Books published by publisher Casemate

After every disaster, someone has something to hide . . . A few minutes before midnight on April 14, 1912, the “unsinkable” RMS Titanic, on her maiden voyage to New York, struck an iceberg. Less than three hours later she lay at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. While the world has remained fascinated by the tragedy, the most amazing drama of those fateful hours was not played out aboard the doomed liner. It took place on the decks of two other ships, one fifty-eight miles distant from the sinking Titanic, the other barely ten miles away. The masters of the steamships Carpathia and Californian, Captain Arthur Rostron and Captain Stanley Lord, were informed within minutes of each other that their vessels had picked up the distress signals of a sinking ship. Their actions in the hours and days that followed would become the stuff of legend, as one would choose to take his ship into dangerous waters to answer the call for help, while the other would decide that the hazard to himself and his command was too great to risk responding. After years of research, Daniel Allen Butler now tells this incredible story, moving from ship to ship on the icy waters of the North Atlantic—in real-time—to recount how hundreds of people could have been rescued, but in the end only a few outside of the meager lifeboats were saved. He then looks alike at the U.S. Senate Investigation in Washington, and ultimately the British Board of Trade Inquiry in London, where the actions of each captain are probed, questioned, and judged, until the truth of what actually happened aboard the Titanic, the Carpathia and the Californian is revealed.Daniel Allen Butler, a maritime and military historian, is the bestselling author of “Unsinkable”: The Full Story of RMS Titanic, Distant Victory: The Battle of Jutland and the Allied Triumph in the First World War, and The First Jihad: The Battle for Khartoum and the Dawn of Militant Islam. He is an internationally recognized authority on maritime subjects and a popular guest-speaker for several cruise lines. Butler lives and works in Los Angeles, California.Table of ContentsPrologue “FOR THOSE IN PERIL ON THE SEA . . .”Chapter 1 THE CRUELEST OCEANChapter 2 THE CARPATHIA AND ARTHUR ROSTRONChapter 3 THE CALIFORNIAN AND STANLEY LORDChapter 4 S O S—TITANICChapter 5 BY THE ROCKETS’ WHITE GLAREChapter 6 RESCUE AT DAWNChapter 7 NEW YORK AND BOSTONChapter 8 THE AMERICAN INVESTIGATIONChapter 9 THE BRITISH INQUIRYChapter 10 THE UNDELIVERED VERDICTEpilogue FLOTSAM AND JETSAMAPPENDICESI: The Resolution Authorizing the Senate Investigation into the Loss of the RMS TitanicII: The Order for the Board of Trade Inquiry and the Questions to be InvestigatedIII: Extract from the British Wreck Commissioner's Inquiry ReportAUTHOR’S NOTESOURCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHYINDEX

The Partisan's Companion was produced by the Red Army to train partisans to fight the Nazi invader. Its usefulness outlived World War II, as it was later used to train Third World guerrillas in their wars of national liberation during the 1950s–70s, and even the Fedayeen guerrillas who fought US and coalition forces in Iraq.By the end of 1942, it was obvious that Germany was losing the war. The partisan ranks grew as did the training requirements for partisan commanders. The 1942 edition of The Partisan's Companion helped quickly train new guerrillas to a common standard. Besides field craft, it covers partisan tactics, German counter-guerrilla tactics, demolitions, German and Soviet weapons, scouting, camouflage, ant-tank warfare and antiaircraft defense for squad and platoon-level instruction. It contains the Soviet lessons of two bitter years of war and provides a good look at the tactics and training of a mature partisan force. The partisans moved and lived clandestinely, harassed the enemy, and supported the Red Army through reconnaissance and attacks on German supply lines. They clearly frustrated German logistics and forced the Germans to periodically sideline divisions for rear-area security. The partisans and their handbook were clearly part of the eventual Soviet victory over Germany. This pocket manual puts The Partisan's Companion in context, explaining its importance.

“Nothing previously published has offered such a close examination of Japanese strategy . . . an in-depth study of the Japanese planning, preparation and execution of the attack with particular focus on factors not thoroughly considered by other historians, if at all . . . detailed analyses that lead to a much better understanding of what the Japanese did, why they did it, and especially how the attack was very nearly an abject failure instead of a stunning success."—Naval Institute Proceedings"For seven decades, conventional wisdom has extolled the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor as brilliant in its planning and execution . . . this masterful analysis topples that pillar of Pacific War history . . . with its amazing depth of meticulous research and analysis, this forceful book is essential reading for anyone with a serious interest in Pearl Harbor."—World War II "The first militarily professional description of the Pearl Harbor attack, and for those who are serious about military history and operations, it is a joy to read. . . . a superb military analysis of the attack . . . not only renders all other histories of Pearl Harbor obsolete, it has set the bar high for other histories of the Pacific War."—War In HistoryTable of ContentsIntroductionFolklore, Viewed with a Critical EyeCHAPTER 1 Strategic and Operational SettingCHAPTER 2 Targets, Weapons and Weapon-Target PairingsCHAPTER 3 WargamesCHAPTER 4 Planning the AttackCHAPTER 5 Pre-Attack: Training, Rehearsals, Briefings and Contingency PlanningCHAPTER 6 Execution of the AttackCHAPTER 7 Assessment of the AttackCHAPTER 8 Battle Damage AssessmentCHAPTER 9 What Might Have Been: Alerted Pearl Harbor DefensesCHAPTER 10 Assessing the FolkloreCHAPTER 11 The Fifth Midget Submarine: A Cautionary TaleCHAPTER 12 Reassessing the ParticipantsCHAPTER 13 Summary and ConclusionsAPPENDIX A: Tabulation of Second-Wave Dive-Bomber AttacksAPPENDIX B: Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Japanese TermsAPPENDIX C: Ships in Pearl Harbor and VicinityAPPENDIX D: The Perfect AttackAPPENDIX E: AcknowledgmentsBibliographyEndnotesIndex

For hundreds of years men have fought and died to expand and protect the United States relying on martial skill and patriotism. Various powerful enemies, from the British to the Nazis, and legendary individuals including Tecumseh and Robert E. Lee have all fallen before the arms of the American soldier. Yet the deadliest enemy faced by the nation, one which killed more soldiers than all of its foes combined, has been both unrecognized and unseen. The war waged by the United States against disease, and by disease against the United States, has impacted the country more than any other conflict and continues to present a terrible threat to this day. Illness has been more than just a historical cause of casualties for the American military, in numerous wars it has helped to decide battles, drive campaigns, and determine strategy. In fact the Patriots owed pestilence as much for their victory in the Revolution as they did their own force of arms. Likewise disease helped to prevent the conquest of Canada in 1812, drove strategy in the Mexican War, handicapped Lee’s 1862 advance, and helped lead to World War II. Disease also provided an edge in the wars against Native Americans, yet just as soon turned on the US when unacclimated US troops were dispatched to the southern Pacific. This book not only traces the path of disease in American military history but also recounts numerous small episodes and interesting anecdotes related to the history of illness. Overall it presents a compelling story, one that has been overlooked and under appreciated. Yellow fever, malaria, tuberculosis, glanders, bubonic plague, smallpox, and numerous other bacteria and viruses all conspired to defeat America, and are enemies that need to be recognized.Table of ContentsPREFACEINTRODUCTIONOne - Columbus Day or Contagion Day: Disease “Arrives” in AmericaTwo - “Deus Flavit Nasus et Dissipati Sunt”: The Protestant Wind and the Catholic FluThree - Pocahontas and the Plague: The English and Disease in the Conquest of the ColoniesFour - “the Paths to Glory Lead but to the Grave”: Disease in the Early French and Indian WarsFive - “Pestilence Gave them a Common Death”: Disease and the English Conquest of North AmericaSix - typhus and taxation: Disease and the American RevolutionSeven - A Nation Forged in Gout and expanded by Venereal Disease: A Medical Look at the Early RepublicEight - Montezuma’s Revenge: Disease and Manifest DestinyNine - Johnny Dysentery and Billy typhus: Disease and the Civil WarTen - Remember the maine, to Hell with Yellow Fever: Imperialism and IllnessEleven - Love in the Age of Cholera, Warfare in the Age of typhoid: Progressivism and PestilenceTwelve - Bullets, Bayonets, and Botulism: Biological Warfare in the Twentieth CenturyThirteen - Al-Qaeda, Anthrax, and America: Terrorism and Disease in Post-Cold War AmericaCONCLUSIONENDNOTESBIBLIOGRAPHYINDEX

The denouement of the battle of Normandy, the fighting around Falaise and Chambois in August 1944 and the pursuit of the retreating German armies to the Seine provided the Allies with an immense victory. After ten weeks of hard attritional fighting, the Allies had broken loose from the bocage and the Germans’ deep defenses around Caen: by the end of September they would be close to the German border. As US First Army and British Second Army squeezed the western and northern edges of the German salient, so Third Army rushed headlong eastwards and then north to create the lower of two pincers—the other formed as the Canadian First Army and the Polish 1st Armored Division pushed south of Caen. As could be expected, the Germans did not simply give up: they fought furiously to keep the pincers from closing. When they did, attacks from inside the pocket to break out and outside the pocket to break in led to fierce fighting between Chambois and Argentan. When the dust settled, between 80,000 and 100,000 troops had been trapped by the Allied encirclement. Estimates vary considerably, but it seems safe to say that at least 10,000 of the German forces were killed and around 50,000 became PoWs. The rest, however, escaped, but without most of their equipment, destroyed in the battle or abandoned in the retreat over the Seine. Those that did escape were subsequently to reform, rearm and conduct an effective defense into late 1944.The Past & Present Series reconstructs historical battles by using photography, juxtaposing modern views with those of the past together with concise explanatory text. It shows how much infrastructure has remained and how much such as outfits, uniforms, and ephemera has changed, providing a coherent link between now and then.

The outbreak of the Korean conflict caught America (and the Marine Corps) unprepared. The Corps' salvation was the existence of its Organized Reserve (an organization rich in veterans of the fighting in World War II), the availability of modern equipment in storage and, as always, the bravery, initiative, and adaptability of individual Marines.In this followup to his enormously successful Marine Tank Battles in the Pacific (Combined Publishing, 2000), Oscar Gilbert presents an equally exhaustive and detailed account of the little-known Marine tank engagements in Korea, supported by 48 photographs, eight original maps, and dozens of survivor interviews.Marine Corps Tank Battles in Korea details every action, from the valiant defense at Pusan and the bitter battles of the Chosin Reservoir, to the grinding and bloody stalemate along the Jamestown Line. Many of these stories are presented here for the first time, such as the unique role played by tanks in the destruction of the illfated Task Force Drysdale, how Marine armor played a key role in the defense of Hagaru, and how a lone tank made it to Yudamni and then led the breakout across the high Toktong Pass.Marine tankers--individually and as an organization--met every challenge posed by this vicious, protracted, and forgotten war. It is a story of bravery and fortitude you will never forget.Table of ContentsPrologueThe Unexpected WarThe Defense of the Pusan PerimeterThe Inchon and Seoul OperationsThe Chosin Reservoir Campaign—EncirclementThe Chosin Reservoir Campaign—BreakoutOffensives and Counteroffensives, 1951–1952Battles for the Jamestown Line, 1952–1953Armistice and WithdrawalEpilogue

A Few Lawless Vagabondsis an account of the three-way relationship between Ethan Allen, the Republic of Vermont (1777–1791) and the British in Canada during the American Revolution, a work of political and military history. Ethan Allen was a prime mover in the establishment of the Republic (though he was a captive of the British, 1775–1778), then led the fight to maintain its independence from the “predatory states” of New Hampshire, New York and Massachusetts; from the American Continental Congress; and from British attacks on the new state. In order to defend Vermont’s independence, Ethan Allen engaged in secret, unlawful negotiations with the British in Canada, aimed at turning Vermont into a “separate Government under the Crown.” The attempts of the Allen family to maintain Vermont’s independence from its neighbors were successful: Vermont became the 14th State in 1791. A Few Lawless Vagabonds is the first systematic attempt, using archival sources, to show that the Allens were utterly serious in their aim to turn Vermont into a Crown colony, a project which came close to success late in 1781. The Ethan Allen that emerges is not as a warrior hero of the American Revolution but as a successful Vermont nationalist who is justly celebrated as the principal founder of the State of Vermont, a rare combination of patriot and betrayer of the public trust. The British leaders who were Ethan’s opposite numbers emerge in turn as thoroughly capable military officers and diplomatic negotiators: Sir Henry Clinton, Sir Guy Carleton and Sir Frederick Haldimand.

No history of the war in Europe has ever taken into account the actions of the men of the US 23rd Special Troops. These men took part in over 22 deception operations against the German Army. Some of these operations had tremendous impact upon how the battles in Europe were fought. The men who participated in these actions were sworn to secrecy for 50 years, and are only now willing to talk about their role.The 23rd was composed of four main units. A signal deception unit to broadcast fake radio signals, an engineer camouflage unit to set up rubber dummies of tanks and trucks, a combat engineer unit to construct emplacements and provide local security, and a sonic deception company. The sonic unit was developed to fool German listening posts by playing audio recordings of various sounds, such as tanks moving up or bridges being built.The 23rd was the only tactical deception unit of the American Army in World War ll combining all aspects of deception. This book also covers the birthplace of sonic deception: the Army Experimental Station at Pine Camp; and their smaller sister unit, the 3133rd Sonic Deception company that saw action for 14 days in Italy. Jonathan Gawne is a leading military historian and is the author of the best selling Spearheading D Day and The US Army Photo Album (both published by Histoire & Collections and available from Casemate) as well as books in the Greenhill Books “GI Series”. He has contributed articles to numerous military magazines. He lives in Framingham, MA.Table of ContentsForewordPreface1. Military Deception2. Developments in the United States3. On to England4. France and Operation ELEPHANT5. Sonic Deception6. Operation BRITTANY7. Operation BREST8. Operation BETTEMBOURG9. Operation WILTZ10. Artillery, Operation VASELINE, and Propaganda11. Operation DALLAS12. Operation ELSENBORN13. Operation CASANOVA14. Operation KOBLENZ and the Bulge15. Operation KODAK16. Operation METZ-I17. Operation METZ-II18. Operation L'EGLISE19. Operation FLAZWEILER20. Operation STEINSEL21. Operation LANDONCILLERS22. Operation WHIPSAW23. Operation MERZIG24. Operation LOCHNIVAR25. Operation BOUZONVILLE26. Operation VIERSEN27. The 3133rd and the War in Italy28. War's End and DP Camps29. After the WarAppendix 1. The Correct Name of the 23rdAppendix 2. Officers of the 23rd Special TroopsAppendix 3. Medal and Decorations Awarded in the 23rd Special TroopsAppendix 4. Table of OrganizationAppendix 5. Patton and DeceptionAppendix 6. Original Poop SheetsGlossarySelect BibliographyEnd NotesIndex

It wasn’t rockets or artillery that came through the skies one week during the war. It was the horrific force of nature that suddenly put both sides in awe. As an unofficial truce began, questions and emotions battled inside every air crewman’s mind as they faced masses of Vietnamese civilians outside their protective base perimeters for the first time. Could we trust them not to shoot? Could they trust us not to drop them off in a detention camp? Truces never last, but life changes a bit for all the people involved while they are happening.Sometimes wars are suspended and fighting stops for a while. A holiday that both sides recognize might do it, as happened in the Christmas truce during World War I. Weather might do it, too, as it did in Vietnam in October 1970. The “typhoon truce” was just as real, and the war stopped for three days in northern I Corps--that area bordering the demilitarized zone separating South Vietnam from the North. The unofficial “typhoon truce” came because first, Super Typhoon Joan arrived, devastating all the coastal lowlands in I Corps and further up into North Vietnam. Then, less than a week later came Super Typhoon Kate. Kate hit the same area with renewed fury, leaving the entire countryside under water and the people there faced with both war and natural disaster at the same time.No one but the Americans, the foreign warriors fighting throughout the country, had the resources to help the people who lived in the lowlands, and so they did. For the men who took their helicopters out into the unending rain it really made little difference. Perhaps no one would shoot at them for a while, but the everyday dangers they faced remained, magnified by the low clouds and poor visibility. The crews got just as tired, maybe more so, than on normal missions. None of that really mattered. The aircrews of the 101st Airborne went out to help anyway, because rescuing people was now their mission. In this book we see how for a brief period during an otherwise vicious war, saving life took precedence over bloody conflict.Table of ContentsPROLOGUE Rain UnendingTHE MEN OF PLAYTEX AND LIFE IN VIETNAMWalking Fish • The Technicians • Liftmaster •The Roommates • The Hootch THE 159TH, THE AIRCRAFT, AND THE MISSIONThe 159th Assault Support Helicopter Battalion (159th ASHB) • The Aircraft • The MissionOCTOBER 14, 1970Monsoon Flying • Weather Checker • Loose Lips • Last Ditches • Even the Bad Guys Get the Blues • Once StartedOCTOBER 16, 1970Show TimeOCTOBER 17, 1970Much Pain, No GainOCTOBER 18, 1970Playtex 820: Roommates Go Flying • Playtex 831 • The Weather Hold • Routine Maintenance Playtex 831 • Broken BitsOCTOBER 24, 1970Recovering Playtex 831 • Playtex 831 Returns to Liftmaster Pad • Playtex 820 Goes NorthOCTOBER 25, 1970Playtex 820 Has a Tiny Problem • Liftmaster Prepares for Super Typhoon Kate • Domestic MattersOCTOBER 26, 1970Kate Makes an Entrance • Cameraman James Taylor • No More Party TodayOCTOBER 27, 1970Anticipation • Cameraman Barry Fivelson • Congratulations on Your New AssignmentTYPHOON JOAN ARRIVES AND THE TYPHOON TRUCE BEGINSWarning Order • Meeting the LocalsOCTOBER 28, 1970Launch! Launch! • Alice and Strider Go Flying in Playtex 506 • Playtex 506’s Crew • The War is Suspended, Day One • Hovering Practice • The New Mission Begins • Weather Hold • Playtex 820’s Crew • War Stories and Lunch • Day One Ends • Domestic Matters, Part TwoOCTOBER 29, 1970Day Two: Playtex 506 Launches Again • The Rescues Begin Again • The Newest Playtex Pilot • Two Wheeler • Surprises • The Next Round • Panic • Getting Tired Now • Playtex 107 Calls it a Day • Not Lost, Merely Disoriented • Playtex 542 Returns to Liftmaster • Bits and Pieces • In Playtex 506, the AC Makes a Decision • RO1N—Remain Over One NightOCTOBER 30, 1970Day Three: Playtex 506 • Normalcy •OCTOBER 31, 1970 - THE AFTERMATHThe RLOs • The Roommates, Part 2 • Strider • Cobb • Steiner • The LocalsEPILOGUE They Still LiveAPPENDIX Who They WereACKNOWLEDGMENTSGLOSSARY

September 5, 1944“The Americans are approaching; we follow their progress impatiently on the radio, by intercepting messages reserved for the commandos. They cannot be beaten now. But it is up to us to do the impossible to speed up the progression of the bulk of their troops, to facilitate the advance of their spearhead, and, above all, to prevent the Germans from withdrawing to the Rhine in good order, with all their equipment.How many human lives will we manage to save?How many sons of Utah, or of Georgia, will be able to push open the door of their homes thanks to our action, in the near future?Yes, I must fight for ‘Louis’ and all these unknown brothers.For each tank that does not make it, for every ammunition truck pitched into a ditch, how many soldiers will be saved?”“Hubert Verneret was able to highlight the feelings of young people of his time; they match our memories exactly, whether we lived in France or in Great Britain, whether we were then wearing his Majesty's uniform, or the armbands of the maquisards.”Colonel Maurice BuckmasterHubert Verneret was a fourteen-year-old schoolboy in South Morvan, Burgundy, when the Germans invaded Poland, and fifteen when France fell. A boy scout, he helped refugees, aided the gendarmerie, moved wounded soldiers, and dug out bodies after air raids. Throughout, he wrote an eloquent diary that noted not only his actions but his thoughts and feelings as the French troops retreated and the Germans arrived.In 1944, aged nineteen, he decided to join the local maquis resistance fighters, operating from a hidden base in the forest. Though constantly in danger as he undertook his duties, his youthful optimism turned to frustration as he felt he was fated never to fight the Germans, never to take a prisoner. As the Allies approached, the maquisards worked to upset and weaken the retreating Germans to aid the Allied advance.. Hubert details the joy with which the maquisards were welcomed in local villages when the fighting ended. Only as he listened to the speech given as the maquisards disband did he understand that his part in the war, while perhaps not heroic as that played by others, was still important in gaining the victory. Years later, Hubert interviewed local maquisards to understand more about maquis history; their words and excerpts from the diary of a local civilian during the German retreat provide context to Hubert's youthful testimony. This first English edition of Hubert's diary retains the original prefaces by Colonel Buckmaster, chief of the French section of the SOE, and Colonel d'Escrienne, aide de camp to General de Gaulle.Table of ContentsPart I: Hubert Verneret’s DiaryIntroduction193819391940194119421431944Part II: Twenty-Five Years LaterIntroductionInterview with Abbot BoninInterview with Emile PassardInterview with Kenneth Mackenzie (“Baptist”)Interview with Joseph PinetThe German Debacle: Diary of a Luzy ResidentPart III: Forms of ResistanceThe Role of the Resistance in the Liberation of FranceThe Triad of the SOE, Resistance, and FFIThe Louis MaquisEpilogueList of names of maquis membersIndex

A Few Lawless Vagabonds is an account of the three-way relationship between Ethan Allen, the Republic of Vermont (1777–1791) and the British in Canada during the American Revolution, a work of political and military history. Ethan Allen was a prime mover in the establishment of the Republic (though he was a captive of the British, 1775–1778), then led the fight to maintain its independence from the “predatory states” of New Hampshire, New York and Massachusetts; from the American Continental Congress; and from British attacks on the new state. In order to defend Vermont’s independence, Ethan Allen engaged in secret, unlawful negotiations with the British in Canada, aimed at turning Vermont into a “separate Government under the Crown.”The attempts of the Allen family to maintain Vermont’s independence from its neighbors were successful: Vermont became the 14th State in 1791. A Few Lawless Vagabonds is the first systematic attempt, using archival sources, to show that the Allens were utterly serious in their aim to turn Vermont into a Crown colony, a project which came close to becoming an open, public issue late in 1781. The Ethan Allen that emerges is not as a warrior hero of the American Revolution but as a successful Vermont nationalist who is justly celebrated as the principal founder of the State of Vermont, a rare combination of patriot and betrayer of the public trust. The British leaders who were Ethan’s opposite numbers emerge in turn as thoroughly capable military officers and diplomatic negotiators: Sir Henry Clinton, Sir Guy Carleton and Sir Frederick Haldimand.Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsA Note on SourcesIntroductionCHAPTER l The “Fronter”CHAPTER 2 Controversy: The New Hampshire GrantsCHAPTER 3 Ethan Allen and the Assault on Ticonderoga, May 10, 1775CHAPTER 4 The Capture of Ethan Allen at Montreal, September 25, 1775CHAPTER 5 Carleton’s Campaign of 1775–1776CHAPTER 6 The British Incursion into Vermont, 1777CHAPTER 7 The Republic of VermontCHAPTER 8 Defending the Republic: New York, New Hampshire and the Continental CongressCHAPTER 9 Defending the Republic: The British Raids from CanadaCHAPTER 10 The Haldimand Negotiations, Phase 1: July 1780 to December 1781CHAPTER 11 The Haldimand Negotiations, Phase 2: January 1782 to April 1783CHAPTER 12 The Political Philosophy of Ethan AllenCHAPTER 13 Ethan Allen: Endgame and AssessmentAppendix: Seth Warner’s Letter to General MontgomeryNotesBibliographyIndex

When General Douglas MacArthur arrived in Australia in March 1942, having successfully left the Philippines to organize a new American army, he vowed, "I shall return!" More than two years later he did return, at the head of a large U.S. army to retake the Philippines from the Japanese. The place of his re-invasion was the central Philippine Island of Leyte. Much has been written about the naval battle of Leyte Gulf that his return provoked, but almost nothing has been written about the three-month long battle to seize Leyte itself.Originally intending to delay the advancing Americans, the Japanese high command decided to make Leyte the "Decisive Battle" for the western Pacific and rushed crack Imperial Army units from Manchuria, Korea, and Japan itself to halt and then overwhelm the Americans on Leyte. As were most battles in the Pacific, it was a long, bloody, and brutal fight. As did the Japanese, the Americans were forced to rush in reinforcements to compensate for the rapid increase in Japanese forces on Leyte.This unique battle also saw a major Japanese counterattack—not a banzai charge, but a carefully thought-out counteroffensive designed to push the Americans off the island and capture the elusive General MacArthur. Both American and Japanese battalions spent days surrounded by the enemy, often until relieved or overwhelmed. Under General Yamashita's guidance it also saw a rare deployment of Japanese paratroopers in conjunction with the ground assault offensive.Finally there were more naval and air battles, all designed to protect or cover landing operations of friendly forces. Leyte was a three-dimensional battle, fought with the best both sides had to offer, and did indeed decide the fate of the Philippines in World War II.Table of ContentsIntroduction1. Decision For The Philippines2. I Have Returned”3. Into The Valleys4. Into The Mountains—Breakneck Ridge5. Into The Mountains—Kilay Ridge6. Into The Mountains—Shoestring Ridge7. The "Old Bastards” Land8. The Last Valley9. The Japanese Retreat10. The Bitter EndAppendix 1: U.S. Forces Order Of Battle, Leyte, 1944Appendix 2: Japanese Order Of Battle, Leyte, 1944Appendix 3: U.S. Army Battle Casualties, Leyte, 20 Oct 1944 - 8 May 1945NotesBibliographical NoteIndex