Battle of Leyte

This article is about the battle on the island of Leyte. For the naval battle, see Battle of Leyte Gulf.

Battle of Leyte
Part of the Philippines campaign (1944–1945) of the Pacific Theater of World War II

General Douglas MacArthur and staff, accompanied by Philippine president Sergio Osmeña (left), land at Red Beach, Leyte, 20 October 1944.
Date17 October – 26 December 1944 (initial phase involving Sixth Army)
Guerrilla phase under Eighth Army continued until March 1945[1]
Location
Leyte Island, Philippines
11°10′20″N 125°00′44″E / 11.17222°N 125.01222°E / 11.17222; 125.01222
Result Allied victory
Belligerents

Allies
 United States

 Australia[a]

Axis
 Japan

Commanders and leaders
Army:
United States Douglas MacArthur
United States Walter Krueger
United States Franklin C. Sibert
United States John R. Hodge
Navy:
United States Thomas C. Kinkaid
Army Air Force:
United States George C. Kenney
Civilian Government:
Commonwealth of the Philippines Sergio Osmeña
Guerrillas:
Commonwealth of the Philippines Ruperto Kangleón		 Army:
Empire of Japan Tomoyuki Yamashita
Empire of Japan Sōsaku Suzuki
Empire of Japan Shiro Makino †[2]
Empire of Japan Tsunehiro Shirai †[3]
Empire of Japan Yoshimi Adachi †[4]
Empire of Japan Kyoji Tominaga [ja][5]
Units involved

Ground elements:

United States Sixth Army (Final phase)
United States Eighth Army (Final phase)

Aerial elements:

United States Fifth Air Force

Naval elements:

United States Seventh Fleet
Empire of Japan Fourteenth Area Army
Strength
United States Sixth Army:
≈200,000
United States Air and naval forces: ≈120,000[1]
Commonwealth of the Philippines 3,000 guerrillas		 Empire of Japan 70,100 (including reinforcements)
246 artillery pieces
33 mortars
37[6]-41 tanks[7]
Casualties and losses
Battle casualties:
3,504 killed
11,991 wounded
183 missing
Non-battle casualties (since 25 Oct.):
119 dead
6 missing
36,791 sick/other[b]		 65,000 dead[11][c]
714–828 captured[13][d]

The Battle of Leyte (Filipino: Labanan sa Leyte; Waray: Gubat ha Leyte; Japanese: レイテの戦い) in the Pacific campaign of World War II was the amphibious invasion of the island of Leyte in the Philippines by American forces and Filipino guerrillas under the overall command of General Douglas MacArthur, who fought against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Philippines led by General Tomoyuki Yamashita. The operation, codenamed King Two,[14] launched the Philippines campaign of 1944–45 for the recapture and liberation of the entire Philippine Archipelago and to end almost three years of Japanese occupation.


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  1. ^ a b Prefer 2012, p. 324.
  2. ^ "Biography of Lieutenant-General Shiro Makino". www.generals.dk.
  3. ^ "Japanese Paratroop Operations in WW II". www.j-aircraft.com.
  4. ^ "Biography of Major-General Yoshimi Adachi – (安達由巳) – (あだち よしみ) – (Adachi Yoshiki) – (安達由己) – (あだち よしき) (1883–1944), Japan". www.generals.dk.
  5. ^ Prefer 2012, p. 39.
  6. ^ JM-6, "Record of Philippine Operation" p. 151. Retrieved 5 May 2023
  7. ^ Taki, The History of Battles of Imperial Japanese Tanks.
  8. ^ Cannon, "Leyte: Return to the Philippines" p. 368. Retrieved 5 May 2023
  9. ^ "Report of the Commanding General, Eighth US Army, on the Leyte-Samar Operation" Inclosures 1–3. Retrieved 4 May 2023
  10. ^ "Report of the Leyte Operation, Sixth Army" p. 155, Annexes 3 and 4. Retrieved 4 May 2023
  11. ^ Toland, "The Rising Sun" p. 607
  12. ^ American Historical Association: Lessons from Iwo Jima Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  13. ^ Cannon pp. 367–368.
  14. ^ Cutler, Thomas J., The Battle of Leyte Gulf: 23–26 October 1944, Naval Institute Press, 2001, p. 52