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Historical Background American grand strategy in the Pacific was decided at a conference
in the summer of 1944. Gen Douglas MacArthur, Adm Chester Nimitz and the
members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff chose to reoccupy the Philippine islands
rather than strike toward the Chinese mainland. Sixteen fast-carriers departed
at the end of August with some  520 Hellcats. The ever increasing requirement
for fleet defense had resulted in big-deck carriers embarking up to
54 fighters (with fewer dive- and torpedo bombers) - a significant increase over the
previous standard of 36 fighters. The resulting surface action was second only in size to
that employed in the 1916 Battle of Jutland, though for variety and concentrations of forces
engaged - air, surface and submarine- no other action could match it. From the initial
sweeps over Mindanao in September 1944 to the withdrawal of Task Force 38 in January
1945m the twenty-two squadrons of Hellcats that saw action over the Philippines
claimed an astonishing (and devastating or the Japanese) tally of 1300 air-to-air kills. Mission
Briefing: This Snapshot represents initial fighter sweeps and strikes of Imperial Japanese
forces on Mindanao by USN F6F Hellcats operating from Task Force 38.
Arena
SEA
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Country Percentages
Allies-60%
Axis-40% | 
 