The Aerial Battle of the Taiwan Seas took place between October 12 and 16, 1944, off the eastern coast of the island of Taiwan, and was fought by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service and the approaching Task Force 38 of the United States Third Fleet and was one of a series of Air raids on Japan during the Pacific War. The attacks served to prevent the Japanese aircraft from involvement in the Battle of Leyte Gulf later that month.
The battle was one-sided, as the Americans practically dominated air warfare due to the superior training and weaponry that they possessed at that point. The battle exhausted Japan’s air power in the region, giving the American’s air superiority and weakening Japan’s ability to defend Okinawa Islands in the upcoming Okinawa Campaign. However, in an effort to boost morale and to cover up the defeat, Japanese headquarters claimed to have sunk 45 Allied ships including 11 aircraft carriers and four battleships.
The attacks on Taiwan and the Ryukyu Islands were carried out to prevent the Japanese aerial forces there from participating in the planned landings at Leyte. The Japanese had responses prepared for a number of eventualities including one in response to attacks on Formosa – Shō-Gō 2.
The US 3rd Fleet started carrier launched raids against Taiwan on 12 October 1944. The Japanses response was to send waves of aircraft against the US carriers. On 13 October, the cruiser USS Canberra was seriously damaged by a torpedo bomber while for one of the first times in the war a kamikaze aircraft was used, which lightly damaged the carrier USS Franklin. The following day saw the island all but neutralized but the light cruiser USS Houston was damaged by an enemy torpedo, while the carrier USS Hancock, the light cruiser USS Reno and two destroyers had all incurred some form of damage. However over three days the Japanese had lost approximately 500 aircraft and countless ships, which was almost their entire air strength in the area.
Order of battle
Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service: 1,251 fighters/bombers. Shigekazu Shimawaki
First Aviation Fleet: based in Manila, Philippines, 144 fighters/bombers.
Second Aviation Fleet: based in Takao, Taiwan, 358 fighters/bombers.
Third Aviation Fleet: aircraft carriers based, 275 fighters/bombers.
Third Fleet: based in Kisarazu, Chiba, 237 fighters/bombers.
Twelfth Aviation Fleet: aircraft carriers based, 237 fighters/bombers.
United States Navy
Third Fleet
Task Force 38: 17 aircraft carriers, 6 battleships, 14 cruisers, 58 destroyers.
First Aircraft Carrier Group: USS Cabot, USS Cowpens, USS Hornet, USS Monterey, USS Wasp.
Second Aircraft Carrier Group: USS Bunker Hill, USS Hancock, USS Independence, USS Intrepid.
Third Aircraft Carrier Group: USS Essex, USS Langley, USS Lexington, USS Princeton.
Fourth Aircraft Carrier Group: USS Belleau Wood, USS Enterprise, USS Franklin, USS San Jacinto.
Land OoB
I believe that the 68th Brigade arrived in Formosa sometime in July aboard Brasil Maru (5,859), Ujina Maru (2,218), and Koshu Maru (2,812), but I don’t know the exact dates, nor do I know the name of the convoy. The brigade either arrived at or departed from Pusan on July 13, but my machine translation of that Japanese site is not clear.
Japanese Tenth Area Army
The 10th Area Army was originally formed out of the Taiwan Army of Japan on September 29, 1944 under the Imperial General Headquarters as part of the last desperate defense effort by the Empire of Japan to deter possible landings of Allied forces in Taiwan during Operation Downfall (or Operation Ketsugō). It was headquartered in Taipei.
As with similar field armies raised on the Japanese home islands during this time, the 10th Area Army consisted mostly of poorly-trained reservists, conscripted students and home guard militia. In addition, the Japanese had organized the Patriotic Citizens Fighting Corps — which included all healthy men aged 15–60 and women 17–40 — to perform combat support, and ultimately combat jobs. Weapons, training, and uniforms were generally lacking: some men were armed with nothing better than muzzle-loading muskets, longbows, or bamboo spears; nevertheless, they were expected to make do with what they had.
The 10th Area Army was demobilized at the surrender of Japan on August 15, 1945 without having seen combat in Taiwan, although units transferred to the Ryukyu islands for the Battle of Okinawa were annihilated by superior American forces.
List of Commanders
Name | From | To | |
CO | Gen Rikichi Ando | 22 September 1944 | 15 August 1945 |
C of S | Lt Gen Haruki Isayama | 22 September 1944 | 15 August 1945 |
Japanese forces at the end of the war In Formosa [1]
10th Area Army
* 9 Division
* 12 Division
* 50 Division
* 66 Division
* 12th Independent Mixed Brigade
* 75th Independent Mixed Brigade (Pescadore Islands)
* 78th Independent Mixed Brigade
* 100th Independent Mixed Brigade
* 102nd Independent Mixed Brigade
* 130th Independent Mixed Brigade
Sources:
[1] Hsu Long-hsuen and Chang Ming-kai, History of The Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) 2nd Ed. ,1971. Translated by Wen Ha-hsiung , Chung Wu Publishing; 33, 140th Lane, Tung-hwa Street, Taipei, Taiwan Republic of China.