(December 1941- April 1942), a defeat of U.S. forces attempting to withstand the Japanese Invasion of the Philippines at the beginning of World War II. On December 24, 1942, Gen. Douglas MacArthur ordered U.S. troops to withdraw to the Bataan Peninsula and Corregidor Island, which he believed defensible until reinforced. Over the following two weeks, more than 80, 000 made it to the peninsula. Supply shortages led to malnutrition and disease, but the Americans managed to hold a stable line by the end of January. American forces were unable to send help, however, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered MacArthur to escape, which he did on March 11, 1942. A Japanese offensive begun on April 3 led to the unconditional surrender of the remaining U.S. forces on April 9.
See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.
