Philippine Sea (CG 58) - Naval Cruise Book

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VADM Mitscher hile the Marines were fighting on Saipan Admiral Spruance had a huge naval force drawn up west of the Marianas to ward off expected Japanese was composed of 15 carri ers seven battleships eight heavy cruisers thirteen light cruisers and sixty nine destroyers under the tacti 1 sea strikes. Task Force 58 -ff V cal command of Vice Admi ral Marc Mitscher. he Japanese had hoped to entice the U.S. naval forces into battle farther southwest, in waters within range of their land-based planes, to offset U.S. numerical superiority in carrier aircraft. But once news of the Marianas inva- sion reached Admiral Toyo- da, Commander of the Japanese Combined Fleet, he ordered a rendezvous of his forces in the PHILIPPINE SEA to attack the U.S. Fleet. Sailors on the USS CABOTKCVL-281 watch as a Japanese plane falls in flames. His tactical commander, Admiral Ozawa, had forces inferior to Mitscher's in every category except heavy cruisers - nine carri- ers to Mitscher's fifteen, five battleships to Mitscher's seven, etc. - and the plane disparity was even more striking - in everything but float planes, the U.S. out- numbered Ozawa's forces two to one. owever, once the battle began, Ozawa expected major support from planes based in the Marianas and at Iruk, where reinforcements had been ordered before the action began. And his search planes had a greater range, giving him the chance to spot the enemy's position before his own forces were detect- ed. 92 A Hellcat lands on the Lexington to rearm during the air battle. awa's planes did dis- cover Task Force 58 on June 18, 1944, the day before the battle. Mitscher's task force was drawn up in five circles: four carrier groups approximately four miles in diameter, with perirneters of battleships, cruisers and destroyers to provide screen fre, To the west of the carTi- ers a battle line fcircularj Of six battleships, four cruiserS and a dozen destroyers tO engage enemy strikes, with two picket destroyers furihef west to warn of enemy approach. 4,-A