Quote:
Originally Posted by John Dudek
Exactly! Given the degree of the massive amounts of money, modern military supplies, equipment and manpower that the Philippines received in the preceding year, how could MacArthur ever think otherwise? In the space of a single year, the Philippines received more US military aid and material than in all of the years since the First World War.
According to "American Caesar", MacArthur was utterly shocked beyond belief upon landing in Australia, after leaving the Philippines, only to be told that not a single US Army Combat Division or Regiment was currently in country. That's when he fully knew that the Philippines were truly doomed.
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MacArthur was partially to blame for the confusion over what US policy towards the Philippines should be. It's true that Roosevelt and Marshall poured aircraft, equipment, and material into reinforcing him in the Philippines in 1941, but that decision was based on two things. The first was the USAAC over selling the capabilities of the B-17 bomber, and it's ability to deter the Japanese by threatening long range bombardment of their Home Islands. The other reason was MacArthur's BS about how well trained were the Philippine troops for which he was responsible. He had assured Marshall he would have over 200,000 well trained, well equipped Philippine troops ready to contest any Japanese invasion. In fact, he didn't even have a small per centage of that number, and he certainly should have known it.
Furthermore, MacArthur's bungling defense of Luzon and inept handling of his airpower, was what convinced Roosevelt, here was no point in committing additional air, naval, or ground forces to his command. Rather than being "shocked" by there being no US troops in Australia, he should have been shocked that he wasn't ordered to undergo a court martial.