Tanks in the Philippines 1944–45
The first book to examine the Japanese and American tank forces in the Philippines campaigns, which saw the biggest armored clashes of the Pacific War.
The Philippines saw the most extensive tank combat of any single theater in the Pacific War. In this book, armor expert Steven J. Zaloga explains the capabilities of the tank forces involved and how they fought.
He explains how while the first tank clashes on Leyte were relatively small scale, the fighting for Luzon, including the capital Manila, saw massive use of tanks by Pacific standards, and indeed, Luzon was the only place where a Japanese armored division was thrown into combat against US forces. While there was some tank-vs-tank combat in northern Luzon when the Japanese 2nd Tank Division faced separate US Army tank battalions, most tank fighting in the Philippines involved their use in the traditional infantry support role, including in the largest urban battle of the Pacific War, the horrific struggle for Manila.
Packed with rare archive photos and detailed original illustrations of the tanks, this book offers a concisely detailed account of the neglected role of armor in the recapture of the Philippines.
Steven J. Zaloga received his BA in History from Union College and his MA from Columbia University. He has worked as an analyst in the aerospace industry for four decades, covering missile systems and the international arms trade, and has served with the Institute for Defense Analyses, a federal think tank. He is the author of numerous books on military technology and history. He lives in Maryland, USA.
Felipe Rodríguez is a renowned illustrator specializing in detailed reconstructions of armor.