The End of the Japanese Navy: The Battle Leyte Gulf

This timeline of the Battle of Leyte Gulf is based on the Naval Chronology 1944 of Byrd archive with additions from the book Fast Carriers: The Forging of an Air Navy, by Clark G Reynolds, 1968.

1944 Pacific Theater

09/15 Fri. 1st Marine Division (Maj. Gen. W. H. Rupertus) lands at Peleliu, Palau Islands.

09/17 Sun. Army troops land on Angaur, Palau Islands, supported by carrier-based aircraft and naval gunfire

09/21 Thu. Aircraft from 12 carriers (Vice Adm. M. A. Mitscher) commence 2-day attack against Japanese shipping and airfields on Luzon, P. I.

09/24 Sun. Aircraft from 12 carriers (Vice Adm. M. A. Mitscher) attack aircraft, ground installations, and shipping in the Visayas, P. I.

09/28 Thu. Marines occupy Ngesebus and Kongauru Islands in the Palau Islands, under cover of naval aircraft and gunfire support.

10/08 Sun. Land-based aircraft from the Marianas Islands increase tempo of air strikes on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands.

10/10 Tue. Aircraft from fast carrier task force (Vice Adm. M. A. Mitscher) composed of 17 carriers, escorted by 5 battleships, 14 cruisers, and 58 destroyers bomb Japanese shipping and shore facilities on Okinawa and other islands in the Ryukyus.

10/11 Wed. Aircraft from two carrier task groups (Vice Adm. J. S. McCain and Rear Adm. R. E. Davison) attack airfields and other enemy facilities in northern Luzon, P. I.

10/12 Thu. Carrier-based aircraft from Third Fleet (Adm. W. F. Halsey) commence 5-day attack against enemy shipping, airfield facilities, and industrial plants on Formosa and northern Luzon, P. I. These strikes meet with intensive counterattacks by Japanese aircraft.

10/13 Fri. Peleliu Island in the Palau Islands is secured.

10/15 Sun. Aircraft from carrier task group (Rear Adm. R. E. Davison) bomb targets in the Manila area, Luzon, P. I.

10/17 Tue. Aircraft from carrier task group (Rear Adm. R. E. Davison bomb Japanese airfields on Luzon, P. I.

Army troops are landed on Suluan and Dinagat Islands at the entrance to Leyte Gulf, P. I.

10/18 Wed. Aircraft from three task groups of the Third Fleet (Adm. W. F. Halsey), including 13 carriers, attack Japanese installations and shipping in northern Luzon and the Manila area, P. I.

Cruiser task group (Rear Adm. J. B. Oldendorf) bombards enemy shore installations on Leyte, P. I. Army troops land on Homonhon Island at the entrance to Leyte Gulf, P. I.

10/19 Vice Adm. Onishi of the Japanese Philippine First Air Fleet activates the Kamikaze Corps for suicide raids on U.S. Naval shipping.

The U.S. Third Fleet organization

The Japanese Plan

10/20 Fri. Army forces land on Leyte, P. I., supported by naval gunfire and carrier-based aircraft. The overall commander is Gen. Douglas MacArthur, the naval commander is Vice Adm. T. C. Kinkaid, and the ground troops are commanded by Lt. Gen. W. Krueger.

MacArthur "Returns" to the Philippines

Back to the Philippines is a story in Soldier magazine by Heike Hasenauer about MacArthur's campaign.

10/23 Mon. Battle for Leyte Gulf (13-16 October) opens as United States submarines off Palawan Island sight and attack the Center Force of three Japanese naval groups moving on Leyte in a major effort to drive United States forces from the Philippines. Two enemy cruisers are sunk and a third was left too damaged to continue

The Battle of Leyte Gulf Map

map from ILN 1944/11/4

10/24 Tue. Battle for Leyte Gulf (23-26 October) continues. Carrier-based aircraft (Vice Adm. M. A. Mitscher) locate and heavily attack the Japanese Center Force south of Mindoro in the Sibuyan Sea

Map of Middle Section of the battle

10/25 Wed. Battle for Leyte Gulf (13-16 October) continues.

Map of Northern Section of the battle

Map of Southern Section of the battle

United States naval vessels sunk, Battle for Leyte Gulf:

Japanese naval vessels sunk, Battle for Leyte Gulf:

10/26 Thu. Battle for Leyte Gulf (23-26 October) ends as carrier-based and Army aircraft bomb the retiring Japanese ships which have survived the previous days' action.

Results

Japan

United States

10/27 Fri. Aircraft from two carrier task groups (Rear Adm. F. C. Sherman and Rear Adm. R. E. Davison) attack enemy ships and installations in the Visayas and northern Luzon area, P. I.

10/28 Sat. Aircraft from carrier task group (Rear Adm. R. E. Davison) bomb Japanese shipping near Cebu, P. I. United States naval vessel sunk

10/29 Sun. Aircraft from carrier task group (Rear Adm. G. F. Bogan) strike enemy airfields and shipping in the Manila area, P. I.



revised 5/1/95 by A. J. Lutz for the WWII Timeline