M. Hamlin Cannon
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF MILITARY HISTORY
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
WASHINGTON, D.C., 1993
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President, Williams College
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Army War College
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University of California
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Industrial College of the Armed Forces
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University of Chicago
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Army Field Forces
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Detroit News
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United States Military Academy
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Duke University
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Command and General Staff College
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Harvard University
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| Chief Historian | Kent Roberts Greenfield |
| Chief, War Histories Division | Col. G. G. O'Connor |
| Chief, Editorial and Publication Division | Col. B. A. Day |
| Chief, Editorial Branch | Joseph R. Friedman |
| Chief, Cartographic Branch | Wsevolod Aglaimoff |
| Chief, Photographic Branch | Maj. Arthur T. Lawry |
*Maj. Gen. Orlando Ward was succeeded by General Smith on 1 February 1953.
| Foreword | vii | ||
| The Author | viii | ||
| Preface | ix | ||
| Chapter | Page | ||
| I. | The Strategic Plan | 1 | |
| Preliminary Discussion | 1 | ||
| Plans Agreed Upon | 8 | ||
| II. | The Nature of the Target | 10 | |
| Geography of Leyte | 10 | ||
| The Resistance Movement on Leyte | 14 | ||
| Liaison Between Leyte and Australia | 18 | ||
| III. | Plans Are Made and Forces Are Readied | 21 | |
| Estimate of the Enemy Situation | 21 | ||
| The Tactical Plan | 23 | ||
| The Logistical Plan | 35 | ||
| IV. | The Return | 40 | |
| The Convoy Forms | 40 | ||
| Softening the Target | 42 | ||
| Japanese Plan of Defense | 45 | ||
| Securing the Channel Approaches | 54 | ||
| The Convoy Enters Leyte Gulf | 58 | ||
| V. | A Day: 20 October 1944 | 60 | |
| Bombardment of the Shores of Leyte | 60 | ||
| X Corps Goes Ashore | 62 | ||
| XXIV Corps Goes Ashore | 72 | ||
| Bringing in Supplies | 80 | ||
| VI. | The Japanese Reaction | 85 | |
| The Air Forces | 85 | ||
| The Battle of Leyte Gulf | 88 | ||
| The Japanese Reinforce the Leyte Garrison | 92 | ||
| VII. | Southern Leyte Valley: Part One | 103 | |
| The SHÕ Operations | 103 | ||
| Enlarging the 96th Division Beachhead | 107 | ||
| Catmon Hill Area | 114 | ||
| VIII. | Southern Leyte Valley: Part Two | 124 | |
| The Dulag-Burauen Road | 124 | ||
| Securing the XXIV Corps Beachhead Line | 133 | ||
| IX. | Northern Leyte Valley: Part One | 146 | |
| San Juanico Strait | 146 | ||
| Leyte Valley Entrance | 157 | ||
| X. | Northern Leyte Valley: Part Two | 168 | |
| Drive up Leyte Valley | 168 | ||
| Capture of Carigara | 179 | ||
| XI. | Logistics and Civil Affairs | 184 | |
| Logistics | 184 | ||
| Medical Support | 192 | ||
| Civil Affairs | 198 | ||
| Relations With Filipino Refugees | 200 | ||
| XII. | The Mountain Barrier: Part One | 206 | |
| The Coastal Corridor | 206 | ||
| Battle of Breakneck Ridge | 211 | ||
| XIII. | The Mountain Barrier: Part Two | 221 | |
| Reinforcements | 221 | ||
| 32d Division Assumes the Offensive | 223 | ||
| Battle of Kilay Ridge | 227 | ||
| Central Mountain Range | 235 | ||
| XIV. | Measure of the Fighting | 244 | |
| The American Ground Forces | 244 | ||
| Japanese Warfare | 251 | ||
| XV. | Battle of the Ridges | 253 | |
| American Plans and Preparations | 253 | ||
| Battle of Shoestring Ridge | 257 | ||
| Battle of the Hills | 266 | ||
| XVI. | The Fall of Ormoc | 275 | |
| Plan for Amphibious Movement | 276 | ||
| The Movement Overwater | 280 | ||
| Drive Toward Ormoc | 284 | ||
| Two Sevens Are Rolled in Ormoc | 290 | ||
| XVII. | Battle of the Airstrips | 294 | |
| The American Dispositions | 296 | ||
| First Japanese Effort | 297 | ||
| Battle of Buri Airstrip | 298 | ||
| Attack From the Sky | 300 | ||
| XVIII. | Logistics | 306 | |
| Construction | 306 | ||
| Supplies | 308 | ||
| XIX. | The Entrances to Ormoc Valley | 313 | |
| Southern Entrance to Ormoc Valley | 313 | ||
| The Mountain Passage | 321 | ||
| The Drive South | 323 | ||
| XX. | Seizure of Ormoc Valley | 329 | |
| Drive From the South to the Libongao Area | 330 | ||
| The 32d Division Resumes the Offensive | 339 | ||
| Debouchment From the Mountains | 342 | ||
| XXI. | Westward to the Sea | 347 | |
| The 77th Division Goes West | 348 | ||
| X Corps Goes West | 354 | ||
| The Japanese Retreat | 358 | ||
| XXII. | Leyte Is Liberated | 361 | |
| The Eighth Army Assumes Control | 361 | ||
| The Road Ends | 367 | ||
| GHQ Operations Instructions No. 70, 21 September 1944 | 371 | ||
| Basic Military Map Symbols | 378 | ||
| List of Abbreviations | 380 | ||
| Bibliographical Note | 383 | ||
| Index | 391 | ||
All illustrations but one are from Department of Defense files. The photograph of Lt. Gen. Sosaku Suzuki on page 51 was contributed by Lt. Roger Pineau (USNR).