.
The part the Navy played in preparing the way for us was, of course, a
major one-- in fact, this Asiatic-Pacific war has seemed to be largely a Navy
show, to use the Australian phrase, with the Army as an auxiliary force and
the Air Corps, land based or ocean borne, as a dominant element of naval
power. The main strategy of the Corregidor operation was aimed at deception up
to the last minute--a deception which would keep the Japs at their sea-wall
defense until the sabre-stroke of a parachute attack could sweep down upon
their heads. It was therefore planned that D Day (15 February) should be
devoted to an amphibious landing at Marivales, a little village on the tip of
the Bataan peninsular, only three miles across the bay from the guns of
Corregidor. The 34th Infantry Regiment was selected to make the landing. No
opposition was expected at Marivales, and none did occur, except for a little
fire from five-inch guns in Corregidor's few remaining batteries. These were
soon silenced.