WW2 Chapter 35 - Conditions on Leyte

According to the infantrymen, the climate and other conditions on Leyte were often as much of a challenge as fighting the Japanese.

On the first day, according to one of the men, “It was 10:00 a.m. when we hit the beach and 98 degrees Fahrenheit. I found one of our guys passed out from heat exhaustion.”

According to another, “We dug foxholes by nightfall but because of the water table, they filled up with water. Because we could not leave the foxholes, we remained in water up to our necks all night. In the morning, our entire bodies, hands, etc. were wrinkled from being soaked.”

Three typhoons in quick succession hit the island. Rain was nearly constant and mud seemed to be everywhere. During a 40 day period they received 35 inches of rain. Their heavy equipment, including tanks, self-propelled guns, and other essential support weapons, were often mired in the mud, making their progress very difficult.

All of the airfields on Leyte, except those at Tacloban to the north, were not usable during the rainy season. Therefore only limited air support was available to assist the men, and the Allies were not able to prevent constant reinforcements of troops and supplies by the enemy.

A number of tropical diseases were also a constant threat, including malaria, dengue fever, fungal infections (jungle rot), and dysentery.

Crossing a Leyte Swamp

The terrain was especially difficult to traverse, consisting of swamps, rice paddies, dense jungles, and rugged mountain ridges up to 4,000 feet high.

Lastly, their maps of the island were not very accurate. Many important features were misplaced by as much as a mile while others were found to be missing altogether.