The Battle for Leyte, 1944: Allied and Japanese Plans, Preparations, and Execu

One of the largest and most complex military efforts ever undertaken, the Leyte Operation was the Allies’ first and most important major combined operation to liberate the Philippine archipelago. The stakes were high: a successful landing at Leyte was critical to a subsequent assault on Luzon and total control of the Philippines. If Japan lost the Philippines, its supply of oil and other strategic raw materials would be cut off and its navy doomed to an inglorious end. In this comprehensive...