A free virtual tour will relive the heartbreaking Battle of Manila
“The destruction of Manila was one of the greatest tragedies of World War II,” American historian William Manchester once wrote.
“Of Allied capitals in those war years, only Warsaw [in Poland] suffered more. Seventy percent of the utilities, 75 percent of the factories, 80 percent of the southern residential district, and 100 percent of the business district was razed.”
Those words sum up the tragedy that befell Manila in the final stages of World War II as American and Filipino soldiers battled fanatical Japanese soldiers to wrest control of the country's capital.
When the smoke cleared, the city of Manila - dubbed as the “Pearl of the Orient” and “Paris of Asia” - was left in ruins, scorched and flattened.
Its once glorious appearance was replaced by debris and “stench of the dead” as what American Infantry Major Chunk Henne would say years later.
An aerial view of the destroyed Intramuros after the Battle of Manila. | Photo by: Wikipedia
That moment, which took place from February 3 to March 3, 1945, would be remembered as the Battle of Manila.
In commemoration of this dark period in our history, an online tour will take place on February 28, 8 p.m., retracing the events that happened 76 years ago.
Hosting the event titled "Stories from the War: Online Livestream Tour" is Wander Manila, which is the same team that organized the virtual Halloween tour of Intramuros last year.
The free online tour, to be streamed on Wander Manila's Facebook page, will visit key areas of the deadly and month-long battle.
Through the tour and stories, viewers will get a vivid picture of the horrors of the event and the sad fate of over a hundred thousand innocent Filipino civilians who perished.
“And in one fateful month, this beautiful city and its people were taken from us in brutal, horrible fashion,” wrote Wander Manila in the teaser posted on social media.
“When all was said and done, over a hundred thousand lives were lost, and a city destroyed. Four hundred years of history, culture, and art, wiped out in a hail of fire and blood.”
For more details and to join the virtual tour, visit Wander Manila on Facebook.
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