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Show 343 This in turn led to the became delay in the Lingayen settled the more The Luzon invasion Force all par ticipating F'or'ce, The Sixth and Army Gulf attack The Sixth was Finally set for was as these January 9, areas 19450 27 joint attack with the Army, Navy, and Air The Luzon Attack Force , Admiral To Co Kinkaid, Kreuger was a invasion of Luzon, Army commanded was by the commanded was ground by Vice power of the Attack Lieutenant General Walter J. comprised of the I Army Corps, the XIV Army Corps, and the Sixth Army Reserve. The I Corps was to assault on the east side of the was sector and the XIV Corps was was Corps on the west of the sector by Major General Oscar Wo commanded made up of the 40th Rapp Brush, at Lingayen Gulf, Gr i swold, The XIV This Corps Infantry Division (reinforced), under Major General Infantry Division (reinforced), under Major General and the 37th Robert So In reserve to the XIV Corps were the 32nd Infantry Beightler Division, the First Cavalry Division, and the 112th Regimental Combat Team. These reinforcements were to land at Lingayen 18 days after the first assault. Plains 0 The mission of the Luzon operation was to seize the Central Luzon location of Clark Field and Fort Stotsenburg which were the impor (the tant airfield for denying ation of the base and command supply down the main plains headquarters of route toward Manila, the Japanese) Control of Luzon was and move important the enemy the entrances into the South China Sea and for the liber 28 Islands and the Southern Phil Visayan ippines , A great deal of time and effort had been spent in gathering informa tion, planning and r eh ear sing for the invasi on, For some time there was debate of to where the invasion should take place, and a considerable amount deciding the route to the invasion s ite, It was finally decided to convoy through the Surigao Straits, then along the western shores of as difficulty send the in Panay, Mindoro and Luzon and make the attack from the north of Luzon. Under plan the 40th Division sailed from Manus on December 31st, 1944, and joined with the other convoys on their way to the attack area. As the Japanese became aware of the movement along the coast of Luzon the Japanese air attacks, including the suicidal Kamikaze attacks, became fierce and the this 27 Reports of General MacArthur, pp. 242-2560 40th Infantry Divi sion, p. 1090 "The Luzon Operation," (Manuscript: located in Washington, D. C., Library of the National Guard Association of the United States), pp, 1-20 28Reports tion," p. 10 of General MacArthur, pp. 252-2540 "The Luzon Opera |
