpersonnel of the U.S. Seventh Fleet which, in addition to providing thefacilities of its floating hospital-type LST's (landing ships, tank), alsofurnished bed space in other types of ships.
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During November and December, a total of 33 cases ofpoliomyelitis were reported. Three respirators were brought in to assist in thetreatment of these cases, but because of the almost continuous operation of therespirators, repair part replacement became a major problem. In one instance, acomplete respirator was received in lieu of repair parts requisitioned.
In the early stages of combat on Leyte, equipment was oftentransferred from one hospital to another. A typical example was the 58thEvacuation Hospital which, when moving out of an area and being replaced by the18th Station Hospital, left all standing tentage, cots, blankets, and certainelectrical equipment and, in turn, received replacements either from the 18thStation Hospital or from the Base K (Leyte) supply agencies. Some X-ray andsurgical equipment was loaned to the 18th until it could unpack its equipment.5
CHANGES IN THE COMBAT SITUATION
During November 1944, the combat situation on Leyte was at astandstill, and it was felt necessary to commit more troops, which meant moremedical supplies. To supply three additional infantry divisions, it wascontemplated that eight medical maintenance units would be needed. Supplies ofthis amount were not available on Leyte, but it was believed that the necessaryequipment could be obtained from New Guinea and from the San Francisco Port ofEmbarkation which supposedly had four ships in the area that could be divertedto Leyte.6
Support of the 77th Infantry Division
The 77th Infantry Division, veterans of the Guam campaign,had sailed from Guam early in November 1944 with a 30-day medical maintenanceunit made up from items available in standard resupply blocks and from itemsdrawn from local naval supply facilities. Tongue depressors, applicator sticks,atropine sulfate, and other similar items were not available in sufficientquantity to keep up with the daily demand.
After bivouacing near Dulag, the bulk of the divisionprepared for the invasion of the west coast of Leyte at Ormoc. Seven tons of the30 days' medical maintenance unit, loaded at New Guinea, were loaded in theassault convoy in the initial landings. After gathering the components of themaintenance unit from the beaches, a medical dump was established near thedivision clearing station for resupply of frontline troops. This dump was movedforward with the clearing station, and facilities for resupply by ambulance
5(1) Manuscript prepared for a preliminary draft of this volume, covering medical supply activities of the Sixth and Eighth U.S. Armies, by Lt. Col. John M. Hunt, MSC, and Col. Albert E. Minns, Jr., MSC. (2) Quarterly Report, 32d Infantry Division, 1 Oct.-31 Dec. 1944. (3) Annual Report, 58th Evacuation Hospital, Southwest Pacific Area, 1944.
6(1) Memorandum, Col. William A. Hagins, Surgeon, Sixth U.S. Army, for G-4, Sixth U.S. Army, 24 Nov. 1944, subject: Medical Support of Five Additional Divisions in M-1. (2) Memorandum, Lt. John M. Hunt, MSC, Assistant Medical Supply Officer, Sixth U.S. Army, for Col. William A. Hagins, Surgeon, Sixth U.S. Army, 23 Nov. 1944, subject: Additional Medical Supplies on Leyte.
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to frontline aid stations were always available. Piper Cubaircraft were frequently used to bring penicillin and other needed medicalsupplies to troops fighting in remote areas.
The offensive of the 77th Division as well as the push of the other fourdivisions brought an end to the operations of the Sixth U.S. Army on Leyte. On26 December 1944, the responsibility for all future operations on Leyte passedto the Eighth U.S. Army (fig. 126).7
Operations of the 34th Medical Depot Company
On 1 December 1944, the 34th Medical Depot Company arrived at Leyte,relieving the 21st Medical Supply Platoon and the 2d Supply Team. With theaction inreasing in western Leyte during early 1945, a medical supply subdepotwas established at Ormoc (map 43).
Meanwhile, construction of warehouses began in December 1944 (fig. 127). Rainand mud made both construction and the storage of supplies before
7Quarterly Report, Surgeon, 77th Infantry Division, October-December 1944.
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the completion of the warehouses nearly impossible.Materials-handling equipment was virtually useless. By the middle of March,however, the depot had completed two warehouses and had received forklifts andtractors which greatly reduced the labor involved in handling bulk supplies.Because of the establishment of air and water priorities, outgoing shipmentstripled over the shipments of January.
The maintenance section of the 34th Medical Depot Company, byMarch 1945, was maintaining a 3-day deadline in returning repaired items. Tooffset a lack of spare parts, the ingenuity of the men in manufacturing neededitems was invaluable.
Despite inadequate equipment on hand, the optical section ofthe depot managed to repair and replace more than 1,350 pairs of spectaclesduring January. By March, the section had eliminated a serious backlog ofprescriptions. Many liberated prisoners, both officers and enlisted men, wereissued new spectacles. During March, 4,024 prescriptions were processed.
On 17 May 1945, the 34th and the 78th Medical Base DepotCompany, which had arrived from the United States on 31 January, were combined
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to form the Base K Medical Depot under the command of Maj.(later Lt. Col.) Eli E. Daman, PhC. The depot supplied approximately 271,000combat and service troops located in the Visayan Islands as well as a largenumber of Philippine Civil Affairs Units.8
Recommendations of the Voorhees Survey Team
When Col. Tracy S. Voorhees, JAGD, visited Base K in earlyDecember 1944 as a part of his survey of Pacific supply facilities, he notedseveral serious deficiencies. At that time, no depot construction was going on;therefore, stocks were deteriorating because of the damp weather conditions.Certain items of medical supply were out of stock, and it was impossible to fillsome requisitions. Some of the shortage seemed to be caused by delay inunloading ships, and Colonel Voorhees recommended that hospital ships be used tobring in supplies. It was also suggested by Voorhees that the medical suppliesbe "top loaded" in the San Francisco Port of Embarkation. According toColonel Voorhees, unbalanced stocks and shortages were caused by delays ininterdepot shipments and the lack of aggressive action by the medical section ofthe Distribution Division. As a solution to these problems of distribution, itwas suggested that emergency requisitions by air shipments be initiated forbadly needed items.9
Clearing the Way for the Invasion of Luzon
To provide adequate air cover for convoys proceeding to LingayenGulf for the invasion of Luzon, it was necessary to clear the island of Mindoroof enemy troops and develop airbases. This task fell to the Western Visayan TaskForce which was composed of elements of the 24th and 21st Infantry Divisions andthe 503d Regimental Combat Team. The assault began on 15 December 1944, and theisland was secure by 31 January 1945.
Initial medical supplies, five medical maintenance units,were stored at San Jose under the control of the 13th Station Hospital. Afterthe initial phase of the operation, the dump was moved to Gil Airdrome. Resupplyfor Mindoro came from four preloaded ships, each with a 30-day supply, whichcame from the San Francisco Port of Embarkation (map 44).10
MEDICAL SUPPLY SUPPORT OF THE LUZON OPERATION
The Luzon Campaign, the largest operation in the war againstJapan, was highly significant in that it completed the reconquest of thePhilippines.
8(1) Quarterly Reports, 34th Medical Depot Company, January-October 1945. (2) Historical Summary, 78th Medical Base Company, 15 Apr. 1946.
9Memorandum, Col. Tracy S. Voorhees, JAGD, for Commanding General, U.S. Army Services of Supply, 11 Dec. 1944, subject: Medical Supply Supplementary Report Covering Base K and Plans for Base M.
10(1) For a further detailed description of the Mindoro operation, see Smith, Robert R.: Triumph in the Philippines. United States Army in World War II. U.S. Government Printing Office, 1963, pp. 43-54. (2) See footnote 2(2), p. 485.
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MAP 44.-Medical supply facilities onMindoro,15 December 1944.
The confusion and slow development at Leyte had caused apostponement of this operation from 20 December 1944 to 9 January 1945.
During the planning phases, many complexities wereencountered. Because the Japanese were known to utilize the terrain to themaximum, it was expected that the enemy would make several strong stands in themountainous areas, and at Bataan and Corregidor. To support the U.S. operations,equipment and supplies were brought in from widely scattered areas of thePacific as well as from the United States. Very little difficulty wasexperienced
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in procuring supplies, medical units, and shipping space forthis operation. Supplies were available in noticeably increased quantities.
Early Supply Support
The initial landing at Lingayen Gulfon 9 January1945 involved the I and XIV Corps, each with two divisions and supportingtroops. The 21st Medical Supply Platoon (Aviation) was designated to operate theSixth U.S. Army medical supply point in support of the I Corps. Whilestaging on Leyte, the 21st was augmented by the addition of 20 men and 4 truckswhich would speed the delivery of medical supplies to corps supply points.Again, as in Leyte, the medical supply plan called for large quantities ofresupplies, including blankets, litters, splints, plasma, whole blood, andbiologicals, to be brought in during the assault phase and left on the beachwhere they would be accessible to initial medical aid personnel; and, when thebeaches became secure, the supply platoons were to collect the remainingsupplies.
As a result of the continuous flow of casualties over thebeaches, blankets became a critical item. To alleviate this situation, blanketswhich had been set aside for the burial program were utilized, and shelterhalves were substituted for blankets in the burying of the dead.
Initially, a detachment of the 21st Medical Supply Platoon(Aviation) established a medical supply point at Lingayen in a marketplace whichprovided a good concrete floor, but no overhead protection. To overcome this,tarpaulins and palm leaves were used as a roof. When the supplies were moved toDagupan, open storage was all that was available. As a result, loss of suppliesfrom deterioration was high (map 45). This detachment had four mobilerefrigerator units filled with whole blood, penicillin, sera, vaccines, andvarious other biologicals to be used by the troops during the early stages ofthe operation.
On 11 January 1945, the first group of the Medical Section,Base M, landed on the beach of Lingayen Gulf near San Fabian, 2 days after themain landing force. To take full advantage of his experience in establishingbase sections, Col. (later Brig. Gen.) Edgar King, MC, was designated surgeon.Accordingly, he had personnel from his group accompanying each load of suppliesto assure segregation and to secure a location of the medical dump. In thisinstance, the Medical Section had acquired a few buildings in the public marketon the outskirts of town, and supplies were moving to storage before the day wasover.11
Movement Toward Manila
By 13 January, the 21st Medical Supply Platoon had set up asupply point at San Fabian; but on 23 January, this point was turned over to the49th Medical Depot Company and the platoon proceeded to Tarlac, which was ideal-
11(1) Quarterly Report, Surgeon, Sixth U.S. Army, January-March 1945. (2) Operational History, Surgeon, Sixth U.S. Army, 1945 (Luzon Campaign).
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MAP 45.-Medical support for the Luzonoperation, January-June 1945.
ly located to support a large number of medical treatmentfacilities. Medical supplies reached Tarlac from Lingayen Gulf by truck and railand were received and distributed by the 21st, assisted by the 55th MedicalSupply Platoon (Aviation) which was in support of the XXIV Corps.
The 49th Medical Depot Company, with its three storage andissue platoons operating separately, had the task of receiving and storingsupplies which had come into San Fabian by water and transshipping them toTarlac and Urdaneta, where the 15th Medical Supply Platoon (Aviation) wasoperating in support of the I Corps (map 45). The 49th was handicapped somewhatby failure of equipment to arrive. It became necessary to leave behind, in thedepot, mobile refrigerators which were part of the Army Blood Bank so that wholeblood and biologicals could be stored. The lack of maintenance
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MAP 46.-Medical supply depots at Subic Bayand the Manila Bay area, 1945.
equipment and an optical repair unit resulted in muchunserviceable equipment remaining in poor condition.
On 30 January, a medical supply point was established atSubic Bay by the XI Corps. Operated by the medical supply officer, XI Corps, anda detachment of enlisted men from the 113th Medical Battalion of the 38thInfantry Division, this supply point was the source of medical supplies for theCorregidor and Bataan operations. Six medical maintenance units arrived on thefirst medical supply echelon to that area, and 19 airdrops and shipments ofmedical supplies occurred early in the operation (map 46).
By 6 February, the 55th Medical Supply Platoon, which hadpreviously been supporting the 21st Medical Supply Platoon in the operation ofthe depot at Tarlac, entered Manila and unloaded its equipment and fivetruckloads of medical supplies on the grounds of Santo Tomas University beforemoving to the George Washington School on the next day. For the next 2 weeks,the 55th supplied all troops in the Manila area (map 46). Relieved by the 15thMedical Supply Platoon on 18 February, the 55th proceeded to Urdaneta to supportthe I Corps Army Air Forces, and Army Service Command troops in that area.
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The medical supply depot in Manila was more permanently setup under the stands of the Manila baseball stadium, and medical supplies weretrucked in from the depot at Tarlac. By 29 February, when the city of Manila wassecure, the 49th Medical Depot Company, relieved at San Fabian by the 58thMedical Base Depot Company, moved to Manila and set up in warehouses in thevicinity of Manila Harbor (fig. 128). After the harbor had been cleared ofmines, boobytraps, logs, stumps, and other debris, the area was ready to receivesupplies from preloaded ships, which were unloaded at the repaired docks andcarefully stored according to type of item.
On 12 March 1945, the 21st Medical Supply Platoon wasreplaced at Tarlac by the 58th Medical Base Depot Company and the 55th MedicalSupply Platoon (Aviation) which had been at Urdaneta since mid-February. Between12 and 21 March, 350 requisitions were filled. The 21st moved to Urdaneta whereit maintained a reserve stock of supplies. After closing the depot at Urdanetaon 24 March, the unit moved to San Jose with a 15-day supply level to support ICorps troops in that area.12
Problems of Resupply
From D-day, 9 January, to 31 March 1945, 28 block-loaded ships,carrying 56 medical maintenance units, arrived in the Luzon area from the SanFrancisco Port of Embarkation. This represented a 30-day supply for 560,000troops. As experienced in other operations and in other theaters, many blocks ofsupplies were unbalanced with overages in some nonessential items, such as boricacid, oxygen, dextrose in normal saline solution, prophylactics, sheet wadding,and plaster of paris bandages. Ironically, an oxygen shortage developed becauseof the failure to refill empty cylinders. Radio requests to rear bases formechanical prophylactics were evidently ignored until 25 February when 4,000gross of mechanical prophylactics were received and followed up by 1,123 grossreceived by air. Five percent dextrose in normal saline solution was shortbecause of the increased use of this item in the treatment of hepatitis.
The increased use of sheet wadding and plaster of parisbandages in the treatment of soft tissue wounds and fractures had causedshortages of these items.
During January through March 1945, 66 airdrops totaling27,000 pounds of supplies were made by the 11th Cargo Supply Group. Forty-six ofthe airdrops were made for guerrillas (fig. 129).13
Continued Supply Support
Fighting in the southern part of Luzon and in the mountainousregions was going on while cleanup of Manila was in progress. On 30 March, the15th
12(1) Quarterly Reports, 49th Medical Depot Company, 1945. (2) Quarterly Reports, 15th Medical Supply Platoon (Aviation), 1944-45. (3) Quarterly Reports, 55th Medical Supply Platoon (Aviation), 1945. (4) See footnote 11(2), p. 495.
13Quarterly Reports, Surgeon, Sixth U.S. Army, January-June 1945.
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FIGURE 128.-Issue warehouse, 49th MedicalDepot Company, Manila.
Medical Supply Platoon (Aviation) was relieved in Manila andproceeded to Batangas (Batangas Province) to establish an Army medical supplydepot in that area in support of XIV Corps, Army, and Services of Supply units.The initial supply of four medical maintenance units was received. The Batangassupply point closed on 22 May and the unit moved to Lipa where it continued tosupport the XIV Corps (map 47).
The responsibility of mopping up on Luzon passed from theSixth U.S. Army to the Eighth U.S. Army in June 1945, when the Sixth U.S. Armywas assigned the responsibility of training and reequipping units for theinvasion of Japan.
The 61st Medical Base Depot Company, which had been operatingat Base X (Manila) after arriving on Luzon on 19 March, sent a detachment of oneofficer and nine enlisted men on 29 June to San Jose, where it assisted the 55thMedical Supply Platoon (Aviation) in the operation of a transshipment point.Another detachment of 2 officers and 20 enlisted men was sent ahead to Bayombong,where it set up the distribution point for troops operating in the CagayanValley. Supplies were received by rail from San Jose and shipped out to units bytruck (map 45). A third detachment of the 61st, consisting of one officer andsix enlisted men, set up a point at Aparri on the north coast of Luzon. Onemedical maintenance unit was used to supply troops in the immediate area and asfar south as Tuguegarao.14
14(1) See footnote 13, p. 498. (2) Quarterly Reports, 61st Medical Base Depot Company, 1945.
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MEDICAL SUPPLY IN THE SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES
While the fighting on Luzon was well underway, operationsagainst the Japanese in the southern Philippines had begun with invasions ofPalawan, the western-most island in the archipelago, and the Zamboanga Peninsulaof southwestern Mindanao. These areas were of vital importance as potentialsites for airfields.
Supplies for the Palawan Operation
In the Palawan operation, which began on 28 February, thetask force, composed principally of the 186th Regimental Combat Team backed upby certain nondivisional units, carried in a 15-day level of supplies and set upa supply point in the 168th Evacuation Hospital near Puerto Princesa city.
A 60-day resupply was further augmented by two block-loadedships which arrived in the area on 6 March and 1 April, respectively. Allemergency
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MAP 47.-Medical supply depots in southernLuzon, 1945.
radio requisitions were made to Base K and delivery was made ina matter of hours either by evacuation planes or by an Eighth U.S. Army courierplane.
Support of the Zamboanga Operation
The Zamboanga operation, launched on 10 March 1945, was designedto push the Japanese from southwestern Mindanao and thus provide additionalairstrips. Troops of the 41st Infantry Division carried 15 days' initialsupply. Requisitions prepared for the operation consisted of 30 days' resupply,and further resupply was provided by two block-loaded vessels arriving inZamboanga on 18 and 30 March.
A divisional medical supply point was established inprefabricated warehouses at Zamboanga (fig. 130) by the division medicalbattalion (map 48).
Supply Support for Central Visayan Operations
Even before the Zamboanga-Sulu region had been secured, theEighth U.S. Army initiated operations to secure the central Visayan Islands ofPanay and Negros. The reinforced 40th Infantry Division and the 503d ParachuteRegiment were prepared for this assault.
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After launching its assault on Panay on 19 March 1945, the 40thDivision established a medical supply point in an existing building in Iloilo(map 48). When they arrived in the operational area, the division had 15 days ofinitial supplies. Requisitions for 30 days' resupply were prepared and sent toBase K. Further resupply was furnished by block-loaded ships, one arriving atIloilo on 25 March. Emergency radio requisitions for items such as whole blood,penicillin, biologicals, and other critical items were forwarded by the divisionto Base K. Delivery was usually accomplished within a matter of hours by the useof evacuation planes bound for the operational area or by use of the Eighth U.S.Army courier plane.
The assault troops of the 40th Division carried 160 pints ofwhole blood into the operation. Flown to the division were 1,424 pints, making atotal of 1,584 pints of whole blood used.
During the latter phase of the operation, the 52d and 53dInfantry Regiments (Philippine Army) were activated on Panay and Negros Islands.Requisitions for medical supplies and equipment for these units and theirattached service units were prepared by the 40th Division, edited by the EighthUnit.
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MAP 48.-Medical supply in the southernPhilippines, 1945.
Army, and filled by Base K. Shipment of the same was made to supply officersof the regiments concerned.
On 26 March 1945, the Americal Division launched a three-part operation toclear Cebu Island, Bohol Island, and the southern section of Negros Island.
The initial supply and resupply for the operation was the same as in thePanay-Negros operation. In the initial landing, Americal Division troops carriedin 192 pints of whole blood. Additional amounts required were ordered from BaseK and were delivered by evacuation plane or courier plane. A total
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of 2,648 pints of blood were received by the AmericalDivision during the operation. On 15 June 1945, all supply responsibility forCebu was assumed by Base S, established on that island.
Supply Support for the Conquest of Eastern Mindanao
Eastern Mindanao, the remaining Japanese-held area of thesouthern Philippines, was the target of the 24th and 31st Infantry Divisions ofthe X Corps which landed on 17 April at Illana Bay. Troops of the X Corpscarried in a 30-day initial supply of medical items. Requisitions for automaticresupply were initiated by the X Corps and delivered by four double-block loadedships from the San Francisco Port of Embarkation.
The Commanding General, X Corps, was responsible for themaintenance of a 30-day level of medical supplies and for the storage anddistribution of medical supplies and whole blood in the objective area.
The only major supply problem was the procurement ofsufficient refrigeration for medical units. Temporarily, an Australian-mademobile refrigeration unit was used in the 656th Clearing Company.
By 21 April, the 74th Medical Base Depot Company wasoperating a medical supply point at Parang in squad tents (fig. 131).Prefabricated buildings allotted to house the depot were never erected at Parangbecause of plans to move to Agusan by 11 June (map 48).
Emergency requisitions, mainly for oxygen and biologicals,were sent directly to Base K, and shipments were expedited by use of the 403dTroop Carrier Group evacuation planes which were bound for the particular areawhere the supplies were needed.
Units carried 1,064 pints of whole blood into the operation.Automatic resupply of whole blood to X Corps at Malabang was established at 240pints every 3 days. Shipments commenced on 27 April and continued until 19 Junewhen automatic resupply was diverted to Valencia and Libby airfields.
Following a field inspection held on 7 June, it wasrecommended that the 99th Evacuation Hospital, which was supporting theadvancing 31st Infantry Division, be supplied with the equipment needed toexpand an additional 250 beds. The requisition was initiated by Headquarters,Eighth U.S. Army, and the necessary equipment was flown in immediately byevacuation planes.15
Lessons Learned in the Philippine Islands Campaign
In the Philippine Islands Campaign, medical supplies weregenerally plentiful. However, it became evident, particularly in Mindanao, thatit was a necessity to have adequate refrigeration for blood, penicillin, andother biologicals made available to all units before embarkation to avoidresulting shortages caused by reallocation.
15This section is based on (1) Annual Report, Medical Department Activities, Eighth U.S. Army, 1945, and (2) Quarterly Reports, 74th Medical Base Depot Company, April-December 1945.
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506
In this campaign, more than in any previous operation, the useof evacuation and courier planes for swift delivery of emergency items ofrequisition proved invaluable in the saving of human life. Close coordinationbetween Base K and troop carrier air groups made this possible.
In the Leyte operation, especially, it was learned that thenormal medical maintenance unit could not be relied on, as there were excessiveamounts of little-used items like X-ray supplies, acetone, Mapharsen, andabsorbent cotton in 1-pound rolls while items, such as foot powder, tinctureMerthiolate, aspirin, and hydrogen peroxide, were in scarce supply.16
16See footnotes 2(1), p. 485; and 15, p. 504.
