Formosa Air Battle
Formosa Air Battle was a battle fought in 1944 at Philippine Sea, in what is now Japan. Its exact site is not recorded; the atlas places it at Philippine Sea. It was part of the Pacific War, which ran from 1941 to 1945. The recorded result: American victory.
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Carrier Raids on Formosa, October 1944. Crewmen on USS Hancock (CV-19) move rockets to planes, while preparing for strikes on Formosa, 12 October 1944.. US Navy Employee, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons .
Fought 1944
Where Philippine Sea, Japan 18.000N, 134.000E, placed at the location, approximate
Outcome American victory
Belligerents Empire of Japan against United States
Where it sits in the Pacific War Battle of Guam, 1941 Battle of Hong Kong, 1941 Battle of Wake Island, 1941 Battle of Corregidor, 1942 Battle of Manado, 1942 Battle of Kuala Lumpur, 1942 Battle of Balikpapan, 1942 Battle of Port Moresby, 1942 Battle of Singapore, 1942 Battle of Kranji, 1942 Battle of Sarimbun Beach, 1942 Battle of Bukit Timah, 1942 Battle of Palembang, 1942 Battle of Pasir Panjang, 1942 Battle of Badung Strait, 1942 Battle of Tjiater Pass, 1942 Indian Ocean raid, 1942 Battle of Midway, 1942 Battle of Tulagi and Gavutu–Tanambogo, 1942 Battle of the Tenaru, 1942 Battle of Edson's Ridge, 1942 Actions along the Matanikau, 1942 Battle for Henderson Field, 1942 Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, 1942 Koli Point action, 1942 Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, 1942 Battle of Tassafaronga, 1942 Battle of Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea Horse, 1942 Battle of Rennell Island, 1943 Battle of the Bismarck Sea, 1943 Battle of Blackett Strait, 1943 Battle of the Komandorski Islands, 1943 Battle of Attu, 1943 Battle of Wickham Anchorage, 1943 Battle of Viru Harbor, 1943 Battle of Kula Gulf, 1943 Landing at Nassau Bay, 1943 Battle of Enogai, 1943 Battle of Kolombangara, 1943 Drive on Munda Point, 1943 New Georgia counterattack, 1943 Battle of Bairoko, 1943 Battle of Munda Point, 1943 Battle off Horaniu, 1943 Landing at Nadzab, 1943 Huon Peninsula campaign, 1943 Battle of Scarlet Beach, 1943 Naval Battle of Vella Lavella, 1943 Bougainville Campaign, 1943 Landings at Cape Torokina, 1943 Battle of Koromokina Lagoon, 1943 Battle for Piva Trail, 1943 Battle of the Treasury Islands, 1943 Battle of Sattelberg, 1943 Battle of Piva Forks, 1943 Battle of Wareo, 1943 Battle of Arawe, 1943 Battle of Hellzapoppin Ridge and Hill 600A, 1943 Pacification of Rabaul, 1943 Battle of Mindoro, 1944 Formosa Air Battle, 1944 Action of 11 January 1944, 1944 Battle of the Green Islands, 1944 Battle of Biak, 1944 Battle of Saipan, 1944 Battle of the Philippine Sea, 1944 Battle of Tinian, 1944 Battle of Angaur, 1944 Battle of Morotai, 1944 Battle of Leyte, 1944 Battle of Leyte Gulf, 1944 Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, 1944 Battle off Samar, 1944 Battle of Cabo Engaño, 1944 Battle of Ormoc Bay, 1944 Battle of Peleliu, 1944 Battle of Pearl Ridge, 1944 Battle of Tarakan, 1945 Action of 8 June 1945, 1945 Battle of Sulu Islands, 1945 Battle of Luzon, 1945 Battle of Camotes Islands, 1945 Battle of Tsimba Ridge, 1945 Battle of Baguio, 1945 Battle of Balete Pass, 1945 Invasion of Palawan, 1945 Battle of Mindanao, 1945 Battle of the Visayas, 1945 Battle of Bacsil Ridge, 1945 Battle for Cebu City, 1945 Battle of Slater's Knoll, 1945 Operation Ten-Go, 1945 Battle of the Hongorai River, 1945 Battle of Davao, 1945 Battle of the Malacca Strait, 1945 Battle of Bessang Pass, 1945 Battle of Ratsua, 1945 Battle of Porton Plantation, 1945 Battle of North Borneo, 1945 Battle of Labuan, 1945 Battle of Balikpapan, 1945 1941 1945 Formosa Air Battle, 1944 101 placed engagements of the Pacific War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.
Record
Date 1944 (year precision) to 1944 Place Philippine Sea, Japan18.000N, 134.000E Kind Battle, interwar and Second World War Strength 330 aircraft in Formosa, 350 in Kyushu, plus 690 flying in from bases in Japan and China over four days 9 fleet carriers; 8 light carriers; 6 battleships; 4 heavy cruisers; 11 light cruisers; 57 destroyers; ~1,000 carrier aircraft; ~130 heavy bombers Casualties and losses 321–525 aircraft; Formosan military installations and infrastructure heavily damaged 89 aircraft; 1 heavy cruiser seriously damaged; 2 light cruisers damaged; 1 destroyer damaged Commanders Ryūnosuke Kusaka Shigeru Fukudome
Formosa Air Battle Formosa Air Battle 100 km 18.000N, 134.000E Placed at Philippine Sea; the exact site is not recorded. with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.
Formosa Air Battle is one of 2,997 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 481 in present-day Japan.
Sources
Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q5470224 , released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Formosa Air Battle , revision 1375592870, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.
