The U.S. Army Campaigns of World War II:LUZON; 15 December 1944–4 July 1945

Map of Luzon

Artillery being used against the Japanese

”Casualties on both sides were staggering. Except for those forces surrendering at the end of the war, the Japanese lost virtually all of the 230,000 military personnel on Luzon, in addition to some 70,000 casualties from the previous battle on Leyte Island. By the summer of 1945, the Americans had thus destroyed nine of Japan’s best divisions and made another six combat-ineffective. Losses stemming from the battle so drastically reduced Japanese air power that the use of kamikaze operations was necessary throughout the rest of the war. American casualties were also high. Ground combat losses for the Sixth and Eighth Armies were almost 47,000, some 10,380 killed and 36,550 wounded. Nonbattle casualties were even heavier. From 9 January through 30 June 1945, the Sixth Army on Luzon suffered over 93,400 noncombat casualties, including 260 deaths, most of them from disease. Only a few campaigns had a higher casualty rate.”

The statistics on this are amazing, the Japanese losing almost 300,000 in just two battles. Keep in mind that that number is probably represents Japanese dead mostly; not many prisoners were ever taken. Still, Japan had a lot of men remaining on their home islands, although I doubt they were as well trained as the men already fighting on other islands. There were also a lot of planes left in Japan, all of them being held to be used as kamikaze craft when a planned invasion of Japan itself started.



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