Battle of the Philippine Sea

(noun)

A decisive naval battle of World War II that eliminated the Imperial Japanese Navy's ability to conduct large-scale carrier actions (June 19–20, 1944)

Related Terms

Examples of Battle of the Philippine Sea in the following topics:

  • The Battle of Leyte Gulf

    • The Battle of Leyte Gulf is generally considered the largest naval battle of World War II and possibly the largest naval battle in history.
    • The Battle of Leyte Gulf, also called the Battles for Leyte Gulf, and formerly known as the Second Battle of the Philippine Sea, is generally considered to be the largest naval battle of World War II and, by some criteria, possibly the largest naval battle in history.
    • It was fought in waters near the Philippine islands of Leyte, Samar from October 23 - 26, 1944, between combined US and Australian forces and the Imperial Japanese Navy.
    • The Battle of Leyte Gulf consisted of four separate major engagements between the opposing forces: the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, the Battle of Surigao Strait, the Battle of Cape Engaño, and the Battle of Samar; there were also other lesser actions.
    • Also worth noting is the fact that at this battle Japan had fewer aircraft than the Allied Forces had sea vessels, a clear demonstration of the difference in power of the two sides at this point of the war.

  • Converging Military Fronts

    • The Soviet victory heralded the downfall of German superiority, giving the Soviet Union the initiative on the Eastern Front.
    • From November 1943, during the seven-week Battle of Changde, the Chinese forced Japan to fight a costly war of attrition, while awaiting Allied relief.
    • On 6 June, 1944, known as D-Day, the Allies invaded northern France, leading to the defeat of the German Army units and the liberation of Paris on 25 August .
    • In the Philippines, American forces defeated the Japanese in the Battle of the Philippine Sea and soon after scored another large victory during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, one of the largest naval battles in history .
    • In the Pacific, American forces advanced in the Philippines and captured Manila.

  • Nimitz in the Central Pacific

    • As rapidly as ships, men, and material became available, Nimitz shifted to the offensive and defeated the Japanese navy in the Battle of the Coral Sea (May 4-8, 1942), the pivotal Battle of Midway (June 4-7, 1942), and in the Solomon Islands Campaign.
    • Prior to the Battle of the Coral Sea, Nimitz and and his staff discussed deciphered messages and agreed that the Japanese were likely initiating a major operation in the Southwest Pacific in early May with Port Moresby as the probable target.
    • The Japanese, by contrast, remained almost totally unaware of their opponent's true strength and dispositions even after the battle began.
    • In the final phases in the war in the Pacific, Nimitz attacked the Mariana Islands, inflicting a decisive defeat on the Japanese fleet in the Battle of the Philippine Sea (June 19–20, 1944; a decisive naval battle of World War II that eliminated the Imperial Japanese Navy's ability to conduct large-scale carrier actions), and capturing Saipan, Guam, and Tinian.
    • In the Philippines, his ships turned back powerful task forces of the Japanese fleet, a historic victory in the multi-phased Battle for Leyte Gulffrom (October 24-26, 1944, the largest naval battle of World War II).

  • The Allied Push

    • Although Germans continued fighting on the Eastern Front, the Battle of Stalingrad, marked by constant close quarters combat and direct assaults on civilians by air raids, is often regarded as one of the single largest (nearly 2.2 million personnel) and bloodiest (1.7–2 million wounded, killed or captured) battles in the history of warfare.
    • The heavy losses inflicted on the German Wehrmacht make it arguably the most strategically decisive battle of the whole war.
    • In mid-June 1944, they began their offensive against the Mariana and Palau islands, and decisively defeated Japanese forces in the Battle of the Philippine Sea.
    • In late October, American forces invaded the Filipino island of Leyte; soon after, Allied naval forces scored another large victory in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, one of the largest naval battles in history.
    • In the Pacific theater, American forces accompanied by the forces of the Philippine Commonwealth advanced in the Philippines. 

  • The Philippine–American War

    • The conflict arose after the Philippine Revolution of 1896, from the struggle of the First Philippine Republic to gain independence following annexation by the United States.
    • The conflict arose when First Philippine Republic objected to the terms of the Treaty of Paris under which the United States took possession of the Philippines from Spain ending the Spanish–American War.
    • Fighting erupted between U.S. and Filipino revolutionary forces on February 4, 1899, and quickly escalated into the 1899 Battle of Manila.
    • However, some Philippine groups led by veterans of the Katipunan continued to battle the American forces.
    • Other groups, including the Moro people and Pulahanes people, continued hostilities in remote areas and islands until their final defeat a decade later at the Battle of Bud Bagsak on June 15, 1913.

  • MacArthur's Leapfrogging

    • The protracted battle for Guadalcanal—followed by the unopposed seizure of the Russell Islands (Operation Cleanslate) on February 21, 1943—resulted in Japanese attempts to reinforce the area by sea.
    • MacArthur's air forces countered in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea (March 2-5, 1943).
    • The Philippines Campaign included the Battle of Leyte Gulf - the largest naval battle of World War II and, by some criteria, possibly the largest naval battle in history.
    • Following MacArthur's strategy, the battle was fought in waters of the Leyte Gulf, near the Philippine islands of Leyte, Samar and Luzon, from October 23rd to 26th, 1944, between combined American and Australian forces and the Imperial Japanese Navy.
    • The battle consisted of four separate engagements between the opposing forces: the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, the Battle of Surigao Strait, the Battle of Cape Engaño and the Battle off Samar, as well as other actions.

  • The Guadalcanal Campaign

    • The Guadalcanal Campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and code-named Operation Watchtower, was a military campaign fought between August 7, 1942 and February 9, 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific theater of World War II.
    • To further those goals, Japanese forces captured the Philippines, Thailand, Malaya, Singapore, Burma, the Dutch East Indies, Wake Island, Gilbert Islands, New Britain and Guam.
    • Further attempts by the Japanese to continue their strategic initiative and offensively extend their outer defensive perimeter in the south and central Pacific were thwarted at the naval battles of Coral Sea (May 1941) and Midway (June 1941) respectively.
    • Allied concern grew when, in early July 1942, the IJN began constructing a large airfield at Lunga Point on nearby Guadalcanal—from such a base Japanese long-range bombers would threaten the sea lines of communication from the West Coast of the Americas to the populous East Coast of Australia.
    • Three major land battles, seven large naval battles, and continual, almost daily aerial battles culminated in the decisive Naval Battle of Guadalcanal in early November 1942.

  • Coral Sea and Midway

    • The Battle of the Coral Sea and the Battle of Midway were strategic triumphs for the Allies and marked the critical point in halting Japanese expansion during World War II.
    • The Battle of the Coral Sea, May 4-8, 1942, was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II between the Imperial Japanese Navy and Allied naval and air forces from the United States and Australia.
    • Now aware of the presence of U.S. carriers in the area, the Japanese fleet carriers entered the Coral Sea with the intention of finding and destroying the Allied naval forces.
    • The Battle of Midway was a decisive naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II.
    • Examine the importance of the Battle of the Coral Sea and the Battle of Midway Island as turning points for the Allies.

  • Events of the War

    • It involved every European great power of the time except the Ottoman Empire, spanning five continents, and affected Europe, the Americas, West Africa, India, and the Philippines.
    • Although he won the bloody Battle of Prague and laid siege to the city, he lost the Battle of Kolin, which forced him to lift the siege and withdraw from Bohemia altogether.
    • The French planned to invade the British Isles during 1759 but two sea defeats prevented the invasion.
    • Though the British later lost the Battle of Sainte-Foy west of Quebec (1760), the French ceded Canada in accordance with the Treaty of Paris (1763).
    • Frederick the Great routed a vastly superior Austrian force at the Battle of Leuthen on December 5, 1757.

  • The Spanish-American War

    • American attacks on Spain's Pacific possessions led to involvement in the Philippine Revolution and ultimately to the Philippine–American War.
    • Although the main issue of the war was Cuban independence, the ten-week long battle took place in both the Caribbean and the Pacific.
    • Cuban, Philippine, and American forces obtained the surrender of Santiago de Cuba and Manila.
    • Success is credited to sheer numerical superiority in most of the battles, despite the admirable performance of some Spanish infantry units, and spirited defenses in places like San Juan Hill.
    • It allowed temporary American control of Cuba, and ceded indefinite colonial authority over Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippine islands from Spain.