WW2 Chapter 32 - Landing on Leyte (A-Day)


On the morning of October 20, 1944, U.S. amphibious forces hit the beaches of Leyte after four hours of heavy naval and air bombardment.
 

U.S. Landing Craft, October 20, 1944 (from military archives)

Beginning at 8:00, the men of Franklin's 7th Infantry Division climbed down the cargo nets from their transport ships into landing craft for their race to the shore. Their boats were accompanied by rocket ships and amphibian tanks, which were used to knock out mortar and small-arms fire coming from enemy positions along the shoreline.
 

A-Day Invasion of Leyte

The landing was conducted by the U.S. 10th and 24th Corps. The 24th Corps was composed of the 7th and 96th Infantry Divisions, and was later joined by the 77th Infantry Division. Franklin's 7th Division was led by Major General Archibald Arnold. [note: Franklin's units are indicated here in italics]
 

Beach Landings on A-Day

The 24th Corps established a beachhead between the village of San Jose and the Daguitan River, while the 10th Corps established itself further to the north. As part of the 7th Division, Franklin's 184th Regiment was to land on the "yellow" beaches around the village of Dulag. Although the Japanese had placed their strongest defenses in this area, the naval bombardment earlier that morning had been largely effective in driving them away from the landing beaches.

On that first day, Franklin's 7th Division was to recapture the village of Dulag and its airfield, secure the bridge over the Daguitan River at the nearby village of Dao, and secure another crossing over the Talisay River.
 

General MacArthur, October 20, 1944

Once the beachheads and surrounding areas had been secured, General Douglas MacArthur made his entrance through the surf and announced, “People of the Philippines, I have returned.” Franklin would later mention that the troops resented MacArthur for taking all the credit throughout the war, while they were the ones doing the fighting and getting killed.

By the end of A-Day, the American forces had successfully established themselves on shore. However, the Battle of Leyte would turn out to be much longer and more costly than anyone had anticipated.