Pacific
1944: The liberation of the Philippines
October 1944 – August 1945 · 4 battles
In October 1944 General Douglas MacArthur kept his promise to return to the Philippines. The landing on Leyte brought on the largest naval battle in history: in Leyte Gulf the Japanese fleet suffered a defeat after which it was never again capable of major operations, and kamikaze aircraft were used en masse for the first time. The fighting on Leyte, Mindoro and Luzon, the siege of Manila in February 1945 and the operations in the southern islands of the archipelago went on until Japan’s surrender, costing the lives of hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians.
- 17 October – 31 December 1944Battle of Leyte17 October – 31 December 1944. The US Sixth Army retook Leyte from the Japanese 35th Army, reinforced through Ormoc. Victory opened the way to Luzon.
- 23–26 October 1944Key battleBattle of Leyte Gulf23–26 October 1944. In four clashes the US Third and Seventh Fleets shattered the Japanese fleet sent against the Leyte landings – the war’s largest sea battle.
- 9 January – 15 August 1945Key battleBattle of Luzon9 January – 15 August 1945. US troops and Filipino guerrillas retook Luzon from Yamashita's army; some 100,000 civilians died in the fighting for Manila.
- 3 February – 3 March 1945Key battleBattle of Manila3 February – 3 March 1945. US and Filipino forces retook Manila from the Japanese Navy; some 100,000 civilians died and the city lay in ruins.