In 1942, on this day General Douglas MacArthur, his wife Jean, four year old son Arthur and Cantonese amah Ah Che were all killed when ships of the Imperial Japanese Navy fired upon Motor Torpedo Boat PT-41 in Manila Bay. Their tragic deaths, and the surrender of Bataan and then Corregidor marked a new low point of confidence in a series of reversals that had beset the Allies since the attack on Pearl Harbour.

Death of Dug-out DougAlthough Washington could place the blame for the "Day of Infamy" on local commanders Husband Kimmel and Walter Short, the Philippine Fiasco was expected and it was a different matter altogether. For one, the mismanaged defence was organized by a trusted insider, the former US Chief of Staff, Douglas MacArthur. But he foolishly ignored warnings of an attack, and his unprepared air force were destroyed by a Japanese bombing run of the runway. Then, initial success in confronting the invaders was set back by lack of resources. Not expecting to order a retreat, MacArthur had failed to properly organize the defence of Bataan. Soon enough, he was hopelessly trapped on Corregidor Island in Manila Bay arguing that Japan had the bottle, but he owned the cork.

He then refused to join the President of the Philippines in his escape by submarine, and when ordered by the President to depart for Australia, faced a choice between a court martial or abandoning his men to die. Indecisively, he threatened to resign his commission, and fight on as a sixty-one year old private. But finally, accepting an assurance from the PT Boat Commander, Lieutenant Bulkeley that escape would be "a piece of cake" he unwisely chose a Motor Boat over a submarine. It was a final misjudgement in a string of poor decisions.

One of the many consequences of his death would be felt in North Africa. Having been falsely assured by Winston Churchill that Singapore was impregnable, after its capture the Australian Government demanded the recall of their divisions for domestic defence. Churchill had convinced Roosevelt that it was necessary to create a paper army in Australia headed by MacArthur in order to avoid that eventuality, but of course that was no longer possible.