Full Description
The forgotten story of the major naval operations conducted in the Philippines by the US and Japanese navies after Leyte Gulf up to the US invasion of Luzon in January 1945.
The events that took place in the aftermath of the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October 1944 are often overlooked by military historians. An impressive array of naval operations continued in the Philippines up to January 1945, which included (on the Japanese side) the largest convoys to a contested island during the war, the first kamikaze campaign, and the second largest Imperial Japanese Navy surface operation during the last nine months of the conflict. On the American side, US forces were involved in efforts to cut off Leyte from enemy reinforcement, a massive amphibious invasion off Luzon, and large-scale operations by the Fast Carrier Task Force (TF 38).
Expert naval historian Mark Stille throws new light on this often forgotten phase of the Pacific naval war. Among the actions covered are the battles for Ormoc Bay, the invasion of Mindoro, Japanese kamikaze attacks, and US Third Fleet's rampage through the South China Sea between January 10 and 20, 1945. Superb battlescene artworks bring the war at sea and in the air vividly to life, and maps and diagrams guide readers through a range of actions in clear, step-by-step detail.
Contents
ORIGINS OF THE CAMPAIGN
CHRONOLOGY
OPPOSING COMMANDERS
United States Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
JAPANESE COMMANDERS AND FORCES
United States Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
Orders of Battle
OPPOSING PLANS
United States
Japanese
THE CAMPAIGN
TF 38 operations, October-November 25, 1944
The Japanese TA Operation
The battles for Ormoc Bay
The landing at Ormoc
November 1944 TF 38 operations
The invasion of Mindoro
The San Jose Intrusion Force
TF 38 operations, December 10, 1944-January 10, 1945
The invasion of Luzon
Halsey's rampage
AFTERMATH AND ANALYSIS
Analysis
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX
