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N0KFQ > TODAY 20.10.11 17:09l 66 Lines 3123 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 13054_KB0WSA
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Subj: Today in History - Oct 20
Path: IZ3LSV<I0OJJ<VE3UIL<N0KFQ<KB0WSA
Sent: 111020/1447Z 13054@KB0WSA.MO.USA.NA BPQ1.0.4
Oct 20, 1944:
U.S. forces land at Leyte Island in the Philippines
On this day in 1944, more than 100,000 American soldiers land on
Leyte Island, in the Philippines, as preparation for the major
invasion by Gen. Douglas MacArthur. The ensuing battles of Leyte
Island proved among the bloodiest of the war in the Pacific and
signaled the beginning of the end for the Japanese.
The Japanese had held the Philippines since May 1942, when the
awful defeat of American forces led to General MacArthur's
departure and General Wainwright's capture. MacArthur was back,
as he promised, but his invasion of Luzon required a softening up
of the enemy. Thus, the amphibious landing of the American forces
at Leyte and the concomitant goal of destroying the Japanese
fleet in the gulf was undertaken.
The Japanese anticipated the American landing by launching
Operation Sho-Go, an attempt to divert the U.S. 3rd Fleet north
and away from the fighting on the island. The Japanese fleet
assembled was the largest ocean task force assembled during the
war, including seven battleships, 11 heavy cruisers, and 19
destroyers. American submarines and aircraft carriers met the
Japanese fleet and the Battle of Leyte Gulf began on October 23.
Meanwhile on Leyte Island, the American troops took on the
Japanese garrison, which was composed of 80,000 soldiers. It took
67 days to subdue the island, with extraordinary acts of physical
bravery and courage demonstrated on both sides. Even after the
Americans had taken control of the island, Japanese soldiers who
had been hidden away continued to emerge and fight on, preferring
to die than surrender. All told, the Japanese lost more than
55,000 soldiers during the two months of battle and approximately
another 25,000 in mopping up operations in early 1945. The U.S.
forces lost about 3,500-compared with the Japanese loss of 80,000
total.
The sea battle of Leyte Gulf was the same story. The loss of
ships and sailors was horrendous for both sides. The sinking of
the American carrier Princeton resulted in the drowning deaths of
500 men. When the Japanese battleship Musashi was destroyed by a
massive American aerial attack, more than 1,000 sailors died,
including the captain who stood on his bridge and literally went
down with his ship. Three days of sea battle saw the destruction
of 36 Japanese warships-compared with America's three. It also
saw the introduction of the Japanese kamikaze_"divine
wind"_suicide bombers. The St. Lo, an American aircraft carrier,
was one of the first casualties, when one kamikaze pilot drove
his plane straight into its flight deck.
More than 5,000 kamikaze pilots died in this gulf battle-taking
down 34 ships. But when all was said and done, the Japanese had
not been able to prevent the loss of their biggest and best
warships, signaling the virtual end of the Japanese Imperial
Fleet. The American victory on land and sea opened the door for
General MacArthur's invasion and the recapture of the
Philippines.
73, K.O. n0kfq
Another old retired guy
E-mail: n0kfq@winlink.org
N0KFQ@N0KFQ.#SWMO.MO.USA.NA
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