The First Armored Units

Unknown to most, the first armored vehicle used by the Filipino soldier was the World War I vintage 6.5-ton Renault FT 17 (see inset pictures, left). The lone tank was used by the 1st Regular Division, Philippine Army in their infantry training at Camp Murphy (now Camp Aguinaldo) sometime from 1936 to 1940. 5

Prior to the outbreak of the Second World War, on 26 September 1941, the US 194th Tank Battalion with fifty four (54) M3 Stuart light tanks and the 17th Ordnance Company (Armored) arrived in the Philippines. Two weeks later, on 14 October 1941, a total of fifty (50) M3 Gun Motor Carriages, otherwise known as Self-propelled Mounts or SPMs (Half-tracks mounted with US M1897A 75-mm field gun) arrived in the Philippines and were assigned to the 11th Provisional Artillery Brigade, USAFFE.

The 194th Tank Battalion was organized from three (3) Army National Guard tank companies, “A” Company from Brainerd, Minnesota; “B” Company from Saint Joseph, Missouri; and “C” Company from Salinas, California.

Towards the middle of November 1941, the US 192nd Tank Battalion (Kentucky National Guards) with fifty four (54) M3 Stuart light tanks arrived in Manila. With the two tank battalions extant, General Douglas MacArthur created the Provisional Tank Group under Brigadier General James Weaver.

The 192nd Tank Battalion was organized from three (3) Army National Guard tank companies, “A” Company from Janesville, Wisconsin; “B” Company from Maywood, Illinois; and “C” Company from Harrodsburg, Kentucky.

The U.S. Provisional Tank Group was a formidable force with one hundred eight (108) 14.7-ton M3 Stuart light tanks, forty-six (46) 8.7-ton M2 and 9.3-ton M3 Half-tracks and fifteen (15) 3.7-ton Universal or Bren gun carriers.