The commander of the Japanese defenses of the Philippines, Tomoyuki Yamashita, understood that defending against the American invasion is an unrealistic task. In October of 1944, the division lost two tank companies (about 30 vehicles) which were sent to Leyte to defend against the American invasion. It contained about 200 tanks, mostly Type 97 Chi-Ha and Shinhoto Chi-Ha, but also a few light Type 95 Ha-Go and obsolete Type 89s. Yoshiharu Iwanaka's 2nd Tank Division was ready to meed the Americans in the Philippines. The prelude to the battle for the capital, Manila, has begun. On January 9th, 1945, American forces landed in Luzon, the main island. Slowly but surely, island after island, the Japanese invaders were squeezed out of the archipelago. On October 20th, 1944, he walked off a landing ship onto the Philippine island of Leyte, shoulder to shoulder with his soldiers. He and his forces did not hold back the Japanese and were forced to retreat. In 1942, it was spoken by Douglas MacArthur, the commander of the Philippine defenses, after breaking through to Australia on a torpedo boat. The phrase "I'll be back" gained popularity many years before the Terminator movie hit theatres.
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