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Hello and thank you for listening to the history of World War II podcast.

Episode 253. MacArthur. Everything is in readiness. The Philippines and Singapore.

Last time the various Japanese amphibious forces had launched, now that the American military presence at Pearl had been humbled.

Given Yamamoto's window of opportunity of six months to a year, it was imperative that the resource rich possessions of the Western powers in Southeast Asia be brought under heel.

As for the Philippines, notwithstanding the presence of General MacArthur and his growing forests of troops and airplanes, as it was in between Japan and the Dutch East Indies, with its tea, sugar, tobacco, rubber, quinoine and oil, it was necessary to invade there as well.

Hence, the Japanese invasion force in southern Formosa was ready to set sail.

And now, given the legendary status, even if mostly self-inflicted, of General Douglas MacArthur, it's worth going over the story of the attack on the Philippines in some detail, at the very least to examine MacArthur's actions or lack thereof during the initial stage of the approaching Japanese.

Every military of every country worth its salt, prepares war plans against most, if not all, other major countries, be they friend or foe.

Then is simply the reality of politics, that they sometimes break down, and today's friend is tomorrow's foe.

Hence, a plan of some sort, even if it never sees the light of day, is necessary.

Successful wars are generally not an impromptu affair.

So, during the 1930s and through the early 1940s, Washington had been changing its war plans concerning Japan as the political tension with that country rose and fell, given Japan's heavy handedness in China.

Plan Orange, the latest plan in the 1930s, was considered out of date as those in uniform back in Washington considered that the next war would not be against a single country, but probably an alliance of several countries.

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