Lat
11° 0' 0N Long 124° 37' 0E Coastal
town on the west coast of Leyte Island.
History
Ormoc was an important port for Japanese resupply during the Leyte campaign,
where troops were landed. Targeted for capture on December 7, 1944, by
the US Army 77th Division, landed by LCVP's delivered by US Navy APD's.
The landings occured at White 1 and White 2 beaches at Ormoc and met no
opposition on the shore.
At least
one camoflaged E16A Paul with tail code T-301 orginally based at Sangley Point Cavite, was captured here when liberated by
the Americans.
Philippine-Japan Peace Memorial
Built
onto the hill behind Ormoc, this monument was created by Japanese
veterans, and offers a commanding view of the Ormoc Bay area.
Located on Carlota Hills, This memorial marker was built in 1978
by relatives of Japanese WW II veterans from Nagoya and Gifu
Prefectures; one of the city's picturesque hills overlooking
Ormoc Bay.
Ormoc
Bay
On
the night of December 7, 1944 American force were attacked Ormoc.
The magnitude of fighting was not that of the more famous
action at Leyte Gulf, but the Japanese vigorously resisted, with
kamikaze attacks, and local air supremacy. There were 70 airfields
in the Philippine Island which mean Japanese planes
could approach from short distances. Cmdr
Foster of the USS MOALE summarized it best with "My attention was
focused on avoiding attacks from aircraft, possible torpedoes,
enemy
fire from surface ships and shore batteries. We were in a hot spot,
hotter than we knew at the time." During the action, several
Destroyers were sunk or damaged. Some of the crews of sunked
USN Destroyer (APD's) swam to Ponson
Island, in the Camotes Island Group.
USS
Cooper DD-695
Sunk by torpedo on December 3, 1944
USS
Ward DD-139
Sunk by kamakazie attack on December 7, 1944
Naganami
Sunk during the Battle of Ormoc Bay
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