The Battle of Luzon was a confrontation between the New People's China's Liberation Airforce and Navy against the United States Navy over the Philippine Islands. The confrontation was largely an aerial battle with squadrons being launched from aircraft carriers from both sides and the NPCLAF squadrons stationed on the island. The battle ended in American retreat, who were ultimately withdrawn from the area to participate in the defense of mainland America during the First Canadian-American war.
The battle is also considered the first time China has faced off directly against a Western Power.
Overview[]
The Philippine Liberation Campaign was an armed conflict between nationalist, far-right rebels on the island nation of the Philippines and New People's China . The Chinese had deployed upwards of 900,000 armed troops to suppress future nationalistic dangers that could arise between the bickering war-lords who had just recently drove out the American colonial forces. As well as stifling future problematic far-right governments, who might ally with western enemies, the move was conducted in an endeavor to fill a power gap in the western Pacific and be performed as a counter-balance against the Japanese Empire
In Washington DC, the American government was disgruntled at the loss of their Asian colonies and mobilized an armed force to reclaim their former colonial holdings. A flotilla of ships containing a battleship, several destroyers, and an aircraft carrier were launched to reclaim the islands.
Confrontation began in the city of Cabantuan where NPCLA forces were engaging Filipino forces in the heart of the city. During an engagement an American fighter-bomber deployed its munitions over the fighting, inflicting Philippine and Chinese causalities. In response, Chinese command scrambled four Chongu fighters to engage the rouge unidentified aircraft.
The fighters chased the American aircraft to the coast of the Aurora Province where outside of Baler they discovered the American flotilla.
The Battle[]
The bulk of the battle was performed largely in air as the Chongu aircraft fought against US fighters scrambled from their air-craft carrier. Support from the island was inbound, as were Heron class fighter-bombers from an off-shore aircraft carrier sailing into the vicinity of the conflict.
As the two forces engaged each other in the air, American Marines were being deployed to the coast. Their presence was identified by Chinese aircraft and Chinese command diverted nearby assets to engage and stall.
Although outdated compared to the American aircraft, the Chongu and Heron fighters proved their ability and shot down the novice and inexperienced American pilots. It wasn't long until a retreat was called. The landing party made a hasty retreat back to their ships, uncharacteristically abandoning wounded or pinned troops to be rounded up by Chinese ground-forces.
In the retreat, an American Battleship was sunk. The crew was rounded up by Naval patrol vessels.
Aftermath[]
The American prisoners were rounded up and set to POW camps deep inside Chinese lines on the Northern half of the island. The Chinese government attempted contact with the American government to settle their release and return home. Shortly before being shipped to permanent re-education facilities, Washington contacted Beijing saying they'll have their men back.
They were shortly diverted to airplanes America-bound to deliver the prisoners to their home.
The downed American aircraft were later collected after the battle and shipped to the Chinese main-land for study. This in turn leading to the development of the Urumqui 1, China's first generation jet-propelled aircraft.
The pilots involved in discovering the fleet were recognized for their skill, prowess, and commitment in battle and formally recognized in a ceremony in Beijing and awarded for their deeds.
The remaining American forces were later put into fighting the Canadians. The sunken ship remains at the bottom of the ocean off the coast of Aurora.
Thread Location[]
The Battle of Aurora can be found on the Second generation PoW thread, pages 46 to 53