Japanese Forces

1st Mobile Fleet, for Operation "A-GO"
  • Vice Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa

Mobile Force Vanguard ("C" Force)

  • Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita

3rd Carrier Squadron

  • Rear Admiral Obayashi
  • CVL Chitose (flagship)(flagship)
    • Part of Air Group 653
      • 21 x A6M5b
      • 3 x B6N
      • 6 x B5N
  • CVL Chiyoda
    • Part of Air Group 653
      • 21 x A6M5b
      • 3 x B6N
      • 6 x B5N
  • CVL Zuiho
    • Part of Air Group 653
      • 21 x A6M5b
      • 3 x B6N
      • 6 x B5N

1st Battle Squadron

  • Vice Admiral Matome Ugaki
  • BB Yamato
  • BB Musashi

3rd Battle Squadron

  • Vice Admiral Suzuki
  • BB Kongo
  • BB Haruna

4th Cruiser Squadron

  • Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita
  • CA Atago (force flagship)(force flagship)
  • CA Takao
  • CA Chokai
  • CA Maya

7th Cruiser Squadron

  • CA Kumano
  • CA Suzuya
  • CA Tone
  • CA Chikuma

Destroyer Squadron 2

Part of 2nd Fleet
  • Rear Admiral Hayakawa
  • CL Noshiro (flagship)(flagship)
Destroyer Division 31
  • DD Asashimo
    Commanding officer: Lt. Commander Yoshirou Sugihara
  • DD Kishinami
    Commanding officer: Commander Toshirou Mifune
  • DD Okinami
    Commanding officer: Commander Akira Makino
Destroyer Division 32
  • DD Tamanami
    Commanding officer: Commander Tomiji Chihogi
  • DD Fujinami
    Commanding officer: Commander Tatsuji Matsuzaki
Attached
  • DD Shimakaze
    Commanding officer: Commander Hiroshi Uwai

17th Destroyer Division

Part of Destroyer Squadron 10, 3rd Fleet
  • DD Hamakaze
    Commanding officer: Commander Kazue Maekawa

"A" Force

  • Vice Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa

1st Carrier Squadron

  • CV Taiho (force flagship)(force flagship) (sunk)(sunk)
    Notes: 1
    • Part of Air Group 601
      • 26 x A6M5
      • 23 x D4Y
      • 17 x B6N
      • 2 x D3A
  • CV Shokaku (sunk)(sunk)
    Commanding officer: Captain Hiroshi Matsubara
    Notes: 1
    • Part of Air Group 601
      • 26 x A6M5
      • 24 x D4Y
      • 17 x B6N
      • 2 x D3A
  • CV Zuikaku
    Commanding officer: Captain Takeo Kaizuka
    Notes: 1
    • Part of Air Group 601
      • 27 x A6M5
      • 23 x D4Y
      • 17 x B6N
      • 3 x D3A

5th Cruiser Squadron

  • Rear Admiral Shintaro Hashimoto
  • CA Haguro
  • CA Myoko

Destroyer Squadron 10

Part of 3rd Fleet
  • Rear Admiral Masanori Kimura
  • >CL Yahagi (flagship)(flagship)
Destroyer Division 10
  • DD Asagumo
    Commanding officer: Commander Kazuo Shibayama
Destroyer Division 17
  • DD Urakaze
    Commanding officer: Commander Shooichi Yoshida
  • DD Isokaze
    Commanding officer: Lt. Commander Saneho Maeda
Destroyer Division 61
  • DD Wakatsuki
    Commanding officer: Commander Yasuatsu Suzuki
  • DD Hatsuyuki
    Commanding officer: Commander Shooichi Taguchi
  • DD Akizuki
    Commanding officer: Commander Tomoe Ogata
  • DD Shimotsuki
    Commanding officer: Commander Kenji Hatano

"B" Force

2nd Carrier Squadron

  • Rear Admiral Takaji Joshima
  • CV Junyo
    Commanding officer: Captain Kiyomi Shibuya
    • Part of Air Group 652
      • 27 x A6M5
      • 6 x B6N
      • 9 x D4Y
      • 9 x D3A
  • CV Hiyo (sunk)(sunk)
    Commanding officer: Captain Toshiyuki Yokoi
    • Part of Air Group 652
      • 26 x A6M5
      • 6 x B6N
      • 18 x D3A
  • CVL Ryuho
    • Part of Air Group 652
      • 27 x A6M5
      • 6 x B6N

1st Battleship Squadron

  • BB Nagato
  • CA Mogami

Destroyer Division 4

Part of Destroyer Squadron 10, 3rd Fleet
  • DD Michishio
    Commanding officer: Lt. Commander Tomoo Tanaka
  • DD Nowaki
    Commanding officer: Commander Setsuji Moriya
  • DD Yamagumo
    Commanding officer: Commander Shirou Ono

Destroyer Division 27

Part of Destroyer Squadron 2, 2nd Fleet
  • DD Shigure
    Commanding officer: Lt. Commander Shigeru Nishino
  • DD Samidare
    Commanding officer: Lt. Commander Iokuta Nishimura

Other destroyers

Unknown unit(s)
  • DD Hayashimo
    Commanding officer: Lt. Commander Toshio Hirayama
  • DD Akishimo
    Commanding officer: Lt. Commander Kotarou Nakao

Tanker Group 1

Directly assigned to Combined Fleet

  • DD Hibiki
    Commanding officer: Commander Takeugi Mori

Destroyer Division 21

Directly assigned to Combined Fleet
  • DD Hatsushimo
    Commanding officer: Lt. Commander Kouji Takigawa

Destroyer Division 22

Part of Destroyer Squadron 3, Central Pacific Area Fleet
  • DD Yunagi
    Commanding officer: Lt. Commander Goro Iwabuchi

Other destroyers

Unknown unit
  • DD Tsuga

Oilers

  • Hayasui
  • 3 others
    Notes: 1 sunk.

Tanker Group 2

Destroyer Division 17

Part of Destroyer Squadron 10, 3rd Fleet
  • DD Yukikaze
    Commanding officer: Lt. Commander Masamichi Terauchi

Destroyer Division 30

Part of Destroyer Squadron 3, 8th Fleet
  • DD Uzuki
    Commanding officer: Lt. Yoshiro Watanabe

Oilers

  • Genyo Maru (sunk)(sunk)
  • Senyo Maru (sunk)(sunk)

Submarines

  • 24 submarines

Aircraft

  • Vice Admiral Kakuji Kakuta
    Position: Base Air Force Commander Marianas
  • 250 aircraft of various types

American Forces

Task Force 58

Part of 5th Fleet
  • Admiral Raymond Spruance
    Position: Commander, 5th Fleet
  • Vice Admiral Marc Mitscher
    Position: Commander, Task Force 58

Task Force 58.1

  • Rear Admiral Joseph J. ("Jocko") Clark
  • Hornet (CV-12)
    • 41 x F6F
    • 33 x SB2C
    • 18 x TBF
  • Yorktown (CV-10) (force flagship)(force flagship)
    • 46 x F6F
    • 40 x SB2C
    • 17 x TBF
    • 4 x SBD
  • Belleau Wood (CVL-24)
    • 26 x F6F
    • 9 x TBF
  • Bataan (CVL-29)
    • 24 x F6F
    • 9 x TBF
  • Baltimore (CA-68)
  • Boston (CA-69)
  • Canberra (CA-70)
  • Oakland (CL-95)
Destroyer Squadron 46
  • Izard (DD-589)
  • Charrette (DD-581)
  • Conner (DD-582)
  • Bell (DD-587)
  • Burns (DD-588)
  • Boyd (DD-544)
  • Bradford (DD-545)
  • Brown (DD-546)
  • Cowell (DD-547)

Task Force 58.2

  • Rear Admiral Alfred E. Montgomery
  • Bunker Hill (CV-17) (force flagship)(force flagship)
    • 42 x F6F
    • 33 x SB2C
    • 18 x TBF
  • Wasp (CV-18)
    • 39 x F6F
    • 32 x SB2C
    • 18 x TBF
  • Cabot (CVL-28)
    • 26 x F6F
    • 9 x TBF
  • Monterey (CVL-26)
    • 21 x F6F
    • 8 x TBF
  • Santa Fe (CL-60)
  • Mobile (CL-63)
  • Biloxi (CL-80)
  • San Juan (CL-54)
Destroyer Squadron 52
  • Owen (DD-536)
  • Miller (DD-535)
  • The Sullivans (DD-537)
  • Stephen Potter (DD-538)
  • Tingey (DD-539)
  • Hickox (DD-673)
  • Hunt (DD-674)
  • Lewis Hancock (DD-675)
  • Marshall (DD-676)

Task Force 58.3

  • Rear Admiral John W. Reeves
  • Enterprise (CV-6) (force flagship)(force flagship)
    Commanding officer: Captain Matthais B. Gardner
    • 31 x F6F
    • 3 x F4U
    • 21 x SBD
    • 14 x TBF
  • Lexington (CV-16) (fleet flagship)(fleet flagship)
    Notes: Flagship of Task Force 58.
    • 41 x F6F
    • 34 x SBD
    • 18 x TBF
  • San Jacinto (CVL-30)
    • 24 x F6F
    • 8 x TBF
  • Princeton (CVL-23)
    • 24 x F6F
    • 9 x TBF
  • Indianapolis (CA-35) (fleet flagship)(fleet flagship)
    Notes: Flagship of 5th Fleet.
  • Reno (CL-96)
  • Montpelier (CL-57)
  • Cleveland (CL-55)
  • Birmingham (CL-62)
Destroyer Squadron 50
  • Clarence K. Bronson (DD-668)
  • Cotten (DD-669)
  • Dortch (DD-670)
  • Gatling (DD-671)
  • Healy (DD-672)
  • Cogswell (DD-651)
  • Caperton (DD-650)
  • Ingersoll (DD-652)
  • Knapp (DD-653)
  • Anthony (DD-515)
  • Wadsworth (DD-516)
  • Terry (DD-513)
  • Braine (DD-630)

Task Force 58.4

  • Rear Admiral William K. Harrill
  • Essex (CV-9)
    Commanding officer: Captain R. A. Ofstie
    • 42 x F6F
    • 36 x SB2C
    • 20 x TBF
  • Langley (CV-27)
    • 23 x F6F
    • 9 x TBF
  • Cowpens (CVL-25)
    • 23 x F6F
    • 9 x TBF
  • San Diego (CL-53)
  • Vincennes (CL-64)
  • Houston (CL-81)
  • Miami (CL-89)
  • Lansdowne (DD-486)
  • Lardner (DD-487)
  • McCalla (DD-488)
  • Lang (DD-399)
  • Sterett (DD-407)
  • Wilson (DD-408)
  • Case (DD-370)
  • Ellet (DD-398)
  • Charles Ausburne (DD-570)
  • Stanly (DD-478)
  • Converse (DD-509)
  • Spence (DD-512)
  • Thatcher (DD-514)

Task Force 58.7

  • Vice Admiral Willis A. Lee
  • Washington (BB-56) (force flagship)(force flagship)
    Commanding officer: Captain Thomas R. Cooley
Battleship Division 8
  • Rear Admiral Glenn B. Davis
  • North Carolina (BB-55)
    Commanding officer: Captain Frank B. Thomas
  • Indiana (BB-58) (flagship)(flagship)
    Commanding officer: Captain Jennings
Battleship Division 7
  • Rear Admiral O. M. Hustvedt
  • Iowa (BB-61)
    Commanding officer: Captain John L. McCrea
  • New Jersey (BB-62)
    Commanding officer: Captain Carl F. Holden
Battleship Division 9
  • Rear Admiral E. W. Hanson
  • South Dakota (BB-57)
  • Alabama (BB-60)
    Commanding officer: Captain Fred D. Kirtland
  • Wichita (CA-45)
  • Minneapolis (CA-36)
  • New Orleans (CA-32)
  • San Francisco (CA-38)
  • Mugford (DD-389)
  • Conyngham (DD-371)
  • Patterson (DD-392)
  • Bagley (DD-386)
  • Selfridge (DD-357)
  • Halford (DD-480)
  • Guest (DD-472)
  • Bennett (DD-473)
  • Fullam (DD-474)
  • Hudson (DD-475)
  • Twining (DD-540)
  • Monssen (DD-798)
  • Yarnall (DD541)
    Notes: Radar pickett.
  • Stockham (DD-683)
    Notes: Radar pickett.

Pickett Line Submarines

Task Force 17

  • Vice Admiral Charles A. Lockwood, Jr.
  • Plunger (SS-179)
    Commanding officer: Edward Fahy
  • Gar (SS-206)
    Commanding officer: George Lautrup
  • Archerfish (SS-311)
    Commanding officer: William Wright
  • Plaice (SS-390)
    Commanding officer: Clyde Stevens, Jr.
  • Swordfish (SS-193)
    Commanding officer: Edward Montross
  • Pintado (SS-387)
    Commanding officer: Bernard Clarey
  • Pilotfish (SS-386)
    Commanding officer: Robert Close
  • Tunny (SS-282)
    Commanding officer: John Scott
  • Albacore (SS-218)
    Commanding officer: Commander J. W. Blanchard
  • Seawolf (SS-197)
  • Bang (SS-385)
    Commanding officer: Anton Gallaher
  • Finback (SS-230)
    Commanding officer: James Jordan
  • Stingray (SS-186)
    Commanding officer: Samuel Loomis
  • Flying Fish (SS-229)
    Commanding officer: Lt. Commander Risser
  • Muskallunge (SS-262)
    Commanding officer: Michael Russillo
  • Seahorse (SS-304)
    Commanding officer: Lt. Commander Cutter
  • Pipefish (SS-388)
    Commanding officer: William Deragon
  • Cavalla (SS-244)
    Commanding officer: Lt. Commander Kossler
  • Growler (SS-215)
    Commanding officer: Ben Oakley

7th Fleet

  • Rear Admiral Christie
  • Hake (SS-256)
    Commanding officer: John Broach
  • Bashaw (SS-241)
  • Paddle (SS-263)
  • Harder (SS-257)
    Commanding officer: Commander Samuel D. Dealey
  • Haddo (SS-255)
    Commanding officer: Chester Nimitz, Jr.
  • Redfin (SS-272)
    Commanding officer: Lt. Commander Austin
  • Bluefish (SS-222)
    Commanding officer: Charles Henderson
  • Jack (SS-259
  • Flier (SS-250)
    Commanding officer: Jack Crowley

Notes

  • ^1.11.21.3Air Group 601 was nominally divided evenly among the aircraft carriers of the 1st Carrier Squadron. The complement aboard Taiho is as actually embarked according to "Warship International No. 1, 1977; Fighting Flattops the Shokaku's" by W. Dickson. Where the number of aircraft could not be divided evenly, the odd aircraft have been assigned to the Shokaku and Zuikaku as they normally carried larger aircraft complements than that attributed to the Taiho.

Sources

  • "Battleship at War" by I. Musicant
  • "The Big E" by Commander E. Stafford, USN
  • "The Iowa Class Battleships" by M. Muir
  • "Warship International No. 1, 1977; Fighting Flattops the Shokakus" by W. Dickson
  • "Sea Battles in Close-Up WWII, Vol. 2, Chapter 8, The Philippine Sea" by E. Grove
  • "Chronology of the War at Sea 1939-1945" by J. Rohwer & G. Hummelchen
  • "A Battle History of the Imperial Japanese Navy 1941-1945" by P. Dull
  • "Ship Data #1, USS North Carolina (BB-55)" by A. Lott & R. Sumrall
  • "Ship Data #2, USS Alabama (BB-60)" by A. Lott & R. Sumrall
  • "Long Lancers" by Allyn D. Nevitt, at the Nihon Kaigun website
  • "Kido Butai" by Anthony Tully, at the Nihon Kaigun website
  • "Silent Victory; Vol. 2" by C. Blair, Jr.