🔗==================>> The WWII Japan > The Philippines Liberated Submodule <<==================🔗
subpages:  Leyte Campaign   Battle of Leyte Gulf    Philippines Naval War   Luzon Campaign    Southern Philippines
other links:  Naval War with Japan
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MacArthur at Leyte
MacArthur at Leyte
bigpigeon.us webpage WWII Japan > Philippines Liberated > Leyte, © 2025 by Robert A. Christiansen,  updated by RAC 2 Jun 2025

The Leyte Campaign
Major operations in the Leyte Campaign began on 20 October 1944 when four divisions of MacArthur's Sixth Army, led by General Walter Krueger, landed on the east coast of Leyte in the central Philippine Islands.

In an attempt to destroy the invasion forces, the Imperial Japanese Navy soon launched a complex naval operation which became the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the subject of a separate webpage.

The accompanying map shows the US land advance during the first two weeks.

​
Early Stage of the Leyte Campaign
Early Stage of the Leyte Campaign
  • Japanese reinforcements continued to arrive on Leyte from elsewhere in the Philippines.
  • Muddy conditions restricted land movement.  
  • Leyte turned out to be a poorly suited airbase location. 
Thus the Leyte Campaign took longer than expected. 

Various dates are used to mark the close of the Leyte Campaign:
  • 25 December - Siezure of last port available for Japanese use.
  • 26 December - Leyte operational control transferred from the Sixth to the Eighth Army.
  • 31 December - Last combat with Japanese units.
  • 8 May 1945 - Mop-up of Japanese stragglers ends.
Final Stage of the Leyte Campaign
Final Stage of the Leyte Campaign
Sources for Big Pigeon's WWII Japan > Philippines Liberated > Leyte webpage:
  • The webpage header photo, MacArthur at Leyte, shows General MacArthur landing on the beach at Leyte on invasion day, 20 Oct 1944. The photo is courtesy of wikipedia.
  • The map Early Stage of the Leyte Campaign is taken from https://history.army.mil/html/books/072/72-27/CMH_Pub_72-27.pdf.
  • The map Final Stage of the Leyte Campaign is taken from https://history.army.mil/html/books/072/72-27/CMH_Pub_72-27.pdf.
  • https://history.army.mil/brochures/leyte/leyte.htm
​​
Pottawattamie Area WWII Dead - WWII Japan > Philippines Liberated > Leyte:
  • Taken from the bigpigeon.us WWII Dead module.
08-01 - WWII Japan > Philippines Liberated > Leyte: (five dead, updated 2 Jun 2025)
† Alley, Guy Hersell, SN 37-267-605, US Army, Mills Co.
  • 382nd Inf. Regt., 96th Inf. Div.; KIA 9 Nov 1944 W of Dagami, Leyte, Philippines;
  • WWII Japan > Philippines Liberated > Leyte
​​† Fuller, John Howard, SN 0-1-307-394, US Army, Montgomery Co.
  • Co. H, 184th Inf. Regt., 7th Inf. Div., XXIV Corps, Sixth Army; a 2nd Battalion Weapons Co. machine gun platoon leader; DOW 4 Jan 1945 near Biliboy, north of Ormoc, Leyte, Philippines; struck by small arms fire while positioning his platoon in support of Company F mopping-up operation.
  • WWII Japan > Philippines Liberated > Leyte
† Hayes, Robert A., SN 0-1-297-536, US Army, Montgomery Co. & Buchanan Co., MO
  • Co. C, 382nd Inf. Regt., 96th Inf. Div., XXIV Corps; KIA 29 Oct 1944 NE of Nagami, Leyte, Philippines.
  • WWII Japan > Philippines Liberated > Leyte @ Battle for Catmon Hill
† Karnes, Howard Leroy, SN 37-431-632, US Army, Cass Co.
  • Co. I, 32nd Inf. Regt., 7th Inf. Div.; KIA 25 Nov 1944 SE of Ormoc; Leyte, Phillipines.
  • WWII Japan > Philippines Liberated > Leyte @Battle of Shoestring Ridge
† Leet, John Drexel Sr., SN 37-267-578, US Army, Mills Co.
  • Co. B, 382nd Inf. Regt., 96th Inf. Div., KIA 4 Nov 1944 Bloody Ridge, W of Dagami, Leyte, Philippines.
  • WWII Japan > Philippines Liberated > Leyte @ Battle of Bloody Ridge