Osprey - Campaign 282 - Leyte 1944 Return to the Philippines.pdf

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© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
CAMPAIGN 282
LEYTE 1944
Return to the Philippines
CLAYTON K. S. CHUN
ILLUSTRATED BY GIUSEPPE RAVA   
Series editor Marcus Cowper  
© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
CONTENTS
ORIGINS OF THE CAMPAIGN
CHRONOLOGY
OPPOSING COMMANDERS
US commanders
n
Japanese commanders
5 
9 
12 
OPPOSING FORCES
US forces
n
Japanese forces in the Philippines
n
Order of battle
16 
OPPOSING PLANS
US plans
n
Japanese plans
24 
THE CAMPAIGN
Initial moves
n
A-Day: October 20
n
A-Day+1: On to Leyte Valley
n
The Battle of Leyte Gulf
n
Securing
the Leyte Valley
n
Kenney’s air power grounded
n
Securing the Ormoc Valley
n
Suzuki’s last gamble:
Burauen
n
From Deposito to Ormoc
n
The last stand: Palompon
30 
AFTERMATH
THE BATTLEFIELD TODAY
FURTHER READING
INDEX
88 
93 
94 
95  
© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
N
15 June
XXX
South
Force
XXXXX
Mariana
Southern
Luzon
Battle of
Philippine Sea,
18–19 June.
21 July
XXXX
Philippines Sea
24 July
Saipan
Islands
Tinian
XXXX
14th
16 June
XXXX
XXXX
Guam
5th
Fleet
Spruance
Sep–Oct
WP
TF
Halsey
PHILIPPINE
ISLANDS
3rd
Fleet
Halsey
South
China
Sea
30 March
3–18 June
30 March
15 June
Mindoro
Samar
XXXX
XXXX
24 Sep
Panay
XXXXX
Leyte
17–20
Oct
Ulithi
3–13 June
3–13 June 3–13 June
Yap
30 March
4th
Fleet
(bypassed)
Center
Force
XXXX
Palawan
7th
Fleet
Kinkaid
XXXX
35
15–17
Sept
Negros Cebu
XXXX
Bohol
SWPA
Forces
MacArthur
Truk Islands
Caroline
Islands
The approach to Leyte, July–October 1944.
14 June
Mindanao
6th
Krueger
Palau
Islands
Peleliu
Ozawa
12–14 Sep
30 March
3–13 June
7–8 Sep
P A C I F I C
O C E A N
NORTH
BORNEO
Talaud
XXX
XX
Celebes Sea
Morotai
15 Sep
XXXXX
TF
56
Mitscher
1
USMC
(from Guadalcanal)
BORNEO
Halmahera
2 July
SWPA
Forces
Macarthur
XXXXX
© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
Battle off
Biak 8–9 June.
27 May
22 May
2nd
Area
XXXXX
Biak
Noemfoor
Hollandia
SWPA
Forces
MacArthur
New
Ireland
Celebes
Ceram
XXXX
22 April
Bismarck
Sea
DUTCH
NEW GUINEA
NORTHEAST
NEW GUINEA
PAPUA
XXXXX
19th
8th
Area
Imamura
(bypassed)
New Britain
US carrier strikes
0
500 miles
Banda Sea
0
500km
ORIGINS OF THE CAMPAIGN
In early 1942 the Japanese had rolled to victory throughout Asia and the
Pacific. The United States, Australia, Great Britain, the Netherlands, China,
and other powers feared that Japan would sweep away any opposition in
their quest for expansion. At the time, the chance of mounting a major
campaign against Tokyo seemed remote. However, by the summer of 1944
the strategic picture had changed in favor of the Allied Powers in all theaters.
American and British forces had landed in Normandy. Italy was no longer
wholly under Fascist control. The Soviet Union continued to push the
Germans west. Moreover, Japan had suffered several major defeats.
Americans had put the Japanese on the strategic defensive. On March 24,
1942 the American–British Combined Chiefs of Staff (CCS) had agreed to
allow Washington to determine Pacific war strategy. With this mandate,
Washington responded. The US Navy (USN) had decimated the Imperial
Japanese Navy (IJN) carrier forces at Midway
in early June 1942. American submarines
initiated a successful campaign against Japanese
merchant ships. Army and Marine Corps forces
had gone on the offensive at Guadalcanal, New
Guinea, the Marshalls, and the Gilbert Islands.
Japan was bogged down in China, which forced
Tokyo to employ thousands of troops to pacify
the country. By 1944, Washington was about to
penetrate areas directly affecting Japan’s
survival. The Allies had successfully challenged
the Japanese on the peripheral areas of their
empire, but were now getting closer to Tokyo.
Soon, the United States Army Air Forces
(USAAF) would establish B-29 bomber bases
that would deliver destruction directly over
Honshu and Kyushu. Ground forces readied to
strike in the Central Pacific and push north.
The only question for Washington centered
on where American forces would initiate the
main drive to defeat Japan. The American Joint
Chiefs of Staff (JCS) had earlier agreed to focus
on the Luzon, Formosa, and South China region
to support bombing missions over Japan, cut
off resource access, and prepare for a Japanese
MacArthur had suffered one of
the US Army’s greatest defeats
in her history during the fight
for the Philippines in 1942. The
Japanese defeated a combined
American and Filipino force
that was numerically larger, but
in some instances poorly
trained and equipped. Here IJA
forces celebrate in Bataan.
MacArthur vowed to reverse
this situation. The first step
towards returning to the
Philippines was retaking Leyte.
(US Army)
5
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