Battle of the Philippine Sea
Part of World War II, Pacific War
The carrier Zuikaku (center) and two destroyers under attack by U.S. Navy carrier aircraft, June 20, 1944
Date June 19–June 20, 1944 Location The Philippine Sea Result Decisive American victory
Combatants
United States Navy	Imperial Japanese Navy
Commanders
Ray Spruance	Jisaburo Ozawa Kakuji Kakuta
Strength
7 fleet carriers, 8 light carriers, 7 battleships, 79 other ships, 28 submarines, 956 planes	5 fleet carriers, 4 light carriers, 5 battleships, 43 other ships, 450 carrier-based planes, 300 land-based planes
Casualties
123 planes destroyed (about 80 of whose crews survived)	3 carriers sunk, 2 oilers sunk, about 600 planes destroyed, 6 other ships heavily damaged

The Battle of the Philippine Sea was a significant naval battle of World War II, fought by the navies of the United States and the Empire of Japan. Part of the wider Pacific War, this action occurred on June 19-20, 1944 off the Mariana Islands and also involved Japanese land-based aircraft. The engagement proved disastrous for the Imperial Japanese Navy which lost three aircraft carriers and some 600 aircraft. These losses are largely attributed to Japanese reliance on obsolete aircraft types and inexperienced air crews, in contrast to the US Navy's new model aircraft, better-trained pilots and radar-coordinated combat air patrols. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... For other uses, see Pacific War (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links Japanese aircraft carrier Zuikaku (center) and two destroyers maneuvering, while under attack by U.S. Navy carrier aircraft, during the late afternoon of 20 June 1944. ... Zuikaku (Japanese: ずいかく Kanji: 瑞鶴 fortunate crane) was a Shōkaku-class aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... is the 170th day of the year (171st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... The Philippine Sea The Philippine Sea is a marginal sea east of Philippines. ... Image File history File links US_flag_48_stars. ... USN redirects here. ... Image File history File links Naval_Ensign_of_Japan. ... For Combined Fleet, please see that article. ... Raymond Spruance Raymond Ames Spruance (July 3, 1886 - December 13, 1969) was a United States Navy admiral in World War II, and commanded US naval forces at the turning point of the Pacific War, the Battle of Midway. ... Jisaburo Ozawa (小沢治三郎 Ozawa Jisaburō, October 2, 1886 – November 9, 1966) was a Japanese admiral during World War II. He was the last Commander-in-Chief of Combined Fleet. ... Kakuji Kakuta (September 23, 1890 – August 2, 1944), was a vice admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. As commander of the Second Carrier Striking Force that included aircraft units assigned to the aircraft carrier Junyō, Kakuta directed aircraft operations against U.S. naval forces during the... In the Pacific theater of World War II, the American Marianas Campaign, known as Operation Forager, pushed westward from the Marshall Islands in the summer of 1944 to capture the islands of Saipan, Tinian, and Guam. ... Combatants United States Empire of Japan Commanders Richmond K. Turner Holland Smith Yoshitsugu Saito â€  Chuichi Nagumo â€  Strength 71,000 31,000 Casualties 3,426 killed; 13,160 wounded 24,000 KIA and 5,000 suicides; 921 prisoners The Battle of Saipan was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World... The battle of Tinian was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on the island of Tinian in the Mariana Islands from 24 July 1944 to 1 August 1944. ... Combatants United States Empire of Japan Commanders William H. Rupertus, USMC Kunio Nakagawa Strength 2 divisions (1st Marine Division and the USA 81st Infantry Division) Approximately 11,000 men Casualties 2,336 killed and 8,450 wounded 10,695 killed, 202 captured The Battle of Peleliu, like the bloody World... Battle of Angaur Conflict World War II, Pacific War Date 17 September 1944 – 30 September 1944 Place Angaur, Palau Islands Result American victory The battle of Angaur was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on the island of Angaur in the Palau Islands from... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Anthem Kimi ga Yo Imperial Reign Capital Tokyo Government Constitutional monarchy Emperor  - 1868–1912 Emperor Meiji  - 1912–1926 Emperor Taishō  - 1926–1989 Emperor Shōwa Prime Minister (many other Prime Ministers preceded the below list)  - 1916–1918 Count Masatake Terauchi  - 1937-1939, 1940-1941 Prince Fumimaro Konoe  - 1941–1944 Hideki... For other uses, see Pacific War (disambiguation). ... is the 170th day of the year (171st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... The Mariana Islands (also the Marianas; up to the early 20th century sometimes called Ladrones Islands, from Spanish Islas de los Ladrones meaning Islands of Thieves) are an archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels... For Combined Fleet, please see that article. ... Four aircraft carriers, (bottom-to-top) Principe de Asturias, amphibious assault carrier USS Wasp, USS Forrestal and light V/STOL carrier HMS Invincible, showing size differences of late 20th century carriers An aircraft carrier is a warship designed to deploy and in most cases recover aircraft, acting as a sea... USN redirects here. ... For other uses, see Radar (disambiguation). ... Combat air patrol (CAP) is a type of defensive mission for fighter aircraft, in which they guard a designated site, either a fixed site on land, ships at sea, or less commonly support aircraft such as aerial tankers. ...

Background

Operation A

In September 1943, IJN Headquarters decided that the time was right to go back on the offensive in the Pacific. Since the U.S. was attacking Japanese-held islands in the course of its “island hopping campaign”, the lack of aircraft could be addressed with the addition of strong land-based air forces. The result was Operation A (あ号作戦), which would take place some time in early 1944, attacking the U.S. Pacific Fleet while it launched its next minor offensive. On May 3, orders for Operation A were sent out, and the waiting began. Island hopping refers to crossing an ocean by a series of shorter journeys between islands, as opposed to a single journey directly across the ocean to the destination. ... The United States Pacific Fleet (USPACFLT) is part of the US Navy. ... is the 123rd day of the year (124th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Japanese fleet, commanded by Vice-Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa, consisted of five fleet carriers (Taihō, Shōkaku, Zuikaku, Junyō, and Hiyō), four light carriers (Ryuho, Chitose, Chiyoda, and Zuihō), five battleships (Yamato, Musashi, Kongō, Haruna, and Nagato) and supporting cruisers, destroyers, and oilers. Jisaburo Ozawa (小沢治三郎 Ozawa Jisaburō, October 2, 1886 – November 9, 1966) was a Japanese admiral during World War II. He was the last Commander-in-Chief of Combined Fleet. ... Taihō (大鳳) was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Taihō means Great Phoenix. Built by Kawasaki, she was laid down on 10 July 1941 and launched almost two years later, on 7 April 1943, and was finally completed eleven months afterwards on 7 March 1944. ... Shōkaku (Japanese: 翔鶴 shōkaku meaning flying crane) was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy, the lead ship of her class. ... Zuikaku (Japanese: ずいかく Kanji: 瑞鶴 fortunate crane) was a Shōkaku-class aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... Junyō (Japanese: 隼鷹 junyō meaning peregrine falcon) was a Hiyō-class aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... Hiyō (Japanese: 飛鷹 Flying Falcon) was a Hiyō-class aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... The Ryuho ) was a Japanese naval vessel which started life as the submarine depot ship Taigei, and was taken out of service in December 1941 for conversion into a light aircraft carrier. ... Chitose (千歳) was a light aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. It should not be confused with the earlier Japanese cruiser Chitose. ... Zuihō was an aircraft carrier of the the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... Yamato (大和), named after the ancient Japanese Yamato Province, was a battleship of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... Musashi (武蔵), named after the ancient Japanese Musashi Province, was a battleship belonging to the Imperial Japanese Navy, and was the second and final ship of the Yamato class to be completed as a battleship. ... Kongō (金剛, vajra or indestructible) was the Imperial Japanese Navys first super-dreadnought type battlecruiser, and the name-ship of her class, which also included the Hiei, Kirishima, and Haruna. ... Haruna (榛名) was a Kongo class battleship laid down by the Kawasaki Shipbuilding Company at Kobe on 16 March 1912, launched on 14 December 1913 and completed on 19 April 1915. ... Nagato (Japanese: é•·é–€, named after Nagato province) was a battleship of the Imperial Japanese Navy, the lead ship of her class. ... USS McFaul underway in the Atlantic Ocean. ...

On June 11, U.S. carrier-borne forces started a series of small strikes on the Marianas, convincing Admiral Toyoda Soemu, Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet, that the U.S. was preparing to invade. This came as something of a surprise because the Japanese had expected the next U.S. target to be further to the south, either the Carolines or the Palaus, and therefore the Marianas were protected with a weak force of only 50 aircraft. is the 162nd day of the year (163rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Soemu Toyoda (豊田副武 Toyoda Soemu, May 22, 1885 - September 22, 1957) was a Japanese admiral of World War II. He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1905 and joined the Imperial Japanese Navy and by 1941 had reached the rank of admiral and was commander of the... Commander-in-Chief (in NATO-lingo often C-in-C or CINC pronounced sink) is the commander of all the military forces within a particular region or of all the military forces of a state. ... Combined Fleet was the ocean-going branch of the Imperial Japanese Navy, which was ruled under General Staff of the Imperial Japanese Navy (e. ... Sunset at Colonia on Yap The Caroline Islands form a large archipelago of widely scattered islands in the western Pacific Ocean, northeast of New Guinea. ... The Mariana Islands (also the Marianas; up to the early 20th century sometimes called Ladrones Islands, from Spanish Islas de los Ladrones meaning Islands of Thieves) are an archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels...

On June 15, 1944, the U.S. started its invasion of Saipan, and Toyoda gave the order for the attack. The main portions of the fleet, consisting of six carriers and several battleships, rendezvoused on June 16 in the western part of the Philippine Sea, and completed refueling on June 17. is the 166th day of the year (167th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Combatants United States Empire of Japan Commanders Richmond K. Turner Holland Smith Yoshitsugu Saito â€  Chuichi Nagumo â€  Strength 71,000 31,000 Casualties 3,426 killed; 13,160 wounded 24,000 KIA and 5,000 suicides; 921 prisoners The Battle of Saipan was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World... is the 167th day of the year (168th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Philippine Sea The Philippine Sea is a marginal sea east of Philippines. ... is the 168th day of the year (169th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

U.S. response

The Japanese forces had been sighted on June 15 by American submarines, and by the next day Admiral Ray Spruance, commander of the U.S. 5th Fleet, was positive a major battle was about to start. By the afternoon of June 18, Admiral Marc Mitscher, aboard his flagship (the carrier USS Lexington) had his Task Force 58 (the Fast Carrier Task Force) formed up near Saipan to meet the Japanese attack. is the 166th day of the year (167th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Raymond Spruance Raymond Ames Spruance (July 3, 1886 - December 13, 1969) was a United States Navy admiral in World War II, and commanded US naval forces at the turning point of the Pacific War, the Battle of Midway. ... The 5th Fleet of the United States Navy maintains a visible deterrent force in the Persian Gulf area. ... is the 169th day of the year (170th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Admiral Marc A. Mitscher Marc Andrew Pete Mitscher, (26 January 1887 - 3 February 1947) was an admiral in the United States Navy, notable as commander of the Fast Carrier Task Force in the latter half of World War II in the Pacific. ... USS Lexington (CV/CVA/CVS/CVT-16), known as The Blue Ghost, was an Essex-class aircraft carrier, the fifth United States Naval ship named in honor of the Revolutionary War Battle of Lexington. ... The Fast Carrier Task Force, known at different times as Task Force 38 and Task Force 58, was the main striking force of the United States Navy in the latter half of the Pacific War. ... Saipan seen from the air A map of Saipan, Tinian & Aquijan Saipan (IPA: in English) is the largest island and capital of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean (15°10...

TF-58 consisted of five major groups. In front (to the west) was Admiral Willis Lee’s Task Group 58.7 (TG-58.7), the “Battle Line”, consisting of seven fast battleships (Washington, North Carolina, Indiana, Iowa, New Jersey, South Dakota, and Alabama). Just north of them was the weakest of the carrier groups, Rear Admiral William K. Harrill’s TG-58.4 of three carriers (Essex, Langley, and Cowpens). To the east were three groups of four carriers, each in a line running north to south: Rear Admiral Joseph Clark’s TG-58.1 (Hornet, Yorktown, Belleau Wood, and Bataan); Rear Admiral Alfred Montgomery’s TG-58.2 (Bunker Hill, Wasp, Cabot, and Monterey); and Rear Admiral John W. Reeves’s TG-58.3 (Enterprise, Lexington, San Jacinto, and Princeton). The capital ships were supported by eight heavy cruisers, 13 light cruisers, 58 destroyers, and 28 submarines. Rear Admiral Willis A. Lee, Jr. ... Historically, a fast battleship was a battleship of which the design featured an emphasis on speed which was unusual, compared to the normal practice of the time. ... USS Washington (BB-56), the second of two North Carolina-class battleships, was the third ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 42nd state. ... See USS North Carolina for other Navy ships of the same name. ... USS Indiana (BB-58), a South Dakota-class battleship, was the fourth ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 19th state. ... USS Iowa (BB-61), the lead ship of her class of battleship, was the fourth ship of the United States Navy, but second to be commissioned, to be named in honor of the 29th state. ... USS New Jersey (BB-62), known as Big J, is an Iowa-class battleship, and was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor of the U.S. state of New Jersey. ... USS South Dakota (BB-57), the lead ship of her class, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor of the 40th state. ... USS Alabama (BB-60), a South Dakota-class battleship, was the fifth completed ship named Alabama of the United States Navy, however she was only the third commissioned ship with that name. ... The fourth USS Essex (CV-9) (also CVA-9 and CVS-9) was a United States Navy aircraft carrier, the lead ship of her class. ... The USS Langley (CVL-27) was an 11,000-ton Independence-class aircraft carrier that served the United States Navy from 1943 - 1964. ... USS Cowpens (CV-25) was an 11,000-ton Independence-class aircraft carrier that served the United States Navy from 1943 - 1947. ... Admiral Joseph James Jocko Clark, USN (November 12, 1893 – July 13, 1971) was an admiral in the U.S. Navy, who commanded aircraft carriers during World War II. A native of Oklahoma, Clark was of Cherokee heritage. ... // The eighth USS Hornet (CV/CVA/CVS-12) was originally named USS Kearsarge, but renamed in honor of the CV-8, which was lost in October of 1942. ... USS Yorktown (CV/CVS-10) was an Essex-class aircraft carrier of the United States Navy, and is now a museum ship at Patriots Point , Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. ... New Haven (CL-76), reclassified CV-24 and renamed Belleau Wood on 16 February 1942 and reclassified CVL-24 on 15 July 1943, was a United States Navy Independence class aircraft carrier active during World War II. Belleau Wood was launched 6 December 1942 by New York Shipbuilding Corp. ... USS Bataan (CVL-29), originally planned as USS Buffalo (CL-99) and also classified as CV-29, was an 11,000 ton Independence class light aircraft carrier which was commissioned in the United States Navy during World War II. Buffalo (CL-99) was reclassified CV-29 and renamed Bataan on... USS Bunker Hill (CV-17) was an Essex-class aircraft carrier of the United States Navy, nicknamed Holiday Express for her many attacks launched around the end of the year. ... The ninth USS Wasp (CV-18) of the United States Navy was an Essex-class aircraft carrier. ... It has been suggested that Spanish aircraft carrier Dédalo be merged into this article or section. ... The USS Monterey (CVL-26) was an Independence-class light aircraft carrier of the United States Navy, in service during World War II and used in training for several years thereafter. ... USS Enterprise (CV-6) was the sixth aircraft carrier of the United States Navy and the seventh US Navy ship of that name. ... USS Lexington (CV/CVA/CVS/CVT-16), known as The Blue Ghost, was an Essex-class aircraft carrier, the fifth United States Naval ship named in honor of the Revolutionary War Battle of Lexington. ... The second USS San Jacinto (CVL-30) of the United States Navy was an Independence-class light aircraft carrier. ... The fourth USS Princeton (CVL-23) was a United States Navy light aircraft carrier lost at the battle of Leyte Gulf in 1944. ... The capital ships of a navy are its important warships; the ones with the heaviest firepower and armor. ... HMS Raleigh a Hawkins class cruiser around which the treaty limits for Heavy cruisers were written. ... A light cruiser is a warship that is not so large and powerful as a regular (or heavy) cruiser, but still larger than ships like destroyers. ...

Shortly before midnight on June 18, Admiral Chester W. Nimitz sent Spruance a message from Pacific Fleet Headquarters indicating that the Japanese flagship was approximately 350 miles (650 km) to the west-southwest of Task Force 58. Shortly thereafter, Mitscher asked for permission to head west during the night to an ideal launch position for an all-out attack on the enemy force at dawn. is the 169th day of the year (170th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Chester William Nimitz (February 24, 1885 – February 20, 1966) was the Commander in Chief of Pacific Forces for the United States and Allied forces during World War II. He was the United States leading authority on submarines, as well as Chief of the Navys Bureau of Navigation in 1939. ...

However, Spruance refused. Throughout the run-up to the battle he had been concerned that the Japanese would try to draw his main fleet away from the landing area using a diversionary force, and would then make an attack around the flank of the U.S. carrier force — an “end run” — hitting the invasion shipping off Saipan. Instead, he placed TF-58 on a purely defensive footing, leaving it to the Japanese to set the pace of the battle.

Spruance was heavily criticized by many officers after the battle, and continues to be to this day, because he missed the chance to destroy all of the Japanese strike force when given the chance, but it is instructive to compare Spruance’s caution with Admiral “Bull” Halsey’s later impetuous pursuit of a diversionary force of Japanese carriers at the Battle of Leyte Gulf that left inferior U.S. forces open to attack off Samar by a Japanese surface action group composed of cruisers, destroyers and battleships. William Frederick Bull Halsey, Jr. ... Combatants  United States  Australia  Philippines Empire of Japan Commanders William Halsey, Jr (3rd Fleet) Thomas C. Kinkaid (7th Fleet) Takeo Kurita (Centre Force) Shoji Nishimura â€  (Southern Force) Kiyohide Shima (Southern Force) Jisaburo Ozawa (Northern Force) Strength 17 aircraft carriers 18 escort carriers 12 battleships 24 cruisers 141 destroyers and destroyer... Samar, formerly Western Samar, is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. ...

Battle

Early actions

At 05:30 on June 19, TF-58 turned northeast into the wind and started to launch their air patrols. The Japanese had already launched their morning search patrols using some of the 50 aircraft stationed on Guam, and at 05:50, one of these, a Mitsubishi Zero, found TF-58. After radioing his sighting of U.S. ships, he attacked one of the destroyers on picket duty and was shot down. is the 170th day of the year (171st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Mitsubishi A6M3 Zero wreck abandoned at Munda Airfield, Central Solomons, 1943. ... USS McFaul underway in the Atlantic Ocean. ...

Thus alerted, the rest of the Guam forces began forming up for an attack, but were spotted on radar by U.S. ships, and a group of F6F Hellcats from the Belleau Wood were sent to investigate. The Hellcats arrived while aircraft were still launching from Orote Field. Minutes later, additional radar contacts were seen, which were later discovered to be the additional forces being sent north from the other islands. A huge battle broke out; 35 of the Japanese planes were shot down, and the battle was still going an hour later when the Hellcats were recalled to their carriers. Grumman F6F-3 Hellcats on 1 January 1943 F6F-5 ready in catapult on USS Randolph Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat on the flight deck of USS Yorktown (CV-10) prior to take off, having its wings extended Grumman F6F-3 Hellcats in tricolor scheme on the flight deck The Grumman...

Japanese raids

Fighter plane contrails mark the sky over Task Force 58, June 19, 1944

The recall had been ordered after several ships in TF-58 picked up radar contacts 150 miles (280 km) to the west at about 10:00. This was the first of the raids from the Japanese carrier forces, with 68 aircraft. TF-58 started launching every fighter it could, and by the time, they were in the air the Japanese had closed to 70 miles (130 km). However, the Japanese began circling in order to regroup their formations for the attack. This ten-minute delay proved critical, and the first group of Hellcats met the raid, still at 70 miles, at 10:36. They were quickly joined by additional groups. Within minutes 25 Japanese planes had been shot down, against the loss of only one U.S. aircraft. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... is the 170th day of the year (171st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ...

The Japanese planes that survived were met by other fighters, and 16 more were shot down. Of the remainder, some made attacks on the picket destroyers USS Yarnall and USS Stockham but caused no damage. Three or four bombers broke through to the battleship group, and one made a direct hit on the USS South Dakota, which caused many casualties, but failed to disable her. Not one aircraft of Ozawa’s first wave got through to the American carriers. USS Yarnall (DD-541), a Fletcher-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Lieutenant John Yarnall (1786–1815). ... USS Stockham (DD-683), a Fletcher-class destroyer, was a ship of the United States Navy named for Gy. ... USS South Dakota (BB-57), the lead ship of her class, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor of the 40th state. ...

At 11:07, radar detected another, much larger attack. This second wave consisted of 109 aircraft. They were met while still 60 miles (110 km) out, and at least 70 of these aircraft were shot down before reaching the ships. Six attacked Rear Admiral Montgomery’s group, making near-misses which caused casualties on two of the carriers. Four of the six were shot down. A small group of torpedo aircraft attacked Enterprise, launching a torpedo which exploded in the wake of the ship. Three other torpedo-planes attacked the light carrier Princeton but were shot down. In all, 97 of the 107 attacking aircraft were shot down. The torpedo, historically called a locomotive torpedo, is a self-propelled explosive projectile weapon, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater toward a target, and designed to detonate on contact or in proximity to a target. ...

The third raid, consisting of 47 aircraft, came in from the north. It was intercepted by 40 fighters at 13:00, while 50 miles (90 km) out from the task force. Seven Japanese planes were shot down. A few broke through and made an ineffective attack on the Enterprise group. Many others did not press home their attacks. This raid therefore suffered less than the others, and 40 of its aircraft managed to return to their carriers.

USS Bunker Hill is nearly hit by a Japanese bomb, during the air attacks of June 19, 1944.

The fourth Japanese raid was launched between 11:00 and 11:30, but pilots had been given an incorrect location for the Americans and could not find the fleet. They then broke into two loose groups and turned to Guam and Rota to refuel. One group of aircraft flying towards Rota stumbled upon Montgomery’s task group. Eighteen aircraft joined battle with American fighters and lost half their number. A smaller group of nine Japanese dive bombers of this force evaded U.S. planes and made attacks on the USS Wasp and the USS Bunker Hill, but failed to make any hits. Eight of these aircraft were shot down in the process. The larger group of Japanese planes had flown to Guam and were intercepted over Orote Field by 27 Hellcats while landing. Thirty of the 49 Japanese planes were shot down, and the rest were damaged beyond repair. A pilot on the Lexington was overheard saying, "Hell, this is like an old-time turkey shoot!" Since then the lopsided result of these air battles has been known as the “Great Marianas Turkey Shoot”. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... USS Bunker Hill (CV-17) was an Essex-class aircraft carrier of the United States Navy, nicknamed Holiday Express for her many attacks launched around the end of the year. ... is the 170th day of the year (171st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Rota Rota, also known as the peaceful island, is the southernmost island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). ...

Submarine attacks

At 08:16 the submarine USS Albacore had sighted Ozawa’s own carrier group and began an attack on the closest carrier, which was Taihō, the largest and newest carrier in the Japanese fleet and Vice Admiral Jisburo Ozawa’s flagship. As Albacore was about to fire, however, her fire-control computer failed, and the torpedoes had to be fired “by eye”. USS Albacore (SS-218), a Gato-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the albacore, a small tuna found in temperate seas throughout the world. ... A flagship is the ship used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships. ... A fire-control system is a computer, often mechanical, which is designed to assist a weapon system in hitting its target. ...

Taihō had just launched 42 aircraft as a part of the second raid. Four of Albacore’s torpedoes were off-target. Sakio Komatsu, the pilot of one of the recently-launched aircraft, sighted one of the two which were heading for Taihō and crashed his aircraft on it, but the last torpedo struck the carrier on her starboard side, rupturing two aviation-fuel tanks. At first, the damage did not appear to be very serious.

Another submarine, USS Cavalla, was able to maneuver to an attack position on the 25,675-ton carrier Shōkaku by about noon. The sub fired a spread of six torpedoes, three of which struck the Shōkaku. Badly damaged, the carrier came to a halt. One torpedo had hit the forward aviation fuel tanks near the main hangar, and planes that had just landed and were being refueled exploded into flames. Ammunition and exploding bombs added to the conflagration, as did burning fuel spewing from shattered fuel pipes. With her bows subsiding into the sea and fires out of control, the captain gave orders to abandon ship. Within minutes, total catastrophe struck the vessel. Volatile gas fumes had accumulated throughout the vessel, and when an aerial bomb exploded on the hangar deck, a series of terrific explosions simply blew the ship apart about 140 miles (260 km) north of the island of Yap. The carrier rolled over and slid beneath the waves taking 887 navy officers and men plus 376 men of Air Group 601, a total of 1,263 men in all, to the seabed. There were 570 survivors, including the carrier's commander, Captain Matsubara Hiroshi. USS Cavalla (SS/SSK/AGSS-244), a Gato-class submarine, was a ship of the United States Navy named for the cavalla, a salt water fish of the pompano family inhabiting waters off the eastern coast of the Americas from Cape Cod to Rio de la Plata. ...

Meanwhile, Taihō was falling victim to poor damage control. On the orders of an inexperienced damage-control officer, her ventilation system had been operated full-blast in an attempt to clear explosive fumes from the ship. This instead had the effect of spreading throughout Taihō the vapors, which were liable to ignition by spark or flame. At 17:32, she suffered a series of catastrophic explosions caused by the accumulated fumes igniting near an electric generator on the hangar deck. Of her complement of 1,751, a total of 1,650 crewmen were lost. (The USS Albacore was later lost with her entire crew of 86 during her 11th patrol off the coast of Japan, on November 7, 1944, after hitting a mine.) is the 311th day of the year (312th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ...

U.S. counterattack

Japanese Carrier Division Three under attack by United States Navy aircraft from Task Force 58, late afternoon, June 20, 1944. The heavy cruiser circling at right, nearest to the camera, is either Maya or Chōkai. Beyond that, is the small aircraft carrier Chiyoda.

TF-58 sailed west during the night in order to attack the Japanese at dawn. Search patrols were put up at first light. Japanese Carrier Division Three under attack by United States Navy aircraft from Task Force 58 in the battle of the Philippine Sea, late afternoon of 20 June 1944. ... Japanese Carrier Division Three under attack by United States Navy aircraft from Task Force 58 in the battle of the Philippine Sea, late afternoon of 20 June 1944. ... USN redirects here. ... is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Maya (Japanese: まや Kanji: 摩耶) was one of four Takao-class heavy cruisers, designed to be an improvement over the previous Myōkō-class design. ... Chōkai (Japanese: ちょうかい Kanji: 鳥海) was a Takao-class heavy cruiser, armed with ten 8 guns, four 4. ... Four aircraft carriers, (bottom-to-top) Principe de Asturias, amphibious assault carrier USS Wasp, USS Forrestal and light V/STOL carrier HMS Invincible, showing size differences of late 20th century carriers An aircraft carrier is a warship designed to deploy and in most cases recover aircraft, acting as a sea...

Admiral Ozawa had transferred to the destroyer Wakatsuki after Taihō had been hit, but the radio gear onboard was not capable of sending the number of messages needed, so he transferred again, to the carrier Zuikaku, at 13:00. It was then that he learned of the disastrous results of the day before and that he had about 150 aircraft left. Nevertheless, he decided to continue the attacks, thinking that there were still hundreds of planes on Guam and Rota, and started planning new raids to be launched on June 21. Wakatsuki was a Akizuki-class destroyer of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... is the 172nd day of the year (173rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

American searches failed to locate the Japanese fleet until 15:40. However the report made was so garbled that Mitscher knew neither what had been sighted nor where. At 16:05, another report was received which was clearer, and Mitscher decided to launch an “Alpha strike” even though there were only 75 minutes until sunset and his aviators did not normally recover at night thereby risking significant losses to landing mishaps. The attack went in at 18:30. An alpha strike is a sudden, all-out attack with no consideration for defense or conserving reserves, in the context of a game (typically a war game, card game, or video game. ...

Ozawa had been able to put up very few fighters to intercept the incoming U.S. attack —- no more than 35 according to later estimates, but these few were skilfully handled, and the Japanese antiaircraft fire was intense. The U.S. raid, however, contained 216 planes, and the majority were able to press the attack.

The first ships sighted by the U.S strike were oilers, and two of these were damaged so severely that they were later scuttled. The carrier Hiyō was attacked and hit by bombs and aerial torpedoes from four Grumman Avengers from Belleau Wood. Hiyo was set afire after a tremendous blast from leaking aviation fuel. Dead in the water, she slipped stern first under the waves, taking the lives of 250 officers and men. The rest of her crew, about one thousand, survived to be rescued by Japanese destroyers. The carriers Zuikaku, Junyō, and Chiyoda were damaged by bombs, as was the battleship Haruna. Twenty American aircraft were lost in this strike. The Grumman logo The Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, later Grumman Aerospace Corporation, was a leading producer of military and civilian aircraft of the 20th century. ... Grumman TBF Avengers in 1942 The Grumman TBF Avenger (designated TBM for aircraft manufactured by General Motors) was an American torpedo bomber, developed initially for the United States Navy and Marine Corps and used by a large number of air forces around the world. ...

At 20:45, the first U.S. planes began to return to TF-58. Knowing his aviators would have difficulty finding their carriers, Mitscher decided to fully illuminate his carriers shining searchlights directly up into the night, despite the risk of attack from submarines and night-flying aircraft, and the picket destroyers fired starshells to help the planes find the task groups. Despite this, 80 of the returning aircraft were lost, some crashing on flight decks, the majority going into the sea. Many of the crews were rescued over the next few days.

Aftermath

That night, Admiral Ozawa received orders from Toyoda to withdraw from the Philippine Sea. U.S. forces gave chase, but the battle was over.

The four Japanese attacks involved 373 carrier aircraft, of which 130 returned to the carriers, and several more were lost onboard the two carriers sunk on the first day by submarine attacks. After the second day the losses totaled three carriers and over 400 carrier aircraft lost and around 200 land based planes. Losses on the U.S. side on the first day were only 23, and on the second 100, most of them resulting from the night landings.

The losses to the Japanese were irreplaceable. At the Japanese naval air arm, only 35 out of Admiral Ozawa's 473 planes were left in a condition fit to fly. In the Battle of Leyte Gulf a few months later, their carriers were used solely as a decoy because of the lack of aircraft and aircrews to fly them. Combatants  United States  Australia  Philippines Empire of Japan Commanders William Halsey, Jr (3rd Fleet) Thomas C. Kinkaid (7th Fleet) Takeo Kurita (Centre Force) Shoji Nishimura â€  (Southern Force) Kiyohide Shima (Southern Force) Jisaburo Ozawa (Northern Force) Strength 17 aircraft carriers 18 escort carriers 12 battleships 24 cruisers 141 destroyers and destroyer...

Notes

References

• Brown, David (1990). Warship Losses of World War Two. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-914-X. 
• Thomas B. Buell. The Quiet Warrior: A Biography of Admiral Raymond A. Spruance (1987).
• D'Albas, Andrieu (1965). Death of a Navy: Japanese Naval Action in World War II. Devin-Adair Pub. ISBN 0-8159-5302-X. 
• Dull, Paul S. (1978). A Battle History of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1941-1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-097-1. 
• Lacroix, Eric; Linton Wells (1997). Japanese Cruisers of the Pacific War. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-311-3. 
• Samuel Eliot Morison, New Guinea and the Marianas, March 1944–August 1944, vol. 8 of History of United States Naval Operations in World War II (1950).
• Barrett Tillman, Clash of the Carriers: The True Story of the Marianas Turkey Shoot of World War II.
• Lieutenant Commander J. Bryan III: Mission Beyond Darkness The story of USS Lexington's Air Group 16 June 20, 1944 attack on the Japanese carrier fleet as told by the men who flew that day (1945)
• William T. Y'Blood. Red Sun Setting: The Battle of the Philippine Sea (2003).

RAdm Samuel Eliot Morison (1887-1976), USN historian Samuel Eliot Morison, RAdm, USNR (July 9, 1887 – May 15, 1976) was an American historian, notable for producing scholarly works that were both authoritative and highly readable, an ability recognized with two Pulitzer Prizes. ... The History of United States Naval Operations in World War II is a 15-volume account of the United States Navy in World War II, written by eminent historian Samuel Eliot Morison and published by Little, Brown and Company between 1947 and 1962. ... Barrett Tillman (b. ...

External links

• Order of battle
• WW2DB: The Marianas and the Great Turkey Shoot
• Animated History of The Battle of the Philippine Sea
• Air Group 31's participation in the Battle of the Philippine Sea