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February 3 to March 3, 1945Reputable source · 2 sourcesWell documented

US forces retake Manila in a month of brutal urban fighting

MacArthur's return to the Philippine capital costs the city 100,000 civilian dead

On the timeline · around February 3 to March 3, 1945 · Allied VictoryAllied VictoryUS forces retake Manila in a month of brutal urban fighting1945

Quick facts

Location
Manila, Philippines
Dates
February 3 to March 3, 1945
Japanese commander
Rear Admiral Sanji Iwabuchi
Civilian deaths
At least 100,000
Result
US recapture; city largely destroyed

What happened

When the US First Cavalry Division reached Manila on February 3, 1945, it moved first to Santo Tomas University, where 3,785 Allied civilian internees had been held for over three years, and freed them. Japanese naval troops under Rear Admiral Sanji Iwabuchi, disobeying orders to withdraw, fortified the city and fought street by street rather than surrender it, turning the reconquest of the Philippine capital into the worst urban battle American forces fought in the Pacific war. The battle lasted until early March 1945, destroying much of the old city and the historic walled district of Intramuros.

Why it matters

At least 100,000 Filipino civilians died in the crossfire and in atrocities committed by retreating Japanese troops, roughly a hundred civilian deaths for every American soldier killed retaking the city. Manila's recapture restored MacArthur's promised return to the Philippine capital but left the city one of the most devastated in the entire war, a cost that shaped postwar debates over the decision to fight for the city building by building rather than bypass it.

How we know

The National WWII Museum's account, drawn from Cecilia Gaerlan's research into the Philippine liberation campaign, documents the Santo Tomas internee release and situates the battle within the broader 1945 liberation of the islands.

Sources

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US forces retake Manila in a month of brutal urban fighting · World War II · SourcedStory