bigpigeon.us webpage WW II - Japan > Philippines Liberated > Philippines Naval War, updated by RAC 7 Oct 2020.
The Battle of Leyte Gulf occurred in late October 1944 at the beginning of the long and bloody United States Army campaign to recapture the numerous Philippine Islands. After Leyte Gulf, Japan no longer had an effective fleet of large surface warships. However, Japan still had the capability to wage sea war through submarines, destroyers, and aircraft. Six men from the Pottawattamie County area died in such attacks. Air attacks were increasingly by kamikaze suicide aircraft.
The seventh death listed below was one of 790 who died in a natural disaster, Typhoon Cobra, that befall the US Navy's Task Force 38. Survivors on the USS Monterey included my cousin's father-in-law, Rolf Haasarud, and a future President, Gerald Ford.
The Battle(s) of Ormoc Bay:
As the land battle on Leyte drug on through November 1944, the Japanese continued to land reinforcements at Ormoc Bay on Leyte's west coast. U.S. aircraft and surface ships attempted to intercept and sink as many transports as possible.
Sources for the Philippines Naval War webpage:
No sources needed yet.
Pottawattamie County, Iowa Area WW II Dead - Philippines Naval War:
The Battle of Leyte Gulf occurred in late October 1944 at the beginning of the long and bloody United States Army campaign to recapture the numerous Philippine Islands. After Leyte Gulf, Japan no longer had an effective fleet of large surface warships. However, Japan still had the capability to wage sea war through submarines, destroyers, and aircraft. Six men from the Pottawattamie County area died in such attacks. Air attacks were increasingly by kamikaze suicide aircraft.
The seventh death listed below was one of 790 who died in a natural disaster, Typhoon Cobra, that befall the US Navy's Task Force 38. Survivors on the USS Monterey included my cousin's father-in-law, Rolf Haasarud, and a future President, Gerald Ford.
The Battle(s) of Ormoc Bay:
As the land battle on Leyte drug on through November 1944, the Japanese continued to land reinforcements at Ormoc Bay on Leyte's west coast. U.S. aircraft and surface ships attempted to intercept and sink as many transports as possible.
- On 3 December, off Ormoc Bay, the new destroyer USS Cooper (DD-605), patrolling with other destroyers, was torpedoed by enemy destroyers and sank with heavy loss of life.
- On 7 December, the U.S. 77th Infantry Division staged an amphibious landing in Ormoc Bay. While supporting this landing, two additional U.S. destroyers, the Mahan and Ward, were lost due to kamikaze attacks.
Sources for the Philippines Naval War webpage:
No sources needed yet.
Pottawattamie County, Iowa Area WW II Dead - Philippines Naval War:
- Taken from the bigpigeon.us WW II Dead webarea.
- See also the Battle of Leyte Gulf webpage.
- See also Philippines Liberated > Battle of Leyte Gulf.
- Destroyer USS Anderson (DD 411), Task Group 77.2, Seventh Fleet; WIA 1 Nov 1944 Leyte Gulf, Philippines; DOW 4 Nov 1944; kamikaze attack, 16 dead; Philippines Liberated > Philippines Naval War.
- 279th Replacement Co., 21st Replacement Depot (Infantry); KIA 10/11 Feb 1945 off E coast of Mindinao, Philippines; on LST-577 in a convoy proceeding from Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea to Leyte, Philippines; ship torpedoed by Japanese submarine RO-50 & broke in two with aft section sinking immediately; 66 naval & 100 army dead; Philippines Liberated > Philippines Naval War; BNR.
- US Navy Armed Guard, stationed on ammunition ship SS Lewis L. Dyche; KIA 4 Jan 1945 Mindoro Harbor, Mindoro Is., Philippines; Dyche hit by Japanese kamikaze, exploded, and sank without a trace; all 43 crew members and 28 armed guards died; Philippines Liberated > Philippines Naval War; BNR.
- Destroyer USS Cooper (DD 605), Destroyer Division 120, Destroyer Sqdn. 60, Seventh Fleet; KIA 3 Dec 1944 off west coast of Leyte, Philippines; Cooper sunk by Japanese destroyer torpedo; 191 dead, 168 survivors; Battle of Ormoc Bay - Philippines Liberated > Philippines Naval War; BNR.