Politics “Europe First”, followed by the allies during World War II, has left the Pacific front forgotten in the consciousness of many. However, the cruel combats experienced in the jungle of the islands of the Far East have nothing to envy to those that occurred in the great European plains. Although in this article we will not review the great battles that took place so many kilometers away, we will try to remember some of MacArthur’s forgotten generals on this front.
Introduction
The objective will therefore be to give an overview of the achievements of the different allied commanders who participated in the theater of operations in the Pacific. All of them did so under the command of the Commander-in-Chief of the allied forces in the Southwest Pacific, that is, General MacArthur. And it is that MacArthur is the best known man (and practically the only known) of the Second World War in the Pacific. This is not the case in Europe where the number of generals and officers known to the general public is much higher, both on the Allied side and on the Axis side.
This has caused many MacArthur generals and subordinates to fall into oblivion. However, his importance and contribution to the counterattack and subsequent Allied victory in the Pacific between 1942 and 1945 is, perhaps, greater than that of MacArthur himself, who probably excessively monopolized the spotlight of the press, which catapulted him to fame. and the category of myth, eclipsing his fellow contenders.
Douglas MacArthur
But let’s start at the beginning. Douglas MacArthur was born in 1880 in Arkansas as the son of fellow soldier Arthur MacArthur, a hero of the Civil War of Secession (1861-1865). Douglas will follow in his father’s footsteps, and in 1899 he will enter the West Point Military Academy, graduating in 1903 with the highest score of his class and one of the highest in history. Noted for his strong personality and great leadership, MacArthur’s career took off right away.
Upon graduation, he was sent to the Philippines, where he reported to his father, who was the Governor General of the region. After the death of his father in 1912, he returns to the United States before leaving for France in 1917 due to the entry of the United States into the First World War. During this contest, MacArthur displayed his bravery and, at times, his recklessness. He was decorated up to 11 times and promoted to the rank of General at just 38 years old. After the peace, his fame, both for military actions and for his efforts to innovate and improve the army, grew. In 1930 he was appointed by President Hoover as Chief of the US General Staff.
During the five years that MacArthur was at the head of the US Army, he fought hard against budget and armament cuts, a consequence of the “Great Depression”. Upon his departure in 1935, MacArthur left behind a fairly large and well-prepared army, both logistically and militarily.
In 1935, MacArthur leaves his post and goes to the Philippines, where he must prepare the army of the future independent Philippine state. In 1937, at the age of 57, he will retire from the military career, being granted the rank of Field Marshal of the Philippines. But his retirement will be short-lived. In July 1941, shortly before the US entry into World War II, he was reinstated by President Roosevelt as “Commander of all American and Philippine forces in the Far East.” His mission was to prepare the defense of the Philippines against the Japanese advance. However, his mission will increase to the defense of Australia with the American entry into the war after Pearl Harbour.
But MacArthur will have very limited resources. This, coupled with some tactical error, led to the fall of the Philippines to the Japanese in March 1942. The Japanese continued to advance until they were barely 300 miles from Australia in July. Thus, MacArthur was in a limit situation. It is here when, thanks to the generals with whom he surrounds himself, many expressly requested by him, he manages to reverse the situation after the key victories of Port Moresby and Guadalcanal.
Army of the Land
Sir Thomas Albert Blamey
Born in 1884 in Australia, this professor enlisted in 1906 in the fledgling Australian Army as a soldier. He would soon attend Officers’ School, from which he would graduate in 1913. With the outbreak of World War I, he traveled to Europe, where he served at Gallipolli and France. His intelligence and skill in commanding him earned him a high post on the Australian General Staff after the war. In 1925 he would retire from the professional army, but would remain as chief of police.
With World War II, Blamey would return to active service. He would be sent to lead various allied operations in Greece and Syria, where he earned the respect of much of the allied army and their higher-ups for his success, earning him promotion to General. In March 1942, Blamey would be appointed Commander of the Australian Army, returning to Australia.
However, the situation of the Australian army upon arrival is extremely poor. The political crisis and the unstoppable Japanese advance endangered Australia, which saw a Japanese invasion as more than a remote possibility. Blamey immediately reported to MacArthur as Commander of Allied Land Forces in the Southwest Pacific. Blamey’s first objective would be to restructure the Australian Army and prepare it to defend Australia from the Japanese advance, which was already in Papua New Guinea. However, MacArthur and Blamey had issues with each other from the get-go. Even though the majority of the Allied army in 1942 was made up of Australians, MacArthur refused to allow a foreigner to lead the few American soldiers, creating coordination problems in many military actions.
These tensions between MacArthur and Blamey continued throughout the conflict. However, the critical situation that the allies were experiencing forced them to cooperate. When the Australian army and militia, having been quickly groomed by Blamey, succeeded in halting the Japanese advance on Port Moresby, MacArthur began to displace Blamey from effective command. MacArthur created a parallel force, the “Alamo Force”, composed only of US soldiers and far from Blamey’s reach. Relations reached their greatest tensions in the first half of 1943. Blamey, in a display of great tactical intelligence, preparation, and concern for his men, scored the important victories at Nassau Bay, Salamaua, and Finschhafen, but MacArthur downplayed them, attempting to credit the American troops with success in those campaigns.
In mid-1943, the Australian General had to give in to pressure from MacArthur and the Australian Prime Minister himself. He handed over part of the Australian Army to MacArthur’s personal command (which he would later transfer to his own American generals) and agreed to take a backseat in the Pacific campaign. Blamey’s withdrawal from the front and the fact that Australia was already secure caused many Australian troops to be discharged, which angered MacArthur.
Swallowing his pride, MacArthur dissolved the joint command in September 1944, handing Blamey command of the fully independent Australian 1st Army. At this point, MacArthur and Blamey stopped talking to each other. For its part, Australia limited its role to taking the area of Borneo and Java, far from Japan. However, Blamey’s rapid preparation of the Australian Army in 1942 and 1943 was key to containing the situation until MacArthur received American reinforcements and was able to bring the situation under control.
With the signing of peace in August 1945, Blamey took the opportunity to retire in November. However, he did not receive any decoration. It would be in 1950 when the government named him Field Marshal, the only Australian to do so. Recognized as the best Australian military man in history, he died in 1951.
Walter Kruger
The German region of West Prussia, now Poland, saw Krueger born in 1881 into a military family, as his father was a Prussian officer and participated in the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871). However, his father will die when Walter is 4 years old and the family will go to live in the US. In 1898, at the outbreak of the Cuban War, Krueger enlisted as a volunteer, becoming a Sergeant in 1899. Although after the peace he is discharged, he rejoined the army. His destination was the Philippines, where he would be promoted to Second Lieutenant in 1901 and would meet MacArthur, befriending him.
With the American entry into World War I, Krueger fought in France, from where he returned as a Captain. After graduating in 1922, his interest in the army grew, requesting a transfer to the Air Force in 1927 and the Navy in 1929. Finally in 1932 he is assigned again to a ground division.
In May 1941 he was promoted to Lieutenant General and, due to his age and experience, was given command of the officer training camp. When the US enters the conflict, Krueger, a General since 1939, is 61 years old, so he expected to play a rearguard role similar to the one he played between the wars. However, MacArthur claims him and in January 1943 he arrives in Australia, where he is put in charge of the “Alamo Force”, the American soldiers outside Blamey’s control. Krueger spent several months preparing his soldiers and creating an intelligence group, the Ultra.
By mid-1943 the first campaign actions began. Despite the haste with which MacArthur pressed Krueger, he was always concerned about the well-being (clothes, food, rest,…) of his soldiers, earning his affection and trust. Furthermore, Krueger did not want to risk his limited soldiers and advanced only with firm steps. This made MacArthur desperate, and he wanted to get into Manila as soon as possible. This conservatism of Krueger’s made his relations with MacArthur cool. Krueger’s main action was the taking of Leyte in late 1944, a key island in the fall of the Philippines.
After peace, Krueger retired with great honors in 1946. He was regarded as a model leader and one of the greatest soldiers in US history. He died in 1967.
Robert L. Eichelberger
Born in 1886 as the youngest of five children, Robert L. Eichelberger grew up on a farm surrounded by Civil War veterans. This will provoke in him a growing interest in the army, leaving the University in 1905 to enlist in the army. He graduated in 1909 with an average grade. In 1910 he would coincide with MacArthur in some maneuvers in Mexico, where they would become friends. After a brief stint in Panama, where Eichelberger learned a great deal about jungle combat, he was promoted to Captain. Shortly after he was assigned to Siberia, where he will act for allied intelligence during the Russian Civil War. There he will be imprisoned by the White Russians, and he will not return…