DK - World War II Map by Map

214 TURNING THE TIDE 1943–1944

Luzon

Mindoro

Palawan

Panay

Mindanao

North Borneo

Brunei

Leyte

Samar

Pa

la

wa

n^

Pa

ss

ag

e

Sulu Sea

Leyte

Gulf

Sibuyan

Sea

South

China

Sea PACIFIC

OCEAN

San Bernardino

Strait

Brunei Bay

Surigao

Strait

Ormoc

Lingayen

Manila

P H I L I P P I N E S

US 7th Fleet

Japanese

Task force C

Japanese

Task force A

Japanese 2nd

Striking Force

Japanese

Northern Force

US Task

Group 38.3

US Task

Group 38.2

US Task

Group 38.1

THE BATTLE

OF LEYTE GULF

On March 11, 1942, US General Douglas MacArthur and his family

left the Philippines after his forces were surrounded by Japanese

troops. He famously stated that: “I came through and I shall

return.” On October 20, 1944, he fulfilled that vow when US

troops landed on Leyte Island in the eastern Philippines.

After capturing most of the Mariana

Islands (see pp.212–213), the US Joint

Chiefs of Staff debated what move to

make next. Some favored an attack on

Taiwan—part of the Japanese Empire—

or putting additional resources into the

war in China, but General MacArthur

successfully championed an attack on

the Philippines. His personal affront

was to be avenged.

US forces landed at Leyte Gulf in the

Philippines on October 20, a move that

caused the Japanese to summon much

of their remaining navy to fend off the

invasion. Allied fleets met the Japanese

fleet in a series of engagements around

the Philippines over the next three days.

“Leyte was tantamount to the loss of the Philippines ...

I felt that it was the end.”

ADMIRAL MITSUMASA YONAI, JAPANESE NAVY MINISTER, 1946

Cumulatively, these engagements

constituted the largest naval battle of

the war. They involved 70 Japanese

warships and 210 American and

Australian vessels, and resulted in the

shattering of Japanese sea power. The

Japanese lost 28 ships and more than

300 aircraft; moreover, their ability to

move oil and other key resources from

Southeast Asia to their home islands

was destroyed. In comparison, the US

suffered far lighter losses of six ships

and around 200 aircraft.

The US secured beachheads on

Leyte and opened the road for their

forces to recover the entire Philippine

archipelago (see pp.248–249).

△ Leyte liberated

US soldiers and members of the US Coast Guard pose

with a Japanese battle flag, which they captured while

taking a beach on Leyte Island.

GENERAL DOUGLAS MACARTHUR

Douglas MacArthur (1880–1964) was

Chief of Staff of the US Army from

1930 to 1935, before retiring from

active service in 1937 to become

military advisor to the Philippine

government. Recalled to active duty

in 1941 as commander of the US Army

Forces in the Far East, he was forced

out of the Philippines by the Japanese

in 1942, returning in 1944 and officially

accepting Japan’s surrender in

September 1945. His successes in

World War II made him a hugely

popular public figure in the US.

General Douglas MacArthur with his

famous corn cob pipe

Oct 23 US

submarines

sink Japanese

cruisers Atago

and Maya to

the west of

Palawan Island.

THE BATTLE OF SURIGAO STRAIT

OCTOBER 24–25, 1944

Japanese Task Force C sailed east from Borneo

into the Surigao Strait; it was soon followed

there by the 2nd Striking Force, which had sailed

from Taiwan to the north. The Japanese vessels

encountered US and Australian cruisers,

destroyers, and torpedo boats in the early hours

of October 25. All but one of the seven vessels of

Task Force C were destroyed before the Japanese

withdrew, and most of the remaining fleet was

sunk in later engagements around Leyte.

4

Japanese Task

Force C

Japanese 2nd Striking Force

Battle of Surigao

Strait, Oct 25, 1944

BATTLE OF CAPE ENGAÑO

OCTOBER 24–25, 1944

The Japanese sent a decoy carrier force to the

north-east of the Philippines to lure the US fleet

away from Leyte Gulf. Three US task groups sailed

north to engage the carrier fleet. Though they lost

the light carrier USS Princeton, sunk by land-based

aircraft on October 24, the US groups sank four

Japanese carriers and five other ships.

5

Japanese decoy

carrier force

movements

US task force

movements

US aircraft

carrier sunk

Battle of Cape

Engaño, Oct 25, 1944

US air attacks from

carrier task force

Japanese aircraft

carrier sunk

US_214-215_Battle_of_Leyte_Gulf.indd 214 19/03/19 7:28 PM