Japan’s stronghold in the Philippines was vital to the defense of their Southeast Asian flank. Because of this it was where they concentrated their forces which resulted in the most severe period of the Imperial’s invasion in World War II of the Philippines-the Battle of Bataan. It is also written down in history as the largest surrender of the United States since the US Civil War. On the 7th of December 1941 the same day that Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japan, U.S Philippine headquarters, naval and base camps in Zambales, Manila, Pampanga and Cavite were pounded by aircrafts based in Taiwan. The scattered remnants of the American forces tried to fight back in a struggle to seize airfields in Luzon to stop the Japanese air forces from landing but to no avail. They have also attacked Japanese ships bordered in Luzon. Nevertheless it did not delay the Japanese invasion. The Japanese Army increased their dominance when they neutralized the US bases in Philippines. They have gained for themselves air and naval fields taken from the US army for them to use and empower their invasion. When the Japanese gained their supremacy in the air and naval bases, they started their massive assault on the US army’s line of defense on the shores called the beachheads. The beachheads were pushed back by the invaders. As General MacArthur realized that their strategy has failed he resorted to what they called the War Plan Orange-3 wherein the main goal is to focus on the defense of Bataan and Corregidor, the central plain in the island of Luzon. They were to retreat in a delaying manner towards Bataan and regroup there with all their forces and fight Japanese invaders for 6 months assuming that after that time relief and back up would get there from the United States. They were hopeful that by delaying the Japanese invasion by regrouping in Bataan it will distort the plans of the Japanese Imperial army and also give the United States ample time to prepare their Fleet with power and arrive at Bataan to the rescue. Little did they know that the US Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor was already crippled. On December 22, 1941, the Philippine Army troops who were defending the beaches of Luzon were defeated. And in order to deceive their advancing enemies on the exact location of their major defense positions in the Bataan peninsula, the Americans placed one line of defense in Layac to fight and delay their enemies. It was where the Japanese and American soldiers met for the first time in WWII. The battles focused on delaying the Japanese army in order for MacArthur’s men to withdraw towards the Batan defense base went on from January 1-5, 1942. The Japanese Imperial Army persisted in their advancement towards Bataan and Corregidor for three months resulting in four major battles written in history. The first of these battles was called The Stand. The stand was mainly the battle of the defense of the Americans and Filipinos of the Abucay-Mauban line. It is composed of two defensive lines located across the Bataan peninsula. The Mauban line was located on the western side and the Abucay on the eastern. The Stand was a battle of night raids, hand to hand combats and infiltrations between Japan and the Philippine-American Army. The fight started on January 9 and ended on January 22, 1942 resulting in the defeat and abandonment of the Abucay-Mauban Line.