"The retaking of Corregidor Island" Topic

"A 6,000-man enemy force occupied Corregidor Island which guarded the entrance to Manila Bay blocking allied efforts to reopen this strategic port. Retaking Corregidor also had strong symbolic value as this was the location that American and Filipino forces, under Gen Douglas MacArthur, valiantly fought for nearly five months before surrendering the largest military force in American history.

The battle hardened duo of the 317th Troop Carrier Group (TCG) and the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) were matched once again to take on this risky operation. The 317th was the lead troop carrier group for all five mass airborne assault operations of the Pacific War and the 503rd was the paratrooper regiment for three of these operations. The 317th was not the first troop carrier group in theater when it arrived in Australia in January 1943 but it was the first C-47 unit to arrive in-theater fully trained in the new discipline of airborne assault operations.

The first mass airdrop of the Pacific War was the airborne assault to take an airfield at Nadzab, Papua New Guinea (PNG), in September 1943 that helped to stem the Japanese advance towards Australia. The 79-ship airdrop formation was led by 24 C-47s from the 317 TCG. The objective of the 503 PIR was the seizure of the abandoned airfield with plans to quickly expand it from one to four airfields to be used as the air hub for the retaking of the nearby port of Lae and follow-on operations…"

More here

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Armand

Always struck me as an incredible idea to launch a parachute drop on such a small island, with the technology of the time. The slightest error and you had a US para who could hardly stand with all his kit dumped in the sea.

Then I thought about it and realised it was a terrible prospect for any seaborne landing….basically nowhere to land troops and tanks! No beaches, just cliffs.

A bunch of Hueys and Chinooks would have made all the difference. Gliders clearly played no part (odd?) and there is no suggestion of losses to the sea (which I had thought was the case).

A good intro to a very interesting topic. Must read up on it again.

Corregidor: The Rock Force Assault
By Edward M. Flanagan Jr. is a good read on this operation.

Thanks!

Armand

The first mass airdrop of the Pacific War was the airborne assault to take an airfield at Nadzab, Papua New Guinea (PNG), in September 1943 that helped to stem the Japanese advance towards Australia.

Wrong, mate. The Japanese had already been stopped- by losing the invasion force during the battle of the Coral Sea, stopped when their landing force was defeated and destroyed at Milne Bay, and lastly their advance stopped stopped and forced to retreat on the Kokoda Track- all by november 1942- 10 months before the Nadzab drop.
The Markham Valley campaign was part of the advance on Lae, the follow up campaign to the defeat of the Japanese at Buna and Gona, and stopping the Japanese advance on Wau. The parachute force (US 503rd PIR and a battery of the Australian 2/4 Field Regiment (RAA)) was used in classic fashion, to secure an airhead from which the Australian 25th Brigade would assemble and advance on Lae from the west.

So it was hardly a "mass airdrop" and the Japanese had already been stopped. They were now fighting to hold onto some part of PNG.

Thanks also…

Armand