Invasion of Lingayen Gulf

The Invasion of Lingayen Gulf was an Allied amphibious operation in the Philippines during World War II. In the early morning of January 9, 1945, an Allied force commanded by Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf began approaching the shores of Lingayen. U.S. Navy and Royal Australian Navy warships began bombarding suspected Japanese positions along the coast of Lingayen from their position in Lingayen Gulf.

At 9:30 AM on January 9, 1945, about 68,000 men under General Walter Krueger of the U.S. Sixth Army, following a devastating naval bombardment, landed at the coast of Lingayen Gulf meeting no opposition. A total of 203,608 were eventually landed over the next few days, establishing a 20-mile beachhead, stretching from Sual, Lingayen and Dagupan (XIV Corps) to the west, and San Fabian (I Corps) in to the east. The total number of troops under the command of MacArthur was reported to have even exceeded the number that Eisenhower controlled in Europe. Within a few days, the assault forces had quickly captured the coastal towns and secured the 20 mile long beach, including the town of San Fabian.