8 March 1944Operation U-GoRenya Mutaguchi
Mutaguchi launches Operation U-Go, sending the Fifteenth Army across the frontier toward Imphal and Kohima.
Historical records for Japan in 1944, rendered directly from the World History Database and ordered by month, day and event.
Mutaguchi launches Operation U-Go, sending the Fifteenth Army across the frontier toward Imphal and Kohima.
Finalizes Plan Z using Hollandia in New Guinea to launch an attack on the US forces
Death of Mineichi Koga, in an aircrash
Sato's Thirty-First Division reaches the Kohima area and begins operations against the Allied position.
Sato orders his exhausted division to withdraw from Kohima as food and ammunition shortages become critical.
Kuribayashi takes command of the Iwo Jima garrison and develops a defense based on caves, tunnels, and mutually supporting positions.
Saito commands the Japanese army garrison as American forces land on Saipan.
Ozawa commits the Mobile Fleet's carrier aircraft against the American Fifth Fleet in the Battle of the Philippine Sea.
Ozawa loses fleet carriers Taiho and Shokaku to American submarines during the first day of the Philippine Sea battle.
Ozawa withdraws after devastating aircraft losses and further carrier damage during the Battle of the Philippine Sea.
The USA captures Saipan & can bomb Japanese cities
Mutaguchi's failed offensive is called off after severe losses, disease, hunger, and collapsing supply lines.
Committs suicide during the defence of Saipan
Committs suicide during the defence of Saipan
Saito commits suicide on Saipan as the Japanese defense collapses during the final phase of the battle.
Saito orders a final mass attack as organized Japanese resistance on Saipan nears collapse.
Members of Hirohitos family secretly agree he should abdicate in favour of Akihito
Tojo is forced to resign by Hirohito who makes him a scapegoat for the war
Tojo resigna after Hirohito withdraws support from him
Takashina commands Japanese forces on Guam as American troops land on the island.
Appointed Prime Minister of Japan
Obata dies during the final destruction of organized Japanese resistance on Guam.
Appointed Commander of the 34th Army
Appointed Commander of the 34th Army
Yamashita assumes command of the Fourteenth Area Army and responsibility for the defence of the Philippines.
Toyoda activates the Sho-1 plan as Japanese naval forces prepare to contest the Allied landing at Leyte.
Tamai helps organize the first special-attack unit at Mabalacat and selects Seki to lead the Shikishima squadron.
Inoguchi serves on Onishi's staff during the organization of the first naval special-attack units in the Philippines.
Kusaka recommends detaching part of Kurita's force to approach Leyte Gulf through Surigao Strait.
Kurita leads the Center Force from Brunei toward the central Philippines and Leyte Gulf.
Shima leads the Second Striking Force from the Pescadores toward the southern approaches to Leyte Gulf.
1st day of the Battle of the Phillipines
American submarines attack Kurita's Center Force, sinking Atago and Maya and badly damaging Takao.
Kurita survives the sinking of his flagship Atago by an American submarine while approaching the Philippines.
Onishi sends land-based naval aircraft against American carriers operating east of Luzon during the Leyte operations.
Fukudome directs Second Air Fleet operations intended to support the Japanese Sho-1 naval counteroffensive.
Nishimura continues toward Surigao Strait after American carrier aircraft attack his Southern Force in the Sulu Sea.
Koiso's government treats the struggle for the Philippines as strategically decisive, but Japan suffers a major naval defeat at Leyte Gulf.
Kurita leads the Center Force through repeated American carrier attacks in the Sibuyan Sea, where Musashi is sunk.
Kurita's Center Force endures repeated American carrier strikes while attempting to reach San Bernardino Strait.
Carrier aircraft repeatedly attack the Center Force and sink Musashi while Toyoda continues the Sho-1 operation.
Inoguchi commands Musashi through repeated bomb and torpedo attacks and goes down with the battleship after ordering the crew to abandon ship.
Ozawa leads the carrier force intended to draw the American Third Fleet north and away from Leyte Gulf.
Hirohito receives reports as Imperial General Headquarters commits major Japanese naval forces to the Sho-1 operation around Leyte.
Morishita commands Yamato as the battleship survives American carrier strikes against Kurita's Center Force.
Defeated by superior US naval forces
Nishimura leads the Southern Force through Surigao Strait, where most of his ships are destroyed by the American Seventh Fleet.
Nishimura presses into Surigao Strait, where his force is shattered by the waiting Allied battle line.
Ozawa's carrier force functions as the decoy and suffers severe losses to American carrier aircraft off Cape Engano.
Kurita's Center Force attacks American escort carriers off Samar before he orders the force to withdraw.
Kurita's battleships and cruisers surprise American escort carriers off Samar after passing through San Bernardino Strait.
Ugaki commands Battleship Division One, including Yamato and Nagato, during the Battle off Samar.
Suzuki commands Battleship Division Three, including Kongo and Haruna, during the Battle off Samar.
Matsuda commands Carrier Division Four, built around the hybrid battleships Ise and Hyuga, in Ozawa's decoy force.
Hashimoto commands Cruiser Division Five, including Haguro, during the Center Force attack off Samar.
Shiraishi commands Cruiser Division Seven as its cruisers engage American forces off Samar.
Nishimura is killed during the destruction of his force in the Battle of Surigao Strait.
Takahashi commands Destroyer Division Four within Nishimura's Southern Force during the advance through Surigao Strait.
Amano commands Destroyer Division Sixty-One in the screen of Ozawa's Northern Force during the Cape Engano battle.
Kimura commands Destroyer Squadron One within Shima's Second Striking Force during the Surigao operation.
Kimura commands Destroyer Squadron Ten during the late Japanese destroyer attack against Taffy 3 off Samar.
Hayakawa commands Destroyer Squadron Two during the Center Force action against American escort carriers off Samar.
Shima enters Surigao Strait after Nishimura's force has already been shattered and soon orders a withdrawal.
Shima enters Surigao Strait behind Nishimura, encounters wreckage and resistance, and withdraws his surviving force.
Onishi's special-attack units carry out the first successful organized kamikaze strikes against American naval forces during the Leyte campaign.
Nakase commands the hybrid battleship Ise, which survives repeated American air attacks during the Cape Engano action.
Seki leads a special-attack flight against American escort carriers and is killed during the mission.
Miyagawa flies with a special-attack unit during the opening wave of organized kamikaze operations in the Philippines.
Hashimoto commands Hatsuzuki during her final action against American surface ships while covering the retreat of Ozawa's force.
Ogata commands Akizuki when the destroyer is sunk during American attacks on Ozawa's Northern Force.
Kishi commands the light carrier Chitose when American carrier aircraft sink her off Cape Engano.
Jyo commands the light carrier Chiyoda, which is crippled by air attack and later sunk by American surface ships.
Sugiura commands the light carrier Zuiho when she is sunk by American carrier aircraft during the battle off Cape Engano.
Kaizuka commands the carrier Zuikaku when American carrier aircraft sink her during the battle off Cape Engano.
Ozawa loses his flagship Zuikaku and other carriers to American air attacks off Cape Engano.
Edo commands the screening force protecting elements of Ozawa's Northern Force during the battle off Cape Engano.
Mutaguchi commands the light cruiser Oyodo as it operates with Ozawa's Northern Force off Cape Engano.
Seki leads the Shikishima unit in the first successful organized kamikaze attack against American escort carriers.
Kurita breaks off the attack off Samar and withdraws instead of continuing toward the Leyte transport anchorage.
Morishita commands Yamato when the battleship engages American escort-carrier forces during the Battle off Samar.
Fukudome's Second Air Fleet joins the expanding special-attack effort after the opening kamikaze operations around Leyte.
Nonami leads the Hatsuzakura squadron on a special-attack mission from the Manila area during the continuing Leyte campaign.
Suzuki directs the Thirty-Fifth Army's effort to reinforce and defend Leyte after the American landings.
Makino prepares the Sixteenth Division's defensive positions on Leyte before the American landings.
Tomochika serves as chief of staff while the Thirty-Fifth Army organizes the defence and reinforcement of Leyte.
Kataoka commands the First Division after it is committed as a major reinforcement to the Japanese defence of Leyte.
Yamashita organizes a prolonged defense of Luzon after concluding that the main American invasion will strike the island.
As Fourteenth Area Army commander, Yamashita oversees the wider defence of the Philippines while the Thirty-Fifth Army fights on Leyte.
Evacuates 14,000 from the Huon Peninsular early 1944
Appointed Field Marshalnn
Defends Luzon against the Americans
Kurosawas The Most Beautiful
Appointed Vice Chief of Naval General Staff
Appointed Vice Chief of Naval General Staff
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