Battle of the Philippine Sea

A major naval battle fought between U.S. and Japanese forces in the Philippine Sea on June 19–20, 1944. Its decisive U.S. victory crippled Japan’s carrier air power.

Mariana Turkey Shoot: The June 19, 1944, air battle in which U.S. fighters destroyed large numbers of Japanese carrier aircraft. This phase earned the battle its nickname through the scale of Japanese aircraft losses.
Operation A-Go: The Japanese fleet operation to defeat U.S. forces invading the Mariana Islands in June 1944. Its carrier strike plan brought the Japanese fleet into contact with U.S. forces.
Imperial Japanese Navy: Japan’s naval force from its establishment in 1869 until its dissolution after World War II. The loss of carrier aircraft and experienced aircrew weakened the navy’s remaining offensive capacity.
Taihō: A Japanese fleet aircraft carrier sunk after a torpedo attack during the Battle of the Philippine Sea. Damage from USS Albacore’s torpedo ultimately caused catastrophic fuel-vapor explosions.
Grumman F6F Hellcat: A U.S. Navy fighter aircraft introduced in 1943 and designed to defeat the Mitsubishi A6M Zero. Hellcats, aided by radar direction and pilot training, inflicted heavy losses on Japanese air groups.
Mariana and Palau Islands campaign: The 1944 Allied campaign to seize the Mariana and Palau Islands in the western Pacific. The U.S. invasion of the Marianas triggered Japan’s attempt to counterattack at sea.
Aircraft carrier: A warship that carries, launches, and recovers aircraft at sea. The battle confirmed the central role of carriers in Pacific naval warfare.
Shōkaku: A Japanese aircraft carrier sunk by torpedoes from USS Cavalla on June 19, 1944. Its loss was one of the battle’s two carrier sinkings on the first day.
Mitsubishi A6M Zero: A Japanese carrier-based fighter known for its range and maneuverability, but lightly armored compared with later U.S. fighters. The Zero’s strengths could not offset its vulnerability against Hellcats and improved U.S. tactics.
Battle of the Philippine Sea order of battle: A record of the ships and aircraft deployed by U.S. and Japanese forces in the battle. The opposing forces’ composition explains the large imbalance in aircrew experience and aircraft numbers.

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