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The 41st Infantry Division was a division of the
Philippine Army The Philippine Army (PA) () is the main, oldest and largest branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), responsible for ground warfare. , it had an estimated strength of 143,100 soldiers The service branch was established on December ...
under the
United States Army Forces in the Far East United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) (Filipino language, Filipino: ''Hukbong Katihan ng Estados Unidos sa Malayong Silangan''; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Fuerzas del Ejército de los Estados Unidos en el Lejano Oriente'') was a m ...
(USAFFE).


Organization

The division had an authorized strength of 7,500 men. As of March 1942, the division had fewer than 6,000 men. The 41st Field Artillery Regiment had sixteen 75-mm. guns and eight 2.95-inch pack howitzers.


History

It was active from August 28, 1941 to April 9, 1942, whereupon it surrendered when Bataan fell. Previously it was active in the
City of Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on the island of Luzon, it is ...
,
Southern Luzon Luzon ( , ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippine archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, a ...
. BGen. Vicente P. Lim (PA) (USMA, 1914) was the division's commander, and Col. Malcolm V. Fortier was the division's Senior Instructor, desperately trying to get the new recruits of the division (nearly the entire cadre) up to par in a record amount of time. By 4 November 1941, the 41st was put under the
South Luzon Force South Luzon Force was a corps-sized unit of the US Army Forces Far East (USAFFE) active in the Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. L ...
(SLF) under the command of BGen. George M. Parker, along with the 51st Division and the Battery A of 86th FA of the Philippine Scouts.


The first days

After the Japanese invasion of the Philippines in December 1941, it formed part of
South Luzon Force South Luzon Force was a corps-sized unit of the US Army Forces Far East (USAFFE) active in the Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. L ...
(activated December 13, 1941) under BGen. George M. Parker Jr. The South Luzon Force controlled a zone east and south of Manila. Parker had the Philippine Army's 41st and 51st Infantry Divisions and the 2nd Provisional Artillery Group of two batteries of the U.S. 86th Field Artillery Regiment (Philippine Scouts). When the Japanese began landing at
Lamon Bay Lamon Bay is a large bay in the southern part of Luzon island in the Philippines. It is a body of water connecting the southern part of Quezon province to the Philippine Sea, a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It borders on the coastal towns o ...
on December 24, 1941, South Luzon Force was badly dispersed. The 41st Division (PA) on the west coast was in position, but elements of the 51st Division along the east coast were in the process of movement. Meanwhile, upon activation of War Plan Orange-3, the Southern Luzon Force was called to Bataan. BGen. Parker sent his division staff to relay to BGen. Lim, and movement only commenced when 41st Division staff officers were able to commandeer buses of the Pasay Transportation Company.


Bataan

The 41st Division was one of the first units to reach Bataan, and rallied around
Abucay Abucay, officially the Municipality of Abucay, (), is a municipality in the province of Bataan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 42,984 people. History The first printing press in the archipelago was found in t ...
from December 23–25, 1941. The division was in position along the Mt. Natib trail and Balantay River and defended the center of the Abucay Line, against Japanese assaults until ordered to retreat on 22 January. The 41st Division was then ordered to hold east of Pantingan River in
Pilar, Bataan Pilar, officially the Municipality of Pilar (), is a municipality in the province of Bataan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 46,239 people. Etymology The town was named in the honor of the image of the Our Lady ...
and west of
Mount Samat Mount Samat () is a mountain in the town of Pilar, Bataan, Philippines. Located near its summit is the Mount Samat National Shrine, a national shrine dedicated to the fallen Filipino and American fallen during World War II. Geology Mount Sa ...
, along the Orion-Bagac Line, making them as the key unit to hold any southern movement of the Japanese forces through Trail 29. The 41st Division gave the stiffest opposition to the Japanese offensive, punishing elements of the opposing Japanese 65th Brigade's 141st Battalion. BGen. Lim at some point directed small and effective counter-offensives, only to be directed to return to the Bagac-Orion Line. The ''141st Battalion'' by April 9 recorded that they have lost 70% of their manpower facing the 41st Division units. In exacting revenge after the Fall of Bataan, the 65th Brigade mistook the men of the 91st Division for the 41st Division, and had them summarily executed to now what is known as the
Pantingan River massacre The Pantingan River massacre ( Filipino: ''Pagpatay sa Ilog Pantingan'') was the mass execution of Filipino and American officers and non-commissioned officers Prisoners-of-War by members of the Imperial Japanese Army during the Bataan Death March ...
. The division held the extreme left of the II Corps line on the eve of the last Japanese offensive in Bataan on April 3, along with the 31st Division. Such was the effect of bombardment that even before the Japanese tank-infantry attack had begun to roll, the 41st Division had ceased to exist as an effective military organization. The units most affected by the bombardment and the assault were the 42d and 43d Infantry. The first, in the center of the division front where bamboo fires burned fiercely, had retreated in a disorderly fashion, some of the men following Trail 29 into the 41st Infantry area, and others drifting eastward to join the retreating 43d on the western slopes of Mt. Samat. Only the 41st Infantry on the extreme left of the line, which had escaped the full weight of the preliminary bombardment, had withdrawn in an orderly fashion. Despite the attempt to stem the Japanese advance, by 4 April the division was routed. On 9 April, the inevitable bitter end came. MGen. Edward P. King Jr., commander of Bataan Defense Force, surrendered to prevent the unnecessary slaughter of his war-torn troops, negotiating the surrender of the Bataan troops with the Japanese High Command. The Japanese was so rapid that BGen. Vicente Lim and his division staff was captured before even MGen. Edward King's capitulation of Bataan. The division initially began marching from
Pilar, Bataan Pilar, officially the Municipality of Pilar (), is a municipality in the province of Bataan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 46,239 people. Etymology The town was named in the honor of the image of the Our Lady ...
on what would later be known as the infamous
Bataan Death March The Bataan Death March was the Death march, forcible transfer by the Imperial Japanese Army of around 72,000 to 78,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war (POWs) from the municipalities of Bagac and Mariveles on the Bataan Peninsula to Camp ...
all the way to
San Fernando, Pampanga San Fernando, officially the City of San Fernando (; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city and capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it h ...
. They covered about 65 km under intense conditions of heat and brutality from the guards. Upon arrival in San Fernando 6,000 of them were herded in the city's cock pit arena. The following day, the POWs from the 41st Division were packed 80-100 in railway boxcars and transported from San Fernando to Sto. Domingo Station at
Capas, Tarlac Capas, officially the Municipality of Capas (; ), is a municipality in the province of Tarlac, Philippines, and one of the richest towns in the province. The town also consists of numerous subdivisions and exclusive villages. Capas is knon a ...
. From there, the POWs marched the remaining distance of 7 km to
Camp O'Donnell Camp O'Donnell is a current military base and former United States military reservation in the Philippines located on Luzon island in the municipality of Capas in Tarlac. It housed the Philippine Army's newly created 71st Division and after t ...
to be incarcerated with 65,000 other Filipino and American POWs for the next 4 months under deplorable conditions, leading to 400 deaths per day.


Memorial

There are a couple of memorials and markers honoring the BGen. Vicente Lim and the 41st Division: *41st Division PA USAFFE Shrine in
Tagaytay Tagaytay (), officially the City of Tagaytay (), is a component city in the province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 85,330 people. It is one of the country's most popular destinations for domestic ...
near the Tagaytay Convention Center. The epitaphs have all the names of the 41st Division veterans, KIA, and MIA. * Capas National Shrine which was the former location of the POW Camp in
Camp O'Donnell Camp O'Donnell is a current military base and former United States military reservation in the Philippines located on Luzon island in the municipality of Capas in Tarlac. It housed the Philippine Army's newly created 71st Division and after t ...
*41st Division Marker at the Pacific War Memorial on
Corregidor Island Corregidor (, , ) is an island located at the entrance of Manila Bay in the southwestern part of Luzon in the Philippines, and is considered part of Cavite City and thus the province of Cavite. It is located west of Manila, the nation's capi ...
*41st Division Marker at the WW2 Memorial at the
Libingan ng mga Bayani Libingan ng mga Bayani (LNMB, , ) is a national cemetery within Fort Bonifacio (formerly Fort William McKinley) in Barangay Western Bicutan, Taguig, Philippines. First established in May 1947 as a fitting resting place for Philippine mili ...
in
Fort Bonifacio Fort Andres Bonifacio (formerly Fort William McKinley) is the site of the national headquarters of the Philippine Army (Headquarters Philippine Army or HPA) located in Taguig, Philippines. The camp is named after Andres Bonifacio, the revolutio ...
,
Taguig City Taguig (), officially the City of Taguig (), is the List of cities in the Philippines, fifth-most populous city in the Philippines situated on the eastern shores of Metro Manila, the national capital region. It is a center for culture, finance ...
. *41st Division Marker at the
Mount Samat National Shrine Mount Samat National Shrine () or (Shrine of Valor) is a historical shrine located near the summit of Mount Samat in the town of Pilar, Province of Bataan, in the Philippines. The memorial shrine complex was built to honor and remember the ...
. *41st Division Marker near the Pantingan River Bridge.


Order of battle

*
41st Infantry Regiment (PA) 41st Infantry Regiment, is a unit and formation activated and organization of Philippine Commonwealth Army. It was under 41st Infantry Division under Brigadier General Vicente Lim. It fought in during World War II in the Philippines, and fought ...
- LCol. Silvino Gallardo , LCol. Fidel Cruz , LCol Loren Wetherby ** 1st Battalion - Major Robert Baker ** 2nd Battalion - Major David Puro ** 3rd Battalion - Capt. Harold Anderson * 42nd Infantry Regiment (PA) - LCol. Claro B. Lizardo , LCol. Norbert Timmerman, USA ** 1st Bn - Capt Razon , Capt Rodrigo ** 2nd Bn - Capt Rillo ** 3rd Bn - Capt Magtoto * 43rd Infantry Regiment (PA) - LCol. Emmanuel Baja , LCol. Valentin Salgado , LCol. Handford Lockwood Jr. ** 1st Bn - Capt Piccio , Capt Cabigting ** 2nd Bn - Capt Mendoza ** 3rd Bn - Capt Dela Cruz * 41st Field Artillery Regiment (PA) - LCol. Amado Martelino ** Senior Instructor - LCol A.P Moore ** Executive Officer - Maj Alfonso Arellano ** 41st FA Regt HQ Company ** 1st Bn/41st FA Regt (PA) (75mm guns, 16x) ** 2nd Bn/41st FA Regt (PA) (2.95-inch pack howitzers, 4x) ** 3rd Bn/41st FA Regt (PA) * 41st Engineer Battalion (PA) - Capt Rigoberto Atienza , Capt Manuel Tinio , Capt Henry Harris * 41st Division Units ** 41st Division Headquarters & HQ Company ** 41st Medical Battalion - Maj. Hospicio Solidum ** 41st Signal Company ** 41st Quartermaster Company (Motorized) ** 41st QM Transport Company (Truck)


Notable members

* Jose Agdamag, was an officer and served throughout the Bataan Campaign. Became a sports shooter and participated in 1960 and 1968 Olympics. * Vicente Lim, Prewar Philippine Commonwealth Army deputy Chief of Staff. Was executed when captured in 1944 in an attempt to rejoin General MacArthur. *
Alfonso Arellano Alfonso Viterbo Arellano () was a Filipino army officer who served as AFP Chief of Staff from 1956 to 1958. He was a World War II veteran and decorated soldier. He was appointed by President Ramon Magsaysay a fellow WW II hero. Early years and e ...
, later AFP Chief of Staff *
Rigoberto Atienza Rigerto Atienza (1911–1966) was a general of the Philippine Army who became 13th chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Commanding General of Philippine Army prior during the administration of President Diosdado Macapagal. ...
, later AFP Chief of Staff


References


Bibliography

* {{Philippine Army (1935–1946) Infantry divisions of the Philippines Military units and formations of the Philippine Army in World War II Military units and formations established in 1941 Military units and formations disestablished in 1942 Disbanded units and formations of the Philippines