Admiral William F Bull Halsey - Commander 3rd Fleet

Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher - Commander Task Force 38

Admiral Ozawa, commanding the Japanese forces

Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita - Commander 2nd Fleet

US Navy Chronology of the Attack on Coron Bay

Chronology of US Navy Operations in the Philippines, 24 September 1944

This is based on the official USN chronology of the second world war published by the US Government Printing Office in 1955

24 September, Sun. --Task Force 38

As Japanese shipping shifts south from Luzon in the wake of the heavy attacks there over the previous days, TF 38 follows, its planes hitting targets ranging from the Calamian group to the Visayas. Aircraft from three task groups (TG 38.1, TG 38.2, and TG 38.3) from TF 38 (Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher) participate. Off Calamian Island in Coron Bay, TF 38 planes sink flying boat support ship Akitsushima, cargo ship Kyokusan Maru and army cargo ship Okikawa Maru, and damage ammunition ship Kogyo Maru, army cargo ship Olympia Maru, cargo ships Ekkai Maru and Kasagisan Maru, supply ship Irako, oiler Kamoi and small cargo ship No.11 Shonan Maru, 11°59'N, 120°02'E.

South of Mindoro, other Navy carrier aircraft sink torpedo boat Hayabusa, 13°00'N, 122°00'E; minelayer Yaeyama and submarine chaser Ch 32, 12°15'N, 121°00'E.

Off Masbate, they sink auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 39 and auxiliary minesweeper Wa 7, 12°18'N, 122°46'E, merchant cargo ship Shinyo Maru, 12°21'N, 123°00'E, and cargo ships No.17 Fukuei Maru and No.2 Koshu Maru, and transport Siberia Maru, 11°54'N, 123°10'E.

In Visayan Sea, they sink army cargo ship Chuka Maru and tanker Kenwa Maru, 11°13'N, 123°11'E.

In the South China Sea, they sink tanker Okigawa Maru, 14°00'N, 119°00'E.

TF planes also damage supply ship Irako and oiler Kamoi, Coron Bay.

Aircraft also sink Japanese army cargo ship Chuka Maru, 11°11'N, 123°11'E; army cargo ship Olympia Maru, 11°58'N, 120°03'E; and merchant cargo ship Shinyo Maru, Manila; cargo ship No.2 Koshu Maru is damaged by aircraft, 11°56'N, 123°08'E;

Submarine Barbero (SS-317) bombards Japanese radar installation on Batag Island off north coast of Samar.


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