Red Arrow
"The primary purpose of the Leyte Campaign was to establish an air and logistical base in the Leyte area in order to
support operations in the Luzon-Formosa-China coast area and particularly to nullify Japanese strength in Luzon. It was
hoped that the fertile Leyte Valley, broad and flat, could be utilized for major airfields and base sites from which
large-scale operations could be launched against the rest of the Philippines." (Cannon 1)

The island of Leyte is part of the Visayan Islands in the central Philippines, between the Philippines' largest islands, Luzon to the
north and Mindanao to the south. The eighth largest of the Philippine Islands, Leyte extends about 115 miles from north to south and
varies from 15 to 45 miles in width.

"It forms over 2,700 square miles of difficult country with the familiar southwest Pacific pattern of jungle-covered
mountains, swamps, streams and a few poor roads. It is separated from the larger island of Samar to the northeast only
by the narrow, 25 mile-long, San Juanico Strait. This shallow strait is navigable by small craft only." (Blakeley 179)

A mountain range, reaching 4,000 feet, runs from the northwest end of the island to the southeast end. These heavily wooded
mountains strongly favor the defense and present a formidable obstacle to rapid troop movements between the western and
eastern coasts. This range separates the Ormoc Valley in the west from the Leyte Valley to the east; both valleys are important
for military control of the island. The Leyte Valley, in the northeast section of the island, is where most of the airfields, key roads,
and sizable cities are located.

LG Walter Krueger's (CO of Sixth Army) concept for the seizure and control of Leyte consisted of three phases.

"Phase I provided for preliminary amphibious operations to secure the islands which dominate the eastern entrances to the
Leyte Gulf.
"Phase II was to be a major amphibious assault on the northern beaches of the eastern coast and the seizing of airfield
and base sites on the coastal strip in that area, followed immediately by an advance to the northwest to gain control of
Leyte Valley, the Carigara beaches, and San Juanico Strait.
"Phase III comprised the overland and shore-to-shore operations to destroy the remaining Japanese forces on Leyte, and
the seizure and occupation of southwestern Samar." (Blakeley 179)

On the eve of the attack, Sixth Army G-2 believed that Japanese strength on Leyte was about 21,700 troops, about half of which
were from the Japanese 16th Division and the remainder consisting mainly of service troops. However, they realized that the enemy
would probably be able to reinforce this garrison with units from other nearby islands.

A-Day for the attack on Leyte was set for 20 October 1944. This assault would be the largest operation in the Pacific Theater to
date. For the first time during WWII, the vast majority of all of the Allied air and naval forces in the Central Pacific and
Southwest Pacific Areas would be focused on a single operation; providing either direct or indirect support for the 202,500 ground
troops initially committed to the invasion of Leyte.

The main naval elements consisted of Vice Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid's Seventh Fleet and Admiral William F. Halsey's Third Fleet.
The Navy would provide the majority of the air support during the initial stages of the operation.

The Allied Air Forces, commanded by LG George C. Kenney, were comprised of MG Ennis P. Whitehead's Fifth Air Force, MG St.
Clair Streett's Thirteenth Air Force, and Air Vice Marshal William D. Bostock's Royal Australian Air Force. In addition to providing
air support for the ground forces on Leyte, the Allied Air Forces would also provide air cover for the naval forces.

The ground forces, LG Krueger's Sixth Army, were made up of MG John R. Hodge's XXIV Corps (7th and 96th Infantry Divisions),
MG Franklin C. Sibert's X Corps (1st Cavalry Division and 24th Infantry Division), the Sixth Army Reserve (32nd and 77th Infantry
Divisions), and the 6th Ranger Battalion.

"All of the assault divisions were reinforced with tank battalions, amphibian truck and tractor battalions, joint assault
signal companies, and many attached service units." (Cannon 26)

All but one of these divisions were veterans of previous victories over the Japanese; the 1st Cavalry Division in the Admiralty
Islands, the 7th Infantry Division at Attu and Kwajalein, the 24th Infantry Division at Hollandia, the 32nd Infantry Division at
Buna/Sanananda and Aitape, the 77th Infantry Division at Guam; only the 96th Infantry Division had not yet faced the Japanese.
ARMY CARS USA          
Military Vehicle Preservation Group of Spooner, Wisconsin

Phase I of the invasion of Leyte began in the early morning hours of 17 October as the 6th Ranger Battalion assaulted several small islands at the opening
of Leyte Gulf. One of their key tasks was to set up navigation lights that would direct the assault convoys to the landing beaches. At the same time, Navy
obstacles off the coast of the landing beaches. Navy destroyers provided gunfire support to these elements and also started to target Japanese
facilities and defenses in the landing areas.

At 2300 on 19 October the main assault elements arrived off Leyte Gulf. They had embarked in three main groups. The XXIV Corps had embarked at
Hawaii, the 1st Cavalry Division embarked at Manus in the Admiralties, and the 24th Division embarked at Hollandia on New Guinea. The three groups
linked up along the way and formed one huge convoy, so they could arrive off Leyte at the same time. This immense convoy was comprised of over 1,171
ships (this number does not include the ships carrying the 1st Cav. Div.), from huge battleships and 5,000-man transports to small landing craft. "The
largest convoy ever seen in the Pacific up to that time. (Cannon 41)" This convoy did not include numerous naval support elements, such as the four carrier
tasks groups, which were in the area to support the assault, but weren't part of the convoy.

Due to a shortage of naval transports, the Sixth Army Reserve was held at its staging areas (the 32nd Division at Hollandia and the 77th Division at
Guam) until transports from the assault force could be freed to go pick them up. It was estimated that it would be mid-November by the time these two
reserve divisions could be brought forward to Leyte.

"The Japanese were quick to react to this major threat to their control of the Philippine Islands, and to all the rest of their southern empire.
General George C. Marshall tells what happened in his Biennial Report of the Chief of Staff for the 1943-1945 period:
"On 19 October two assault forces, the 3d commanded by Admiral Wilkinson and the 7th commanded by Rear Admiral Daniel E. Barbey,
approached the east coast of Leyte with the Sixth Army under General Krueger aboard. It was an armada of combat and assault vessels that
stretched across the vast Pacific horizon. In the covering naval forces were the battleships CALIFORNIA, MISSISSIPPI, MARYLAND,
PENNSYLVANIA, TENNESSEE, and WEST VIRGINIA with their screen of cruisers and destroyers. The troops and material with which we
were to seize Leyte were loaded in 53 assault transports, 54 assault cargo ships, 151 landing ships (tank), 72 landing craft (infantry), 16
rocket ships, and over 400 other assorted amphibious craft. The air cover was provided by planes from 18 escort carriers.
"Out to sea Admiral Halsey’s mighty carrier task force, which helped prepare the way for the landings by air bombardment, now stood watch
for possible Japanese naval opposition to the landings. That day a Japanese search plane discovered this great amphibious force and reported its
presence to Admiral Kurita’s Singapore fleet, which then constituted 60 percent of Japan’s major naval units. This report precipitated one of
the decisive battles of history.
"The X and XXIV Corps of the Sixth Army went ashore on schedule the following day after the Navy had paved its way with drum-fire
bombardment. Three days later Gen. MacArthur directed the ground forces to secure their beach areas and await the outcome of the naval
battle which was now impending. The Japanese made the decision to commit their fleet in the battle to prevent America’s return to the
Philippines.
"By 26 October it was apparent that the Third and Seventh Fleets had virtually eliminated Japan as a sea power.
"The battle for Leyte Gulf was, as General Marshall calls it, “one of the decisive battles of history.” Its results of course affected the
future activities of the 32d Division as it did those of all Allied forces engaged in the struggle against Japan. Another major development
leading up to the [32nd] Division’s next commitment to combat was the Japanese decision to reinforce their ground forces on Leyte.
"Field Marshal Count Hisaichi Terauchi was the supreme commander of all the troops in Japan’s great conquered area in the Southwest Pacific.
His headquarters was in Manila. The 14th Area Army, until recently commanded by Lieutenant General Shigenori Kuroda, was charged with the
defense of the Philippines. It had a strength of over 260,000 men but they were scattered all over the Philippines, and Allied air and naval
pressure was making it increasingly difficult to move them from place to place. Terauchi, expecting an attack somewhere in the Philippines,
secured General Tomoyuki Yamashita, an officer with an outstanding war record, to replace General Kuroda. Although the landing on Leyte
achieved complete strategic surprise in terms of timing, weight, and location, it was soon evident that the Japanese were going to make every
effort to hold the island. Reinforcements were moved in from Mindanao, Luzon, Cebu, Panay and other islands." (qtd. in Blakeley 180-3)
Soldiers from the 128th Inf., 32nd Division, in
Limon, Leyte, Philippine Islands, take cover as enemy
shells impact.
Limon, Leyte, Philippine Islands.