bigpigeon.us webpage WW II -  Japan  >  Philippines Liberated  > Leyte, updated by RAC 7 Oct '19.
The Leyte Campaign began in earnest 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 then 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.

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Early Stage of the Leyte Campaign
Early Stage of the Leyte Campaign
The Japanese continued to reinforce their troops on Leyte with troops brought in from elsewhere in the Philippines. Also, Leyte in the autumn turned out to be not well suited for airbase construction because of climatic and soil conditions. Thus the Leyte Campaign took longer than expected. 

Various dates are used to mark the close of the Leyte Campaign:
  • 25 Dec - Last port available for Japanese use is siezed.
  • 26 Dec - Leyte operational control transferred from the 6th to the 8th Army.
  • 31 Dec - 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 the WW II - 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.
Pottawattamie County, Iowa WW II Dead - Leyte
(taken from the bigpigeon.us WW II Dead webarea)
  • 07-01 - Philippines - Leyte: (updated 7 Oct ’19)
    No known Pottawattamie County men were lost in ground combat on Leyte or aerial combat over Leyte. Losses at sea in the recapture of the Philippines are included in the Battle of Leyte Gulf webpage.