THE XIV CORPS BATTLE FOR MANILA Capt. Kevin T. McEnery

38 Pasig River against increasing enemy resistance. Lacking sufficient combat forces to cross the river, the division was forced to halt. 11 Tactical objectives planned for Manila often had no direct importance to the fight at hand. They did have significant importance for accomplishing the subsequent tasks of restoring the city of Manila as an Allied capital and a functioning port. XIV Corps directed that all civilian and governmental communications facilities in Manila will be seized as soon as possible. Troops were to avoid damage to these facilities and protect them against sabotage and damage by the enemy. Efforts were to be made to locate former employees of civilian communications systems as soon as practicable. 12 The necessity for quickly securing the city's water supply facilities and electrical power installations also had considerable influence on tactical planning. Considering the sanitation problems posed by the presence of nearly a million civilians in the metropolitan area, there was good reason to be especially concerned about Manila's water supply. Assuming the wells in the city were not contaminated and that the pumping equipment would be found intact, they could only meet expected demand for about two weeks. Therefore Kreuger directed Griswold to seize the principal facilities of Manila's modern pressure system as rapidly as possible. 13 In establishing priorities for the capture of individual installations, Sixth Army ordered XIV Corps to first secure Novaliches Dam, at the southern end of a large man-made lake two and a half miles east of Novaliches. Second came the Balara Water Filters, about five miles northeast of Manila. Third was the San Juan Reservoir, nearly two miles northeast of the city, and fourth was the pipelines interconnecting these installations and leading from them into Manila. The mission for securing these facilities also fell to the 1st Cavalry Division. This meant that by February 5, the division was strung out protecting a flank and line of communication that extended a hundred miles. 15 XIV Corps planned to secure the electrical power system facilities in Manila at the same time its troops were capturing the water supply facilities. During their occupation the Japanese had been unable to import enough coal to keep the steam generator plant located within the city running. Much of the power for Manila's lights and transportation came from hydroelectric plants far to the south of Manila. Since it appeared the southern provinces of Luzon, and therefore the hydroelectric plants, would be under Japanese control for some time, Sixth Army directed XIV to secure this steam plant, situated near the center of the city on Provisor Island in the Pasig River. 16 The XIV Corps developed its plan of attack as its forces entered the northern suburbs. Intelligence on the Japanese defenses was Griswold's greatest need and most significant shortage. Guerrilla reports were numerous but often incorrect and conflicting. Sixth Army and SWPA estimates differed radically and General MacArthur, characteristically, disregarded the enemy situation in his zeal to liberate Manila. Into Manila: Battle North of the Pasig River While the flying columns of the 1st Cavalry Division moved on to Santo Tomas, the 37th Division pushed down Route 3 in the face of constant enemy small arms and mortar fire. At every stream crossing the bridges had been destroyed. As the 37th pushed forward, buildings previously mined were demolished by the retreating enemy. Throughout the night of 4-5 February Manila was, filled with the sound of explosions. Flames from the burning buildings were visible 50 miles away. On the 5th the smoke and dust was so intense, and the heat from burning structures so terrible , that little progress could be made. XIV Corps initially assigned clearing the entire metropolitan area to the 37th Infantry Division. The 1st Cavalry Division mission was to attack enemy forces in the mountains northeast of Manila. The advance of the 1st Cavalry to Santo Tomas and Grace

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