.jpg)
In the annals of military aviation, there are some air battles that go down in history as legendary, not just for their scale, but for their sheer intensity and the profound impact they had on the course of the war. One such battle, often overshadowed by others in terms of historical notoriety, was the 16-hour air battle that unfolded during the Battle of the Philippine Sea in June 1944. This battle, often referred to as the "Great Marianas Turkey Shoot," remains one of the most catastrophic air engagements in history, both in terms of the number of aircraft lost and the strategic consequences it had on the Imperial Japanese Navy.
The Setting: The Battle of the Philippine Sea
The Battle of the Philippine Sea occurred during the broader Pacific Theater of World War II, specifically as the United States and Japan faced off over control of the Pacific. By June 1944, the tide of the war was beginning to turn decisively in favor of the Allies. The United States had already gained a foothold in the Mariana Islands, and American forces were poised to launch an invasion of Saipan, which would bring them closer to Japan’s home islands.
The Japanese, desperate to slow the Allied advance, prepared a massive counteroffensive aimed at destroying the American carriers and reversing the momentum in the Pacific. This effort came in the form of a 16-hour air battle, a prolonged engagement that would see some of the most catastrophic losses for the Japanese Navy.
The Combatants: The U.S. Navy and the Japanese Imperial Navy
On the American side, the United States Navy had a formidable force of aircraft carriers, including the USS Lexington (CV-16) and the USS Enterprise (CV-6), which were carrying hundreds of aircraft. These carriers represented the most advanced naval aviation force in the world at the time.
The Japanese, on the other hand, sent in a variety of aircraft from their carriers, including Zero fighters, Val dive bombers, and Kate torpedo bombers. The Japanese force was intent on dealing a crushing blow to the American carrier fleet. But what they didn’t anticipate was the overwhelming power of the American air superiority that had been steadily increasing over the past year.
The Battle Unfolds
The battle began early in the morning on June 19, 1944, with Japanese bombers and fighters launching an initial attack on the American fleet. What ensued was a catastrophic clash of aircraft over the expanse of the Philippine Sea. The Japanese, outnumbered and outclassed in terms of technology and tactics, began to suffer heavy losses from the very first wave of attacks.
As the battle wore on, U.S. fighter pilots, flying the F6F Hellcat, began to engage Japanese bombers and fighters in large numbers. Hellcats were faster, better armed, and more maneuverable than their Japanese counterparts, which allowed them to outfight and outlast the attackers. In the course of the battle, U.S. pilots destroyed hundreds of Japanese aircraft, many of which were shot down before they even reached the American carriers.
The battle stretched on through the day, and as the hours wore on, the Japanese found their carriers destroyed one by one, and their ability to sustain coordinated attacks rapidly diminished. The USS Essex, USS Yorktown, and other American ships, protected by their fighter screens and skilled pilots, sustained relatively few losses, and the Japanese air forces found themselves with increasingly few resources to mount a successful attack.
The Catastrophic Losses for Japan
By the end of the 16-hour battle, the Japanese had lost over 400 aircraft, a staggering number that would cripple their naval air power for the rest of the war. The loss of so many highly trained pilots and the aircraft they flew was devastating, and the Japanese Navy would never fully recover. Additionally, Japan’s best aircraft carriers were also lost, including the Shokaku, which was heavily damaged and would eventually sink, as well as the Taiho, which was sunk by a single torpedo from a U.S. submarine.
In comparison, the United States lost only 123 aircraft, with significantly fewer pilots killed or captured. While the battle wasn’t without its own hardships—the U.S. Navy did lose a number of pilots—the relatively low American losses were a testament to the overwhelming superiority of their naval forces at this point in the war.
The Aftermath: A Turning Point in the Pacific War
The Battle of the Philippine Sea marked a major turning point in the Pacific conflict. The staggering loss of aircraft and naval carriers dealt a critical blow to Japan’s ability to challenge the United States in the air. The Japanese would not be able to launch any further large-scale offensive operations in the Pacific, and the battle effectively ended Japan’s capacity to challenge the growing Allied presence in the region.
For the United States, the victory gave them air superiority in the Pacific and allowed them to focus on the next step in the war: the invasion of the Mariana Islands, which would bring them closer to Japan’s home islands. The battle showed that the United States had mastered the art of carrier warfare, a capability that would prove indispensable in the later stages of the war, especially during the crucial Battle of Leyte Gulf and other operations in the Pacific.
Conclusion: The Catastrophic 16-Hour Air Battle
The Battle of the Philippine Sea remains one of the most decisive air battles of World War II. It was catastrophic for the Japanese, not only in terms of the aircraft lost but in the broader context of the Pacific war. The 16-hour air battle wiped out Japan’s naval aviation forces, destroyed their best carriers, and shattered any hope they had of turning the tide of the war.
For the Allies, it demonstrated the growing power and reach of their air forces, cementing their dominance in the Pacific theater. The battle’s legacy is one of tragic loss for Japan and a critical moment of victory for the United States, signaling the beginning of the end for the Japanese empire.