The Philippine Department (Filipino: ''Kagawaran ng Pilipinas/Hukbong Kagawaran ng Pilipinas'') was a regular

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

organization whose mission was to defend the Philippine Islands and train the

Philippine Army The Philippine Army (PA) ( Tagalog: ''Hukbong Katihan ng Pilipinas''; in literal English: ''Army of the Ground of the Philippines''; in literal Spanish: ''Ejército de la Tierra de la Filipinas'') is the main, oldest and largest branch of the ...

. On 9 April 1942, during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the organization surrendered to the

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

. The department and its sub-units were predominantly under the command of American officers, including an American general, while the majority of the troops were enlisted Filipinos, known as the

Philippine Scouts The Philippine Scouts (Filipino: ''Maghahanap ng Pilipinas'' or ''Hukbong Maghahanap ng Pilipinas'') was a military organization of the United States Army from 1901 until after the end of World War II. These troops were generally Filipinos an ...

(PS). The primary force of this department was the

Philippine Division Philippine Division, or from 1946–1947 the 12th Infantry Division, was the core U.S. infantry division of the United States Army's Philippine Department during World War II. On 31 July 1941, the division consisted of 10,473 troops, mostly enl ...

. Of the 22,532 troops, 10,473 were members of the Philippine Division itself. This unit was formally organized in 1913 and, on 26 July 1941, was attached to US Army Forces – Far East (USAFFE). Following the creation of USAFFE, the Philippine Department became, in effect, a

corps area A Corps area was a geographically-based organizational structure (military district) of the United States Army used to accomplish administrative, training and tactical tasks from 1920 to 1942. Each corps area included divisions of the Regular Army ...

service and logistical command. Tactical command was thenceforth under USAFFE's control.

The Philippine Department in 1914

Philippine Island - Manila - NARA - 68156539

General Headquarters: *

Fort Santiago Fort Santiago ( es, Fuerte de Santiago; fil, Kutà ng Santiago), built in 1571, is a citadel built by Spanish navigator and governor Miguel López de Legazpi for the newly established city of Manila in the Philippines. The defense fortress is lo ...

, Manila, Luzon Troops: *Field Hospital No. 4 *Ambulance Company Number 4 * Headquarters, Company K, 3d Engineers * Headquarters, Company L, 3d Engineers * Company F, Signal Corps * Company L, Signal Corps *7th Cavalry Brigade *8th Cavalry Brigade *

2nd Field Artillery Regiment (United States) The 2nd Field Artillery Regiment is a field artillery regiment in the United States Army. Currently a parent regiment under the U.S. Army Regimental System, the regiment has a single active battalion, the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Field Artillery, ass ...

Coast Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays The Harbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays ("Coast Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays" until 1925) (a.k.a. CD/HD Manila Bay) were a United States Army Coast Artillery Corps harbor defense command, part of the Philippine Department of the Un ...

8th Infantry Regiment The 8th Infantry Regiment of the United States, also known as the "Fighting Eagles," is an infantry regiment in the United States Army. The 8th Infantry participated in the Mexican War, American Civil War, Philippine Insurrection, Moro Rebel ...

* 13th Infantry Regiment *

24th Infantry Regiment The 24th Infantry Regiment was a unit of the United States Army, active from 1869 until 1951, and since 1995. Before its original dissolution in 1951, it was primarily made up of African-American soldiers. History The 24th Infantry Regiment (o ...

*China Expedition - 15th Infantry

Commanders of the Philippine Department

US Army Troops – Philippines – 31 July 1941

At the time of USAFFE's formation the force consisted of 22,532 troops. Of the 1,340 officers, 775 were reservists. 7,293 troops were assigned to the

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

and 4,967 were assigned to the

Harbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays The Harbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays ("Coast Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays" until 1925) (a.k.a. CD/HD Manila Bay) were a United States Army Coast Artillery Corps harbor defense command, part of the Philippine Department of the Un ...

.Fall of the Philippines
/ref> About 2,500 troops served in a service or supply position, mainly quartermaster or medical units. The majority of the department's troops were stationed on

Luzon Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...

. Total Strength: 22,532 (1,434

officers An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...

, 21,098 enlisted, including 11,937

). *USAFFE Headquarters,

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...

(5) *Philippine Department Headquarters,

Fort William McKinley Fort Andres Bonifacio (formerly named Fort William McKinley) is the site of the national headquarters of the Philippine Army (Headquarters Philippine Army or HPA) located in Metro Manila, Philippines. It is located near the national headquarter ...

(289) *

(10,473) *

26th Cavalry Regiment (PS) The 26th Cavalry Regiment (Philippine Scouts) (26th CAV (PS)) was part of U.S. Army Forces Far East's Philippine Department, during World War II. The 26th engaged in the last cavalry charge in the history of the U.S. cavalry. The American Batt ...

(838) *

43d Infantry Regiment (PS) The 43rd Philippine Scout Infantry Regiment (43rd INF (PS)) was part of USAFFE's Philippine Division, during World War II. History The 43d Infantry Regiment was formed in June 1917, at Fort Douglas, Utah. In April 1921, it became a Philippin ...

(329) *

60th Coast Artillery 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second smalles ...

AA *

86th Field Artillery Regiment (PS) The 86th Field Artillery Regiment is a inactive parent field artillery regiment of the United States Army, last represented in the Vermont Army National Guard by the 1st Battalion, 86th Field Artillery Regiment. Perpetuating the Vermont Light Ar ...

(388) * 88th Field Artillery Regiment (PS) (518) *

808th Military Police Company 8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9. In mathematics 8 is: * a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2. * a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of t ...

(69) *

(5,360) *

Philippine Army Air Corps The Philippine Army Air Corps ( fil, Pulutong Himpapawid ng Hukbong Katihan ng Pilipinas; es, Cuerpo Aéreo del Ejercito Filipino) was created in 1935 as the air component of the Philippine Army. It was the predecessor of the Philippine Air F ...

(2,407) *Service Detachments (1,836) *Other (20)

Casualty count

Ref: American Battlefield Monuments Commission *

Philippine Forces

United States forces

The Marines were from the

4th Marines The 4th Marine Regiment is an infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps. Based at Camp Schwab in Okinawa, Japan, it is part of the 3rd Marine Division of the III Marine Expeditionary Force. Mission Close with and destroy the enemy by fi ...

US Navy casualties/losses

Patch of the Philippine Department

All units of the department wore the Philippine Department shoulder sleeve insignia, with the exception of the

, which wore their own patch: a golden

carabao The carabao ( es, Carabao; tgl, Kalabaw; ceb, Kabaw; ilo, Nuang) is a domestic swamp-type water buffalo (''Bubalus bubalis'') native to the Philippines. Carabaos were introduced to Guam from the Spanish Philippines in the 17th century. They ...

on a red shield. Officially, the Philippine Department's insignia featured the Philippine

Sea Lion Sea lions are pinnipeds characterized by external ear flaps, long foreflippers, the ability to walk on all fours, short and thick hair, and a big chest and belly. Together with the fur seals, they make up the family Otariidae, eared seals. ...

, in white, superimposed on a blue oval with a height of 2.5 inches. The Sea Lion is derived from the

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...

. The Philippine Department and Philippine Division insignia were both approved on 8 July 1922.

References

{{reflist, 30em Departments and districts of the United States Army Military units and formations established in 1911 Military units and formations disestablished in 1942 Military history of the Philippines Military history of the Philippines during World War II Military units and formations of the United States in World War II

Department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...