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Key sentence. The Orange Plan called for a retreat to the Bataan peninsula and wait for the fleet. The tragedy was neither the govt or MacArthur did anything to beef up Bataan - not even cross-peninsula roads or defensive lines. That, combined with MacArthur's suicidal plan to stop the Japs at Lingayen doomed the troops. Even then, they held out almost until the Coral Sea battle. Another "If only" scenario had MacArthur immediately retreated to Bataan and dug in.

For an army that had so little .50 cal ammo that P-40 pilots had never even fired their machineguns, blaming MacArthur for not provisioning Bataan is a stretch.

IMO, the definitive story of Bataan is "Bataan - Our Last Ditch" by John W. Whitman. I had no idea how tough a fight the troops put up, completely screwing up the Jap's plans. Sober and heart-breaking reading of the sacrifice of those abandoned troops.

Thank's, if I come across it, I'll check it out. In general, the loss of the Philippines is so heavily politicized that relying on accounts other than first hand ones can be little more than an exercise in alternate history.

If you haven't already done so, I suggest reading:

"They Fought With What They Had: The Story of the Army Air Force in the Southwest Pacific, 1941-1942" by Walter D. Edmonds, 1951.
"But Not in Shame" by John Toland, 1961.
"Reminiscenses" by Douglas MacArthur, 1964.

For an army that had so little .50 cal ammo that P-40 pilots had never even fired their machineguns, blaming MacArthur for not provisioning Bataan is a stretch.

Not blaming him for lack of provisioning, but for changing the Orange Plan to fight on the beaches instead of holing up on Bataan. They burned TONS of food before retreating, which would have had them holding out longer.

That being said, I find out that MacArthur told Gen. Marshall what he planned to do and Marshall concurred. He believed MacArthur when he said his Filipino troops were ready to go, when they weren't, by a long shot. Ego intervention here.

Rereading "Last Ditch" now - Jesu, the Filipino troops had WWI Stokes mortars whose ammo had a 70% dud rate, Enfields with broken extractors so they had to use a wood rod to knock out the fired case, etc. etc. It's a wonder they lasted as long as they did.

Thanks for the other titles - will check 'em out.