Mariana naval battle is the biggest decisive battle of aircraft carriers in history. Because the Japanese plane was easily shot down by American warplanes in the battle, Americans nicknamed it "Mariana Turkey Hunting Competition". ?
Why is the Mariana Sea Battle also called Mariana Turkey Hunting Competition?
The Mariana naval battle, also known as the Philippine Sea War, was a naval battle between imperial japanese navy and the US Navy near the Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean during World War II. This is the biggest carrier battle in history. Because the Japanese plane was easily shot down by American fighters in the battle, it was dubbed by Americans as
Mariana Turkey Shooting Competition.
In the battle, the American pilot shouted happily, "It's like hunting turkeys in ancient times!" " "Since then, the war has been dubbed" Mariana Turkey Hunting "and is world-famous.
From the second half of 1942 to the first half of 1943, the allied forces won the initiative in the Pacific battlefield. Admiral chester william nimitz, commander-in-chief of the US Pacific Fleet, launched an attack in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and General douglas macarthur launched an island-grabbing operation from Australia to Indonesia and the Philippines. In the first half of 1944, both fronts are rapidly approaching Japan, which is unstoppable.
In order to further weaken Japan's industrial potential, the allies need to occupy the Mariana Islands, which plays an important role in Japan's "absolute defense circle", as the base of the B-29 long-range bomber. Nimitz sent Admiral raymond spruance, the hero of the Battle of Midway, to carry out the task of capturing the Mariana Islands. Nimitz's Fifth Fleet owned 15 aircraft carrier and landed on Saipan successfully in June 1944.
The Japanese headquarters also knows the intentions of the US military. Soeda Sobu succeeded Koga Hefeng, who died in the line of duty, as commander-in-chief of the Japanese joint fleet. On May 20th, 1944, he launched "A" operation, hoping that when the US military attacked Mariana, the mobile force composed of nine aircraft carriers led by Saburo Ozawa would deal a fatal blow to the US Fifth Fleet.
As a result of the battle, the Japanese army lost three aircraft carriers and 600 planes, unable to rescue the Japanese defenders in Mariana, and suffered a fiasco.
This movement has had a great influence. Japan lost the sea power in the western Pacific, the main carrier of the fleet suffered heavy losses, and the carrier aircraft was exhausted, so it was impossible to send aircraft to support the fleet in the biggest naval battle in Leyte Bay four months later. The American army won a total victory, only a few ships were slightly injured, which consolidated the landing of Saipan. In the next two months, the Mariana Islands can be directly bombed by B-29 bombers, and at the same time, it has formed a trend of attacking the Philippine Islands with MacArthur's front.