Click on the numbered circles to see legend.


0900, 13 June: Group 1, 3 Battleships, 9 Cruisers, 9 Carriers, and 27 destroyers, departs Tawi Tawi.

0900, 13 June: Bombarding Saipan.

2100, 13 June: Group 2, 2 Battleships, 4 Cruisers, and 27 destroyers, departs Batjan Anchorage.

  14 June: Submarine reports that large Japanese naval forces, present two days earlier, had sortied from Tawi Tawi.

  15 June: Submarines report the passage through San Bernardino Strait of large Japanese naval forces.

Morning, 16 June: Groups One and Two rendezvous and refuel.

Morning, 16 June: Admiral Spruance announces plan of action.

1800, 17 June: Fleet departs rendezvous area enroute Southern Marianas.

Noon, 18 June: Fleet 600 miles west of Saipan. Carrier planes search for U. S. Fleet.

Noon, 18 June: Task Force 58 rendezvous.

Afternoon, 18 June: Fleet changes course to southeast, continues search.

Afternoon, 18 June: Tender-based patrol planes search 500 miles west from Saipan. Negative results.

Night, 18-19 June: Fleet continues to southeast.

Night, 18-19 June: Patrol planes execute radar search 600 miles west from Saipan. Negative results.

0720, 19 June: Naval aircraft rise from Guam fields to engage U.S. carrier aircraft.
Combat air patrol from TF 58 sights enemy planes taking off from Guam fields.

1004, 19 June: Carrier planes launch all-out attacks on ships of TF 58, continue throughout the day. Inflict minor damage on INDIANA and SOUTH DAKOTA.

08000, 19 June: Large number of carrier aircraft arrive at Guam, expecting to refuel.
TF 58 rushes additional fighters into the air battle over Guam and inflicts heavy losses on Japanese.

Afternoon, 19 June: Carriers TAIHO and SHOKAKU sink as a result of morning torpedoing by U. S. submarines.

Night, 19-20 June: Fleet withdraws to westward, planning to refuel and return towards Marianas.

Night, 19-20 June: TF 58 heads to westward at 23 knots, hoping to catch the Japanese Fleet. Radar searches by patrol planes from Saipan give negative results.

0525, 20 June: Fleet unable to pause for refueling because of proximity of U. S. scouting planes, continues westward all day.

0525, 20 June: TF 58 launches planes to try to locate enemy fleet, results negative until about 1515, when enemy fleet contacted about 250 miles west of U. S. Fleet.

0630, 20 June: 216 planes take off from TF 58 carriers to attack enemy ships.

Night, 20-21 June: Carrier HIYO and two tankers sunk and seven ships damaged by U. S. air attacks.

Night, 20-21 June: U. S. planes return and land on carriers in darkness, suffer heavy losses.

  21 June: Fleet retires toward Okinawa.

  21 June: Carrier planes search for Japanese cripples, negative results.

Evening, 21 June: TF 58 retires toward Saipan to protect Attack Force.