On 9 January 1945, the Allies launched an amphibious invasion of Luzon, the largest island in the Philippines. The US 6th Army under the command of General Walter Krueger landed at Lingayen Gulf after pre-assault naval bombardment, facing strong opposition from Japanese kamikaze aircraft. After two months, all strategical and economically important locations on Luzon were liberated, but pockets of resistance still remained until the end of the war.