Leyte
Leyte

Author: M. Hamlin Cannon

Publisher:

Published: 1996

Total Pages: 420

ISBN-13:

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With the Leyte Campaign the War in the Pacific entered a decisive stage. The period of limited offensives, bypassing, and island hopping was virtually over. American troops in greater numbers than ever before assembled in the Pacific Theater, supported by naval and air forces of corresponding size, fought and overcame Japanese forces of greater magnitude than any previously met. Though the spotlight is on the front-line fighting, the reader will find in this volume a faithful description of all arms and services performing their missions. The account is not exclusively an infantry story. It covers as well the support of ground fighting on Leyte by large-scale naval operations and by land-based air power under the most adverse conditions. In addition, careful attention to logistical matters, such as the movement of supplies and the evacuation of the wounded, gives the reader a picture of the less spectacular activities of an army in battle.

The Assault Landings on Leyte Island
The Assault Landings on Leyte Island

Author: U. S. Navy

Publisher:

Published: 2012-12-28

Total Pages: 30

ISBN-13: 9781481858502

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The Assault Landings on Leyte Island The significance of weather in these operations, as noted in a review of action reports: BY COMMANDER, THIRD AMPHIBIOUS FORCE: 1. The lack of weather restrictions was directly responsible for a large part of the success of the operation. 2. It was recognized that the existence of unreported typhoon weather can outweigh security considerations dictating radio silence. 3. Air operations were not seriously affected by the weather. 4. Weather conditions of wind and temperature distribution favored the efficient use of smoke in the transport area. 5. Ground operations were slowed by unfavorable soil trafficability conditions resulting from precipitation. 6. There was no attempt to use weather for concealment as our intentions had been disclosed when minesweeping operations started. 7. Good weather over the Philippine Islands favored enemy air opposition by facilitating the staging in of aircraft from other locations. BY COMMANDER, SEVENTH AMPHIBIOUS FORCE: 1. The use of carrier support insures local air superiority as bad weather in the area has the same adverse effect on enemy operations. 2. Weather conditions were excellent for the landing of troops and for protection by friendly aircraft. 3. Close air support was hampered by afternoon shower activity. 4. Enemy aircraft made excellent use of cloud cover for concealment during harassing raids.

Leyte, 1944
Leyte, 1944

Author: Nathan N. Prefer

Publisher: Casemate

Published: 2012-12-07

Total Pages: 615

ISBN-13: 1612001564

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The decisive battle in Gen. MacArthur’s reclaiming of the Philippines in WWII is told in vivid, on-the-ground detail in this “definitive account” (WWII History Magazine). When Gen. Douglas MacArthur left the Philippines in 1942 to organize a new American army, he vowed, “I shall return!” More than two years later, he did return, retaking the Philippines from the Japanese. The site of his reinvasion was the central Philippine island of Leyte. The Japanese high command decided to make Leyte the “decisive battle” for the western Pacific and rushed crack Imperial Army units from Manchuria, Korea, and Japan to overwhelm the Americans. The Americans in turn rushed in reinforcements. This unique battle also saw a counteroffensive designed to push the Americans off the island and capture the elusive Gen. MacArthur. Both American and Japanese battalions spent days surrounded by the enemy, often until relieved or overwhelmed. Leyte was a three-dimensional battle, fought with the best both sides had to offer, and did indeed decide the fate of the Philippines in World War II.

The Battle for Leyte, 1944
The Battle for Leyte, 1944

Author: Milan Vego

Publisher: Naval Institute Press

Published: 2013-03-11

Total Pages: 306

ISBN-13: 1612511716

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One of the largest and most complex military efforts ever undertaken, the Leyte Operation was the Allies’ first and most important major combined operation to liberate the Philippine archipelago. The stakes were high: a successful landing at Leyte was critical to a subsequent assault on Luzon and total control of the Philippines. If Japan lost the Philippines, its supply of oil and other strategic raw materials would be cut off and its navy doomed to an inglorious end. In this comprehensive study, one of the world’s leading authorities on the subject addresses all aspects of the two-month-long ground, sea, and air invasion, and presents a complete evaluation of theater-wide command, organization, intelligence, and logistics. Drawing on a wealth of Allied and Japanese primary documents and countless secondary sources, Milan Vego describes and analyzes the operational planning and preparation as well as the execution of actions on both sides. Focusing on the operational versus tactical aspects of the struggle, he critically assesses the major decisions made by the senior commanders. His access to the Allied Magic radio intercepts allows him to shed light on what Allied and Japanese commanders knew and did not know about each other. Unlike other books on the subject, Vego provides the reader with detailed analysis of the operational lessons learned that can be taken away from the engagement. A large number of maps, figures, and tables enhance the text.

Leyte 1944
Leyte 1944

Author: Clayton K. S. Chun

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2015-07-20

Total Pages: 97

ISBN-13: 1472806913

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A detailed account of the first step in General MacArthur's 1944-45 campaign to retake the Philippines. The loss of the Philippines in 1942 was the worst defeat in American military history. General Douglas MacArthur, the 'Lion of Luzon', was evacuated by order of the President just before the fall, but he vowed to return, and in August 1944 he kept his word when he led what, at the time, was the largest amphibious assault of the Pacific War on the island of Leyte. This is the full story of that fateful battle, one of the most ferocious campaigns of World War II and one of huge strategic and symbolic significance. In the face of stubborn Japanese resistance, including the first systematic use of Kamikaze attacks, the US forces ground slowly forwards before another amphibious assault took the vital position of Ormoc in the last decisive battle of the campaign. Based on extensive research in the US Army's Military History Institute, along with other archival and veteran sources, this important study sheds new light on the operation that saw the US finally return to the Philippines and in doing so placed another nail firmly in the coffin of the Japanese Empire.