19-20 June 1944
The Battle of the Philippine Sea
The Japanese fully expected an invasion of the Marianas, and in response formulated a plan in which the U.S. carrier force would be lured away from the islands and destroyed by air attack. Therefore just as the Americans began their bombardment of Saipan, the bulk of the Japanese battle fleet sailed from the Philippines toward the Marianas. By this time, however, U.S. naval superiority in the Pacific was nothing short of overwhelming, and the American fleet in the Marianas consisted of fifteen carriers, seven battleships, and 21 cruisers.

On the 19 th the Japanese launched a series of four air strikes against the U.S. carrier force, but every plane was intercepted and shot down, while two of the Japanese carriers were sunk by American submarines. The following day U.S. aircraft spotted the remaining Japanese carriers, sinking one more and forcing the rest to withdraw. The victory was so lopsided—nearly 400 Japanese aircraft and pilots lost, compared to fewer than 30 American—that U.S. airmen began calling the engagement “The Great Marianas Turkey Shoot.”

Campaign Map:
Allied Seizure of Marianas and New Guinea, 1944

Personal Account:
Rutgers Oral History Archives of World War II: Interview with John F. Crane

Photograph:
Japanese plane shot down as it attempted to attack USS KITKUN BAY