SHO-1 versus KING II - Victory at Leyte Gulf - Was it United States Luck or Japanese Mistakes?
Abstract
The Battle for Leyte Gulf was the greatest naval battle of all time in terms of number of ships involved, losses of ships and aircraft and size of area over which the battle was fought. The American victory effectively marked the end of the Japanese Navy in World War Two. The battle was marked by furious surface, air and submarine action at sea and fierce fighting ashore on Leyte Island by US Army and Marine ground forces. While U.S. Navy dealt devastating losses to the Japanese fleet and claimed a resounding victory, the battle continues to be discussed for the significant operational, tactical and judgmental errors made by commanders of both sides. This study examines the errors made, the reasons for the errors and the effect the errors had toward deciding the outcome of this battle. It investigates the Japanese plan for the battle and the Japanese philosophy toward the war in 1944 and how these issues affected the outcome. It also considers the American chain of command in the Pacific theater and the problems caused by that unique setup. The paper discusses what we have learned, if anything from Leyte Gulf, and if in a similar situation would we make the same mistakes again. Finally the paper evaluates the composite effect of errors on both sides.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 31, 1989
- Accession Number
- ADA209582
Entities
People
- Charles D. Crowell
Organizations
- United States Army War College