Battle of the Philippine Sea

The Battle of the Philippine Sea was an important naval battle of the Second World War between the navies of the United States and Japan. This battle took place on June 19 and 20, 1944 near the Mariana Islands, and involved two big naval forces and many Japanese aircraft from bases on land. The battle was a great defeat for the Japanese Navy, which lost three aircraft carriers and some 600 aircraft in two days of combat. This happened because the Japanese airplanes were getting old and their pilots had little training, compared to the more modern and better trained American forces. After the battle, the Japanese Navy was almost completely destroyed. This victory for Allied forces opened the door for the invasion of Iwo Jima.

Battle of the Philippine Sea
Part of World War II, Pacific War
File:Japanese aircraft carrier Zuikaku and two destroyers under attack on 20 June 1944 (80-G-238025).jpg The carrier Zuikaku (center) and two destroyers under attack by U.S. Navy carrier aircraft, June 20, 1944
Date June 19–20, 1944 Location The Philippine Sea Result Decisive American victory
Belligerents
United States Navy Fifth Fleet	Imperial Japanese Navy Combined Fleet
Commanders and leaders
Raymond A. Spruance	Jisaburō Ozawa Kakuji Kakuta
Strength
7 fleet carriers, 8 light carriers, 7 battleships, 79 other ships, 28 submarines, 956 planes	5 fleet carriers, 4 light carriers, 5 battleships, 43 other ships, 450 carrier-based planes, 300 land-based planes
Casualties and losses
123 planes destroyed (about 80 of whose crews survived)	3 fleet carriers sunk, 2 oilers sunk, about 600 planes destroyed, 6 other ships heavily damaged

Battle Of The Philippine Sea Media

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  F6F-3 landing aboard Lexington, flagship of Task Force 58

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  Map of the Battle of the Philippine Sea

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  Fighter aircraft contrails mark the sky over Task Force 58, 19 June 1944

• USS Bunker Hill is nearly hit by a Japanese bomb during the air attacks of June 19, 1944.

• Lt. Alexander Vraciu downed six Japanese dive bombers in a single mission, 19 June 1944.

• Japanese aircraft carrier Taihō

• Japanese aircraft carrier Shōkaku

• A military submarine marked "244" is sailing on the surface in calm waters

• Japanese Carrier Division Three under attack by United States Navy aircraft from Task Force 58, late afternoon 20 June 1944. The heavy cruiser circling at right in the foreground is either Maya or Chōkai. Beyond that is Chiyoda.

Other websites

• Order of Battle - The Battle of the Phillipine Sea: 19-20 June 1944
• WW2DB: The Marianas and the Great Turkey Shoot
• Animated History of The Battle of the Philippine Sea Archived 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine
• Air Group 31's participation in the Battle of the Philippine Sea