Philippines 1944: Third Fleet’s First Victory Over Japanese Land-Based Airpower

96 pages

Dr James Bosbotinis

Having read three of the author’s previous books for Osprey – on the F6F Hellcat and the Japanese ‘Emily’ and ‘Mavis’ flying boats respectively, this reviewer was confident that this latest offering would be a similarly rewarding read. The author, Edward M. Young, formerly a banker and financial analyst by profession, has received an MA in the History of Warfare and PhD in History from King’s College London, and written widely on particularly aviation topics relating to the Second World War. The author’s depth and breadth of research is evident throughout the book: Young ably conveys a significant amount of detail whilst also writing in a highly readable and engaging manner.

In Philippines 1944, the author sets out to provide an account of the US Navy’s September 1944 strikes against Japanese forces in the Philippines. As Young highlights, “This was the first time that the Navy’s carriers had conducted a sustained attack not on an isolated island air base but on a land mass that allowed defense in depth with aircraft deployed over many coordinated airfields spread across the Philippines.” By September 1944, the US Navy’s Fast Carrier Force had developed into a highly formidable force (for an overview of its development, see Evan Mawdsley’s excellent Supremacy at Sea, reviewed in Vol. 113, No. 3, pp 463-464), capable of projecting power across the Pacific and meeting Japanese forces head-on.

Following a well-established approach, the book first provides an Introduction setting out the strategic situation in 1944, the respective Japanese and US options and plans, including how the actual conduct of the fighting in the Pacific differed from that envisaged in the pre-war War Plan Orange. It then covers the respective capabilities of the ‘attacker’ and ‘defender’, encompassing the principal commanders, forces (for example, US carriers and their air groups), targets and tactics, and aircrew. A brief chapter covers US and Japanese objectives, before analysing the campaign itself; this provides the bulk of the book, some 44 out of 96 pages. A concise ‘Analysis and Conclusion’ completes the account, with a selection of ‘Further Reading’ also included. Alongside the text are an excellent selection of photos, artwork and useful maps and diagrams.

The author succeeds in providing a detailed account of the US Navy’s carrier operations, both in terms of tactical conduct and the wider strategic implications, in particularly with regard to how weaker than expected Japanese resistance resulted in bringing forward the planned assault on Leyte from December to October 1944. Likewise, on page 93, Young details how the experience of the September raids influenced changes in the composition of US carrier air groups. This book provides a detailed yet engaging and highly readable account of US Navy carrier operations against Japanese forces in the Philippines ahead of the decisive Battle of Leyte Gulf in October 1944. Philippines 1944 will appeal to all those with an interest in the naval history of the Second World War, airpower – whether land or carrier-based, or those looking for a primer ahead of more in-depth study. This book is certainly recommended.