Naval Armed Guard Service at the Battle of the Philippines
"Up to the landings at Leyte, Allied merchant ships had fared rather well in the Pacific. It is true that there had been combat and losses, but the warfare against submarines had been mild as compared to that in the Atlantic. Merchant ships had also suffered little from air attacks, for the early island bases which we conquered offered only limited air opposition, and even that was quickly neutralized before merchant ships went into anchor in large numbers.
The action in the Philippines, however, was a different story. Here, the enemy had numerous air bases that could not be easily and quickly knocked out. Here, for the first time, the enemy decided to use suicide attacks on a large scale. His bombs and torpedoes did little damage as compared with the havoc wrought by his kamikaze pilots. The nature of the campaign also required merchant ships to remain in Philippine waters for long periods of time before they unloaded.
All in all, the battle for the Philippines was, from the standpoint of the Armed Guard, the most severe action in the Pacific and was comparable to the worst days on the North Russia run, the Salerno landings, or the awful struggle at Anzio. Once again, merchant ships would absorb the most vicious attacks that the enemy could deliver and would still come out victorious. The Battle of the Philippines represented a real blow to the air and naval power of the Japanese Empire. It was, therefore, a great landmark on the road to Tokyo."
link
is back from Council of Five Nations.
. Robert