As 1944 was coming to an end in the Philippines, the US Army was still fighting a bitter battle on Leyte. A second US landing at Ormoc came on December 7th, cutting off the remaining Japanese on the island from resupply. Despite the fact that the Japanese had been isolated, the fighting on Leyte would continue for several more months.
A week after the Ormoc landings on Leyte, US 6th Army forces landed on Mindoro with intentions on capturing and constructing airfields to strike Manilla and the entire island of Luzon. General MacArthur had set his sights on Manilla for his infamous return and January 9th he would land Sixth Army troops in the Lingayen Gulf.
During the last few months of 1944, Marine Air Group 12 would move to Leyte under the command of the US 5th Air Force and would operate together supporting the troops on the ground, defending the invasions, and interdicting Japanese shipping and air attacks. P-38s of the 49th FG and 475th FG and P-47s of the 348th FG and 35th FG were operating next to Marine F4U’s of VMF-115, 211, 218 and 323 as well as various bombers and attack planes.
It was in these last months of 1944 that the fiercest air battles of the Philippines were fought at Leyte, Mindoro, and Luzon as Japanese losses continued to mount and pilots and aircraft could not be replenished. This FSO is set around these last major air battles and the Allied landings in the Philippines in late December 1944 and early January 1945.
Frame 1: January 10
Frame 2: January 17
Frame 3: January 24
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