Ultradog MN
Well-known Member
- Location
- Twin Cities
70 years ago...
Part of preparing for the invasion in the Phillipines was to destroy as many Japanese aircraft as possible that were based within striking distance of Leyte.
So on Oct 10 1944 Adm Nimitz ordered Adm Halsey's 3rd Fleet to attack Japanese airfields in Taiwan, China and the Ryukyu Islands in Japan.
Halsey promptly sent his carrier planes and heavily damaged those areas.
Two days later the Japanese sent out a retaliatory raid of 90 bombers on Halsey's carriers which did little damage. 54 Japanese aircraft failed to return.
On Oct. 13 Halsey's aircraft again struck airfields on Taiwan.
The Japanese again struck out at Halsey's carriers.
This time exagerated reports announced they had sunk one of Halsey's battleships and one of his carriers. In fact, no damage had occured to the US forces.
On the 14th Halsey again struck Japanese airbases in Taiwan and also in the Phillipines.
This time they destroyed about 200 Japanese aircraft on the ground and another 40 in the air as the Japanese returned the attack.
This time however the Japanese heavily inflated the number of US ships sunk so that by the time the numbers got back up the line to the ruling elites it was believed the Japanese airmen had sunk 11 carriers, 2 battleships and 7 cruisers and destroyers. There was much celebration and much public propaganda in Japan that night.
In fact, a couple of American ships were hit but none were sunk.
But Nimitz, concerned by enemy reports, radioed Halsey to find out the facts.
Halsey then made his famous reply which was boradcast all over Allied territory.
[i:654c4848f0]"All Third Fleet ships recently reported sunk by Radio Tokyo have been salvaged and are retiring at high speed toward the Japanese Fleet"[/i:654c4848f0]
The largest naval battle in history is only 2 weeks away.
Part of preparing for the invasion in the Phillipines was to destroy as many Japanese aircraft as possible that were based within striking distance of Leyte.
So on Oct 10 1944 Adm Nimitz ordered Adm Halsey's 3rd Fleet to attack Japanese airfields in Taiwan, China and the Ryukyu Islands in Japan.
Halsey promptly sent his carrier planes and heavily damaged those areas.
Two days later the Japanese sent out a retaliatory raid of 90 bombers on Halsey's carriers which did little damage. 54 Japanese aircraft failed to return.
On Oct. 13 Halsey's aircraft again struck airfields on Taiwan.
The Japanese again struck out at Halsey's carriers.
This time exagerated reports announced they had sunk one of Halsey's battleships and one of his carriers. In fact, no damage had occured to the US forces.
On the 14th Halsey again struck Japanese airbases in Taiwan and also in the Phillipines.
This time they destroyed about 200 Japanese aircraft on the ground and another 40 in the air as the Japanese returned the attack.
This time however the Japanese heavily inflated the number of US ships sunk so that by the time the numbers got back up the line to the ruling elites it was believed the Japanese airmen had sunk 11 carriers, 2 battleships and 7 cruisers and destroyers. There was much celebration and much public propaganda in Japan that night.
In fact, a couple of American ships were hit but none were sunk.
But Nimitz, concerned by enemy reports, radioed Halsey to find out the facts.
Halsey then made his famous reply which was boradcast all over Allied territory.
[i:654c4848f0]"All Third Fleet ships recently reported sunk by Radio Tokyo have been salvaged and are retiring at high speed toward the Japanese Fleet"[/i:654c4848f0]
The largest naval battle in history is only 2 weeks away.
