The Leyte Landing Memorial
The Battle of Leyte in the Pacific campaign of World War II was the invasion and conquest of Leyte in the Philippines by the United States and Australian forces and allied Filipino guerrillas under the command of General Douglas MacArthur and waged against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Philippines led by General Tomoyuki Yamashita from 17 October 1944 to 31 July 1945. The battle launched the Philippines campaign of 1944-45 for the recapture and liberation of the entire Philippine Archipelago and to end almost three years of Japanese occupation.
The Battle of Leyte Gulf, also known as the Second Battle of the Philippine Sea, was the largest naval battle in modern history. It was fought in the Pacific Theater of World War II, in the seas surrounding the Philippine island of Leyte from 23 October to 26 October 1944 between the Allies and the Empire of Japan.
The Japanese attempted to repel or destroy the Allied forces stationed on Leyte after the successful Allied invasion in the Battle of Leyte. Instead, the Allied navies inflicted a serious defeat on the outnumbered Imperial Japanese Navy. The battle was the last major naval engagement of World War II.
The "Battle" of Leyte Gulf was actually a campaign consisting of four interrelated battles: the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, the Battle of Surigao Strait, the Battle of Cape Engaħo and the Battle of Samar. Leyte Gulf also saw the first use of Kamikaze aircraft. A kamikaze hit the Australian heavy cruiser HMAS Australia on 21 October, and organized suicide attacks by the "Special Attack Force" began on 25 October.