By the Filipino Historian Page
On December 31, 1941, the Tank Battle of Baliuag (Baliwag) in Bulacan saw the first successful engagement of American tanks in the Second World War. Supported by Filipino artillery, the US 192nd Tank Battalion, mainly composed of M3 Stuart light tanks and M3 Gun Motor Carriage half-tracks, was ordered to face the Japanese 7th Tank Regiment under Colonel Seinosuke Sonoda (園田農之助). It was said to be one of the Japanese tank regiments at the time with a German observer.
The Japanese utilized the Type 95 Ha-Gō light tanks and Type 89 I-Gō medium tanks. In the ensuing combat, the Japanese 37-mm and 57-mm guns proved "ineffective" against American armor, whereas the Americans claimed to have taken down eight Japanese tanks. Japanese records, meanwhile, indicate only one of their tanks was lost, a single Type 89. Nonetheless, this was accomplished with no tank loss on the American side.
This victory, while rare during the course of the Philippine campaign, was eventually overshadowed by subsequent events, including the evacuation of Baliuag. By January, the combined Filipino and American forces withdrew to the Bataan Peninsula, in line with War Plan Orange. As for Sonoda, he would be killed in action on April 6, 1942, days before the surrender of Bataan. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of major general.
Learn more about the Bataan campaign and the course of the Pacific War in the Philippines:
https://history-ph.blogspot.com/2017/05/bataan-corregidor.htmlBecome a super supporter of this platform to contribute to the cause of history and culture:
https://facebook.com/becomesupporter/historyphils/Follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Tiktok: @historyphils
#FilipinoHistorian #TodayInHistory #OnThisDay #TankBattle #Baliwag #Baliuag #Bulacan #WWII #WorldWarII #MilitaryHistory
Linkback:
https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=121705.0
