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Leyte Gulf

After crushing Japanese naval air power in the Philippine Sea, the United States had to choose its next step: bypass the Philippines and strike Formosa, or return to the archipelago. MacArthur’s promise to come back, together with the strategic value of cutting Japan’s southern lifelines, led Washington to support the Leyte landing.

In the weeks before the invasion, the Formosa air battles reduced Japanese air assets, while B-29 raids from the Marianas signalled that Japan itself was now within reach. Later Japanese forces will replay with long-range strikes from Iwo Jima against American airfields on Saipan, trying to disrupt the bomber offensive.

In a hope to disrupt the Allied momentum the Imperial Navy launched a desperate gambit: weak carrier groups, now short of trained pilots and aircraft, would act as decoys to draw US carriers north, while powerful surface forces would slip through to smash the vulnerable transports and troops off Leyte beaches.

The battle that followed turned on timing, confusion, and command judgment, with Halsey’s decision to pursue the Japanese CV becoming one of the most debated choices of the Pacific war and Kurita’s retreat, so close to reach the transports after being opposed by a hand of heroic destroyers and escort-carriers.

Pilots

After the defeat of the Philippines Sea, the Japanese command switched to cost-effective way to fight the Allied fleet. Kamikazes could be considered as the first anti-ship missiles.