In October 1944, the US prepared to invade the Philippines to cut Japan off from its resource areas in Southeast Asia. The Japanese correctly predicted this, and prepared a complex operation to use the remaining strength of its navy to defend its possessions. This is the first in a two-part study of the October 23-26 Battle of Leyte Gulf, which resulted in a decisive defeat for the Japanese. In the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the Imperial Japanese Navy's First Diversion Strike Force took part in two major actions during the course of the battle: the intense air attacks from US Navy carriers on October 24 (the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, which accounted for superbattleship Musashi), and the compelling action off Samar the following day. This book examines in detail why, following the Samar action, the Imperial Japanese Navy commander of the First Diversion Strike Force (Takeo Kurita) chose to ignore orders and break off the attack into Leyte Gulf-one of the two most controversial decisions of the entire battle. It also covers the Japanese planning for Leyte Gulf, and the strengths and weaknesses of the Imperial Japanese Navy in this phase of the war alongside the US Navy's planning and command arrangements.

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.

Thomas Griffith offers a critical assessment of George C. Kenney's numerous contributions to MacArthur's war efforts. He depicts Kenney as a staunch proponent of airpower's ability to shape the outcome of military engagement and a commander who shared MacArthur's strategic vision.

Each of these 15 volumes covers a period and campaigns in the Pacific, Atlantic and North African waters during World War II. It was Morison's aim to show what the U.S. Navy accomplished in the greatest of all wars and how it was done. The story, in the main, is one of fighting; that is what the Navy is for and what its entire effort was directed toward. But the author included enough space to strategic discussions, planning, organization, and logistics to explain the end product -- the naval operations. And when other armed services of the United States and her allies participated, he brought them in too, although not in so great detail. Filled with many maps, a number of them larger fold-outs, and black and white photos of the ships, personnel and operations.

"O'Hara refutes the widely held notion that the attack on Pearl Harbor rendered surface warfare obsolete. He offers readers details of U.S. naval actions barely mentioned in other histories to demonstrate how U.S. battleships, cruisers, and destroyers played a decisive role at critical junctures in the war and made significant contributions to the Allied victory. He also documents the performance of weapon systems, shows how doctrine developed, and examines the role played by new technologies. Numerous maps, tables, and charts enhance the text."--BOOK JACKET.

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Presents facts, dates, and events of the American experience, covering more than one thousand years of U.S. history.

This biography of Admiral Marc Mitscher follows him from his days at the Naval Academy through his days in two World Wars: commanding three naval air stations during WWI, and then as Commander Fleet Air for many missions in the east during WWII, including the Battle of Midway, the Marianas, Leyte Gulf, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. Following WWII, he served as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Air) and finally as Commander, Atlantic Fleet. He was the first aviator to make admiral and fill combat commands.