Operation Montclair
Operation Montclairwas amilitary operationduring the Second World War. The final version of the outline plan originally calledOperation Princeton,it outlined plans to recapture theVisayasandMindanaoin thePhilippines,Borneoand theDutch East Indies.
The operation was planned by theSouth-West pacific Area commandunder GeneralDouglas MacArthur,and was a joint US and Australian effort. The US8th Armyunder Lieutenant GeneralRobert L. Eichelbergerwas allocated the Visayas part of the operation, and theI Australian Corpsunder Lieutenant General SirLeslie Morsheadwas allocated the Borneo part.
US plans originally called for the elimination of theJapanesegarrisons in the unliberated parts of the Philippines to be performed by Filipino guerillas and the reformed Filipino army. Nonetheless, on February 6, 1944, General MacArthur ordered General Eichelberger to mop up the Japanese forces in the Philippines with his 8th Army, supported by Vice AdmiralThomas C. Kinkaid's7th Fleet.This culminated in a series of operations called Operation Victor I through V:
- Battle of the Visayas(Victor I, II, II)
- Battle of Mindanao(Victor IV, V)
At the same time, I Australian Corps was ordered to take Borneo to supply the US forces for the planned invasion of Japan with oil. Once Borneo had been liberated, I Australian Corps was to form part of the invasion ofJava.For more details, seeBorneo campaign (1945).
References[edit]
- Chant, Christopher (1986).The encyclopedia of codenames of World War II.Routledge: Oxford University Press.ISBN0-7102-0718-2.