Leyte 1944: Return to the Philippines

Osprey Campaign #282

by Clayton K.S. Chun

The loss of the Philippines in 1942 was the worst defeat in American military history. General Douglas MacArthur, the 'Lion of Luzon', was evacuated by order of the President just before the fall, but he vowed to return, and in August 1944 he kept his word when he led what, at the time, was the largest amphibious assault of the Pacific War on the island of Leyte. This is the full story of that fateful battle, one of the most ferocious campaigns of World War II and one of huge strategic and symbolic significance. In the face of stubborn Japanese resistance, including the first systematic use of Kamikaze attacks, the US forces ground slowly forwards before another amphibious assault took the vital position of Ormoc in the last decisive battle of the campaign. Based on extensive research in the US Army's Military History Institute, along with other archival and veteran sources, this important study sheds new light on the operation that saw the US finally return to the Philippines and in doing so placed another nail firmly in the coffin of the Japanese Empire.

Genres: History

180 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 20, 2015

About the author

Dr. Clayton K. S. Chun is the Chair for the Department of Distance Education at the U.S. Army War College located at Carlisle Barracks, PA. Before assuming his current duties, he was Professor of Economics at the College. Dr. Chun completed a full career in the U.S. Air Force with assignments to missile, space, acquisition, education, strategy development, and command positions. He has written articles and books dealing with issues related to national security, military history, and economics. He held the Army War College’s General Hoyt Vandenberg Chair of Aerospace Studies. Dr. Chun has a B.S. in business from the University of California, Berkeley, an M.A. in economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara, an M.S. in systems management from the University of Southern California, and a Ph.D. in public policy analysis from the RAND Graduate School.

Reviews

[Sean Chick · Rating 4 out of 5]

The land battle of Leyte is sometimes overshadowed by the naval battle, but it was until Luzon the biggest land battle America fought with Japan. Chunn gives a good account and analysis, but I am taking off one star for some errors in the text. Not enough to drag the book down, but enough to not warrant the highest rating.

[Becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very detailed. So. Very. Detailed. 🥱

[Shrike58 · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the grounds that this is basically the most modern treatment of this campaign available, I figured that I had to give this booklet four stars. Considering that the author was on the faculty of the U.S. Army War College at the time of publication, there is the flavor of official history here, meaning that it is very detailed, at the same time as being rather dry. So why read this treatment, as opposed to the old official history of the battle? Having personally read the "Green Book" account I would say that is because Chun gives you a better sense of what the Japanese land forces were trying to do to contest the American invasion, while at the same time making clear the impact that weather and terrain had on the contest.