U.S. Army Forces Far East
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United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) ( Filipino: ''Hukbong Katihan ng Estados Unidos sa Malayong Silangan'';
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
: ''Fuerzas del Ejército de los Estados Unidos en el Lejano Oriente'') was a
military formation Military organization ( AE) or military organisation ( BE) is the structuring of the armed forces of a state so as to offer such military capability as a national defense policy may require. Formal military organization tends to use hierarc ...
of the
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
active from 1941 to 1946. The new command's headquarters was created on 26 July 1941, at No. 1, Calle Victoria,
Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, 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 ...
,
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
, with General
Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American general who served as a top commander during World War II and the Korean War, achieving the rank of General of the Army (United States), General of the Army. He served with dis ...
as commander. The Chief of Staff was Brigadier General Richard K. Sutherland and the Deputy Chief of Staff was Lieutenant Colonel
Richard J. Marshall Major general (United States), Major General Richard Jaquelin Marshall (16 June 1895 – 3 August 1973) was a senior officer in the United States Army. He served in the 1st Infantry Division (United States), 1st Division during World War I and be ...
. The core of this command (including MacArthur, Marshall, and Sutherland) was drawn from the Office of the Military Advisor to the Commonwealth Government of the Philippines. Creation of this command led to the subordination of the headquarters of the
Philippine Department The Philippine Department (Filipino: ''Kagawaran ng Pilipinas/Hukbong Kagawaran ng Pilipinas'') was a regular United States Army organization whose mission was to defend the Philippine Islands and train the Philippine Army. On 9 April 1942, duri ...
of the U.S. Army, as a service command, since planning and tactical control were now under USAFFE control. MacArthur explains, "It became an administrative echelon. It was analogous to a corps area". MacArthur recommended that Philippine Department commander Major General Grunert be reassigned, as his services were no longer needed. On 23 October, Grunert returned to the United States and MacArthur was temporarily appointed as the Philippine Department's commander.


History

In January 1941, the intelligence officer ( G-2) of the Philippine Department recommended, to his superior in
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, that an American high command in the Far East be created, with the commander of the Philippine Department as its designated commander. It does not appear this idea was seriously considered until
Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American general who served as a top commander during World War II and the Korean War, achieving the rank of General of the Army (United States), General of the Army. He served with dis ...
suggested, to the
Chief of Staff of the United States Army The chief of staff of the Army (CSA) is a statutory position in the United States Army held by a general officer. As the highest-ranking officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Army, the chief is the principal military advisor and a ...
, that such a command be created with MacArthur as the Far Eastern Commander. On 6 June, Acting Chief of the War Plans Division Brigadier General Leonard T. Gerow noted that he saw no need for such a command, as US Forces in the Far East were concentrated in the
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
. As such, Gerow argued that should a "crisis" occur, then MacArthur should become the commander of, not some new command, but rather, of the Philippine Department itself. On 20 June, Army Chief of Staff George C. Marshall informed MacArthur, "Both the
Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...
( Stimson) and I are much concerned about the situation in the Far East. Your qualifications and experience make you the logical selection for the Army Commander in the Far East should the situation approach a crisis. The Secretary has delayed recommending your appointment as he does not feel the time has arrived for such action. At the proper time, he will recommend to the
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
that you be so appointed." On 17 July, Gerow made the following recommendations: * The President should call into the service of the United States all organized military forces of the Commonwealth of the Philippines; * General MacArthur should be called to active duty as a Major General and assigned as commander of Army Forces in the Far East; * $10,000,000, from the President's Emergency Fund should be allotted to cover the costs of mobilization and training of the Philippine Army; * Training of the Philippine Army be financed from the sugar excise fund, or from other funds; and * 425 U.S. Army reserve officers be sent to the Philippines to assist in
mobilization Mobilization (alternatively spelled as mobilisation) is the act of assembling and readying military troops and supplies for war. The word ''mobilization'' was first used in a military context in the 1850s to describe the preparation of the ...
and training. On 25 July, Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson requested that President Roosevelt issue orders calling the military forces of the Commonwealth into active service for the United States. Stimson explains, "All practical steps should be taken to increase the defensive strength of the Philippine Islands". The following day, Roosevelt froze all Japanese assets within the United States and issued the orders to absorb the forces of the Philippine Army. That same day, the
United States Department of War The United States Department of War, also called the War Department (and occasionally War Office in the early years), was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army, als ...
created the USAFFE command, with jurisdiction over the Philippine Department and the military forces of
Commonwealth of the Philippines The Commonwealth of the Philippines (; ) was an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territory and Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), commonwealth of the United States that existed from 1935 to 1946. It was established following the ...
(seemingly 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 ...
, with two regular and ten reserve divisions, and the Philippine Army Air Corps). At the same time, MacArthur was recalled to active duty, with the rank of
lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...
, as the USAFFE commander, from his positions as military advisor to the Philippine government and Field Marshal of the Philippine Army. On 4 November 1941 USAFFE formally created the North Luzon Force, South Luzon Force, and the Visayas-Mindanao Force. Actually all had been in existence for several months. Following the Japanese invasion of the Philippines in December 1941, the short-lived
American-British-Dutch-Australian Command The American-British-Dutch-Australian (ABDA) Command, or ABDACOM, was the short-lived supreme command for all Allied forces in South East Asia in early 1942, during the Pacific War in World War II. The command consisted of the forces of Austra ...
(ABDACOM) was formed on 1 January 1942, to control all Allied forces in
South East Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...
and the
South West Pacific Oceania ( , ) is a region, geographical region including Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Outside of the English-speaking world, Oceania is generally considered a continent, while Mainland Australia is regarded as its co ...
. ABDACOM nominally controlled USAFFE forces, although the latter was effectively an independent force. In February 1942, the US Army established United States Army Forces in Australia under Lieutenant General
George Brett George Howard Brett (born May 15, 1953) is an American former professional baseball third baseman, designated hitter, and first baseman who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals. Brett's 3,154 career hit ( ...
under the authority of General MacArthur. Australia will the launching area for supplies and reinforcements in the Philippines. This expanded USAFFE to a theater of Operations command rather than being only within the Philippines. US Army Forces in Dutch East Indies under MGen. Elliot S. Thorpe, was also established as Air Fields are created for the fighters escorting ships or Cargo planes. In March, due to the worsening Allied position in Asia and the Pacific, Roosevelt ordered MacArthur to relocate his command to Australia. MacArthur's famous speech regarding the Philippines, in which he said, "I came out of
Bataan Bataan (, , , ; ) , officially the Province of Bataan, is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Its capital is the city of Balanga while Mariveles is the largest town in the province. Occupying the entire Bataan Peninsula ...
and I shall return" was made on 20 March at Terowie, South Australia during his first contact with the press in Australia. General Jonathan Wainwright officially assumed control of the remaining forces in the Philippines, now known as United States Forces in the Philippines (USFIP) on 23 March. On 18 April 1942, ABDACOM was replaced by General Headquarters (GHQ), Southwest Pacific Area (SWPA) in
Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
, including USFIP. MacArthur was appointed Supreme Commander, SWPA. USFIP, with the exception of some ad hoc guerilla and resistance outfits, had surrendered to Japanese by 8 May. MacArthur formally reconstituted USAFFE in Australia in February 1943, to assume responsibility for all administrative staff duties pertaining to U.S. Army units in the SWPA, as well as control of guerrilla forces in the Philippines. On 20 October 1944, the recapture of the Philippines commenced when Allied forces landed in Leyte Gulf. The campaign was declared completed on 4 July 1945 Major General
Richard J. Marshall Major general (United States), Major General Richard Jaquelin Marshall (16 June 1895 – 3 August 1973) was a senior officer in the United States Army. He served in the 1st Infantry Division (United States), 1st Division during World War I and be ...
assumed command and MacArthur assumed Allied Powers in Asia Pacific command in preparation for the Invasion of Japan. USAFFE was absorbed by US Army, Western Pacific under Lieutenant General Robert Richardson, even before end of war and since bulk of US Army was stationed in Japan it was formally dissolved in the lead-up to
Philippine independence The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
on 4 July 1946. In 1947, the term was revitalized with the creation of Far East Command under General MacArthur in Tokyo. "General MacArthur, however, retained direct command of Army components, wearing a second hat as Commanding General, Army Forces Far East (CG AFFE)." "In 1952, after General MacArthur had left.. the headquarters of Army Forces Far East was fully staffed and placed on a par with the other two component commands, and the Far East Command was given a truly joint staff."


Order of battle


31 July 1941

Total Strength—22,532 (1,434 officers—21,098 enlisted, including 11,937 Philippine Scouts) * USAFFE Headquarters (5) * Philippine Department Headquarters (289) * Philippine Division (10,473) *
Harbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays The Harbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays ("Coast Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays" until 1925) (a.k.a. CD/HD Manila Bay) were a United States Army Coast Artillery Corps harbor defense command, part of the Philippine Department of the U ...
(5,360) * Philippine Army Air Corps (2,407) * 26th Cavalry Regiment (838) * 43rd Infantry Regiment (329) * 86th Field Artillery Battalion (PS)(388) * 88th Field Artillery Regiment (PS)(518) * 808th Military Police Company (69) * Service Detachments (1,836) * Other (20)


30 November 1941

Total Strength: 31,095 (2,504 officers and 28,591 enlisted, including 11,957
Philippine Scouts The Philippine Scouts ( Filipino: ''Maghahanap ng Pilipinas''/''Hukbong Maghahanap ng Pilipinas'') was a military organization of the United States Army from 1901 until after the end of World War II. These troops were generally Filipinos and ...
) * USAFFE Headquarters (61) *
Philippine Department The Philippine Department (Filipino: ''Kagawaran ng Pilipinas/Hukbong Kagawaran ng Pilipinas'') was a regular United States Army organization whose mission was to defend the Philippine Islands and train the Philippine Army. On 9 April 1942, duri ...
(553) * North Luzon Force (38) * South Luzon Force (10) * Visayas-Mindanao Force (9) * Philippine Division (10,233) *
Harbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays The Harbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays ("Coast Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays" until 1925) (a.k.a. CD/HD Manila Bay) were a United States Army Coast Artillery Corps harbor defense command, part of the Philippine Department of the U ...
(5,225) * Far East Air Force (5,609) * 26th Cavalry Regiment (PS)(842) * 43d Infantry Regiment (PS)(328) * 86th Field Artillery Battalion (PS)(395) * 88th Field Artillery Regiment (PS)(538) * 200th Coast Artillery (AA) Regiment (1,809) * 192nd Tank Battalion (588) * 194th Tank Battalion (410) * 808th Military Police Company (160) * Service Detachments (4,268) * Other (19)


8 December 1941

* North Luzon Force - Major General Jonathan M.Wainwright IV ** 11th Infantry Division ** 21st Infantry Division ** 31st Infantry Division ** 71st Infantry Division ** 86th Field Artillery Regiment ** 26th US Cavalry (Motorized) Regiment (PS) ** 301st US Field Artillery Regiment ** 1/60th US Coast Artillery (AA) ** 200th US Coast Artillery Regiment ** Provisional Light Tank Group ** 86th Quartermaster Company * South Luzon Force - Major General George S. Parker (Later Major General Albert F. Jones was acting commander until withdrawal to Bataan.) ** 41st Infantry Division ** 51st Infantry Division ** 2nd Provisional Group ** Provisional Infantry Brigade (PC) ** Battery A & D, 86th Field Artillery ** 515th Coast Artillery (AA) Regiment ** Company D & C, 192nd US Tank Battalion * Visayas-Mindanao Force - Major General William F. Sharp, USA ** 61st Infantry Division - BGen. Bradford Chynoweth ** 81st Infantry Division - BGen. Guy O. Fort ** 101st Infantry Division - BGen. Joseph Vanchon *
Harbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays The Harbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays ("Coast Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays" until 1925) (a.k.a. CD/HD Manila Bay) were a United States Army Coast Artillery Corps harbor defense command, part of the Philippine Department of the U ...
- Major General George F. Moore, USA ** Seaward Defense Command - Col. Paul Bunker *** 91st Coast Artillery Regiment (PS) *** 92nd Coast Artillery Regiment (PS) *** 89th Coast Artillery Regiment (PS) ** Coast Artillery (AA) *** 60th US Coast Artillery (AA)


January 1942

* Luzon Force * Visayas-Mindanao Force * Coast Artillery and Harbor Defense Command


March 1942

* US Army Forces in the Philippines - Lieutenant General Jonathan M. Wainwright IV, USA ** Luzon Force - Major General Edward P.King Jr ** Visayan Force - Brigadier General Bradford Chynoweth ** Mindanao Force - Major General William F. Sharp ** Coast Artillery and Harbor Defense Command - Major General George Moore, USA * US Army Forces Australia - Lieutenant General George Brett, USAAC * I US Corps - Major General Robert Eichelberger, USA * 5th US Air Force - Major General Lewis Brereton, USA


1943

* Sixth United States Army - Lieutenant General Walter Krueger, USA ** X Corps ** IV Corps ** I US Corps - Major General Robert Eichelberger, USA * 5th Air Force - Major General George C. Kenney, USAAC


1944

* 6th US Army (Alamo Force) - Lieutenant General Walter Krueger, USA ** 6th US Special Reconnaissance Unit (Alamo Scouts) ** 6th Ranger Battalion ** X Corps ** IV Corps ** I US Corps * 8th US Army - Lieutenant General Robert Eichelberger, USA ** IX Corps ** XI Corps * 5th US Air Force - Lieutenant General George C. Kenney, USAAC * 13th US Air Force - Lieutenant General Ennis Whitehead, USAAC


Awards

USAFFE received four Distinguished Unit Citations (later converted to Presidential Unit Citations) for the following time periods - * 7 December 1941 to 10 May 1942 (WD GO 22-42 amended by DA GO 46-48) * 8 to 31 December 1941 (WD GO 14-42) * 12 January to 14 February 1942 (WD GO 32-42) * 21 January 1942 (WD GO 14-42) DA PAM 672-1, Unit Citation and Campaign Participation Credit Register, Headquarters United States Army, July 1961, pg. 529. USAFFE also received the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation.


See also

*
Asiatic Fleet The United States Asiatic Fleet was a fleet of the United States Navy during much of the first half of the 20th century. Before World War II, the fleet patrolled the Philippine Islands. Much of the fleet was destroyed by the Japanese by Februar ...
* Military History of the Philippines *
Military History of the United States The military history of the United States spans over four centuries, dating back to 1607 and pre-dating by nearly two centuries the founding of the nation following the American Revolutionary War. During this moment, the United States evolved f ...


References

* *


External links


Timeline
''Philippine Archives Collection, National Archives''

''HyperWar''

World War II Armed Forces — Orders of Battle and Organizations
''Niehorster.org''
*United States Army

extracted from MacArthur Reports, Center for Military History {{World War II US Army Commands Military history of the Philippines during World War II Military units and formations of the United States Army in World War II Military units and formations established in 1941 History of the Philippines (1898–1946) United States military in the Philippines Regional commands of the United States Army