On 6 May 1942 Lieutenant General Jonathan Wainwright surrendered the fortified island of Corregidor at the mouth of Manila Bay, after Japanese troops landed on the night of 5 May. The surrender ended organized American resistance in the Philippines.
From Bataan to Corregidor
Corregidor had been shelled from Bataan for weeks. After the surrender of Bataan on 9 April, the island was the last major position held by the Americans. On the night of 5 May the Japanese 61st Infantry landed, and on 6 May Wainwright surrendered the island.1
On Homma's terms Wainwright then ordered all US and Filipino forces in the Philippines to surrender. Our article on the Battle of Corregidor covers the landing and the surrender, and our 9 April article covers the fall of Bataan. › Battle of Corregidor, 1942
Recapture, 1945
American forces retook Corregidor between 16 February and 2 March 1945.
Also on this day
1757: Battle of Štěrboholy. Frederick the Great's Prussians attacked the Austrian army on the hills east of Prague early in the Seven Years' War.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the Battle of Corregidor?
Japan. Wainwright surrendered the island on 6 May 1942. American forces recaptured it between 16 February and 2 March 1945.
How many died at Corregidor?
In 1942 about 600 to 800 defenders were killed, by the US Army history's estimate, and several hundred Japanese fell in the landing. In 1945 about 210 Americans and 4,500 to 5,950 Japanese died.
Why did Corregidor surrender?
Once Japanese tanks were ashore the defenders could not stop them, and Wainwright feared a massacre of the wounded in Malinta Tunnel.
Notes
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