In just over a month-that is from mid-December 1944 to mid-January 1945-two crucial Allied "invasions" in Luzon (the northern geographical region of the Philippines) turned the tide in America's favour in its attempt to liberate the Philippines from Japanese occupation. One invasion was on Mindoro Island, south of Manila, while the other was on the Lingayen Gulf and its environs-on the west coast of Luzon, north of Manila. While the battle of Lingayen Gulf may still have been successful without the assistance of the newly completed air facilities on Mindoro Island, this made the battle a little easier for the Allies. This publication covers the preparation for the invasion of Mindoro Island and its successful operation. In addition, it discusses the huge invasion of the Lingayen Gulf. Particular emphasis is given to the damage caused by the Kamikaze on the hundreds of Allied ships that took part in the Battle of Lingayen Gulf Because the Japanese occupation of the Philippines was such a brutal episode in the War in the Pacific, a section of this book is also devoted to Japanese war crimes. Not all the war criminals involved in atrocities in the Philippines are examined here, but, rather, only those high-ranking officers deemed responsible in some way.
