The Raid on Los Baños: Do or Die
photo from Santo Tomas Internment Camp
Los Baños, a city in Laguna, known for research, academics, and nature, has a notable history that wasn't kenned by any. That history was embedded in the known university of many, namely University of the Philippines-Los Baños. The campus radiates welcoming and peaceful aura in contrast to the atmosphere throughout WW2. Back in the days, University of the Philippines-Los Baños houses a prison camp, containing 2,000 western civilians. Who would have thought that a space enjoyed by many has a story masked on it? On December 1, 1941, the Japanese troops started to launch an attack on the major American bases in the Pacific. It was disastrous for the Americans; hence, 80,000 soldiers withdrew to Bataan and the fortress of Corregidor from Manila. In April 1942, the allied soldiers were forced to surrender after their supplies decline and then herded them for the Bataan Death March, only to die due to inhumane treatments. The remaining soldiers in Bataan were brought in prison camps. The 15,000 American civilians were stranded in the Philippines. They were scared that there would be Japanese troops in their neighborhood. In 1942, the Japanese were able to occupy Manila, and the civilians were forced to detain in internment camps, one of it, located in Los Baños.
At first, the conditions in the camps were not bad, but things deteriorated as the war intensified between the Americans and the Japanese. The internees did their best to make sure their lives inside would be lucid, but their issue is food. In Mid-1944, after the arrival of a new camp overseer, Sadaki Konishi, the food rations were decreased, and the other internees were punished. On the other side, the 8,000 11th Airborne Division were training in New Guinea for the Asian Jungle Warfare against the Japanese. Unbeknownst to the soldiers, they were followed through radio by the internees in Los Baños.
The long-awaited return of the American troops was set in September 1944. Most of the Japanese settled in the mountains, and that's where they'll attack. In that span of 37 days in the mountains, they didn't eat for 11 days. The American troops lost 3,000 men while the Japanese lost 6,000 men. Since the arrival of the American troops, optimism became a substitute food for the internees since starvation became an unreal issue inside the camp. The American soldiers discovered the campground but have no plans in rescue. Due to the attacks, the Japanese guards and administration left the camp. The internees hog for food and went to the town of Los Baños for food, but the freedom didn't last long. The Japanese returned, and starvation is an issue again. The American troops have no plans to rescue, the battle in Manila is their top priority. But then it shifted after they pondered prisoner camps in Santo Tomas, and discern the situation arising in the camps.
The Filipino Guerrillas came into the scene to help the Americans in earning information about the camps since they have more access to the countryside and towns and Luzon that the troops don't. The guerrillas provided the intelligence officer the count of Japanese soldiers and their pivotal location that benefited the Americans to locate where they'll attack.
In the internment camps, those who sneak out for food would be killed. Death is daily occurring in the caps due to low food rations. The internees resorted to letting three of them escape. The guerrillas led the three escapees into a safe house far from the camp and brought a drawn map of the camp. On February 23, the attack on the Los Baños camp became successful and they were able to evacuate the civilians. However, after the Americans retook the Philippines once again, they were horrified to see massacred 1500 people, which were mercilessly killed. Konishi was behind this massacre in Los Baños and was later charged with charged crimes and hanged in 1947 in Japan.
The Raid of Los Baños was the success of the Japanese and the Americans in their perspectives. The Americans were able to gain victory because they were able to outsmart the Japanese. With such an intelligent way to attack and intensive planning, the triumph was on their side. They were able to save the internees they planned to liberate in camps. However, the Japanese returned the fight against the Americans by attacking the Filipinos in the town of Los Baños. The massive killing after the raid shows that we're left defeated and unprotected. No one could know when the Japanese would attack. The documentary focused more on the American side and never really had a chance to also show the Filipino's perspective.
The Filipinos have a way to lure the Japanese away, and that's to have an alliance with the Americans, which is a smart move. The guerrillas took the chance to make use of the Americans because they have sufficient supplies to combat. The Americans became the embodiment of hope of the Filipinos against the Japanese, but the Americans only see them as a source for information that added to their success. Maybe it is a success for the American people, but for the Filipinos, it is an unseen tragedy that would be kept in their minds.
At first, the conditions in the camps were not bad, but things deteriorated as the war intensified between the Americans and the Japanese. The internees did their best to make sure their lives inside would be lucid, but their issue is food. In Mid-1944, after the arrival of a new camp overseer, Sadaki Konishi, the food rations were decreased, and the other internees were punished. On the other side, the 8,000 11th Airborne Division were training in New Guinea for the Asian Jungle Warfare against the Japanese. Unbeknownst to the soldiers, they were followed through radio by the internees in Los Baños.
The long-awaited return of the American troops was set in September 1944. Most of the Japanese settled in the mountains, and that's where they'll attack. In that span of 37 days in the mountains, they didn't eat for 11 days. The American troops lost 3,000 men while the Japanese lost 6,000 men. Since the arrival of the American troops, optimism became a substitute food for the internees since starvation became an unreal issue inside the camp. The American soldiers discovered the campground but have no plans in rescue. Due to the attacks, the Japanese guards and administration left the camp. The internees hog for food and went to the town of Los Baños for food, but the freedom didn't last long. The Japanese returned, and starvation is an issue again. The American troops have no plans to rescue, the battle in Manila is their top priority. But then it shifted after they pondered prisoner camps in Santo Tomas, and discern the situation arising in the camps.
The Filipino Guerrillas came into the scene to help the Americans in earning information about the camps since they have more access to the countryside and towns and Luzon that the troops don't. The guerrillas provided the intelligence officer the count of Japanese soldiers and their pivotal location that benefited the Americans to locate where they'll attack.
In the internment camps, those who sneak out for food would be killed. Death is daily occurring in the caps due to low food rations. The internees resorted to letting three of them escape. The guerrillas led the three escapees into a safe house far from the camp and brought a drawn map of the camp. On February 23, the attack on the Los Baños camp became successful and they were able to evacuate the civilians. However, after the Americans retook the Philippines once again, they were horrified to see massacred 1500 people, which were mercilessly killed. Konishi was behind this massacre in Los Baños and was later charged with charged crimes and hanged in 1947 in Japan.
The Raid of Los Baños was the success of the Japanese and the Americans in their perspectives. The Americans were able to gain victory because they were able to outsmart the Japanese. With such an intelligent way to attack and intensive planning, the triumph was on their side. They were able to save the internees they planned to liberate in camps. However, the Japanese returned the fight against the Americans by attacking the Filipinos in the town of Los Baños. The massive killing after the raid shows that we're left defeated and unprotected. No one could know when the Japanese would attack. The documentary focused more on the American side and never really had a chance to also show the Filipino's perspective.
The Filipinos have a way to lure the Japanese away, and that's to have an alliance with the Americans, which is a smart move. The guerrillas took the chance to make use of the Americans because they have sufficient supplies to combat. The Americans became the embodiment of hope of the Filipinos against the Japanese, but the Americans only see them as a source for information that added to their success. Maybe it is a success for the American people, but for the Filipinos, it is an unseen tragedy that would be kept in their minds.
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