Most aircraft returned in one piece. About 80 planes were lost because of low fuel or landing accidents. Fortunately, most of their crews were rescued. Altogether, about 50 aviators were either lost at sea or died in landing attempts.

The Battle of the Philippine Sea wound to a conclusion in the next three days. On July 21, Spruance dispatched Lee's battleships and cruisers after Ozawa's retreating force, but Lee only succeeded in rescuing downed American aviators from the previous day's combat. Two days later, Spruance sent most of Task Force 58 back to Eniwetok for repairs and resupply.

Thus ended one of the U.S. Navy's most complete victories of the Pacific War. Ozawa had steamed out of Tawi Tawi on June 13, intent on destroying Spruance's carriers. He sank none. His opponent, while still fulfilling his primary duty of protecting the Saipan beachhead, so shredded Ozawa's air power that the Japanese carriers could only act as decoys for the war's remainder. Spruance's planes combined with two American submarines to sink three enemy carriers and other supporting vessels. Spruance gambled by sitting off Saipan and allowing Ozawa to come to him, but the gamble paid off handsomely.

The next month, Admirals Ernest J. King and Chester Nimitz, commander in chief of the Pacific Fleet, visited Spruance at Saipan. Reacting to the bitter criticism Spruance was still receiving from aviators angry that he had not been more aggressive, Admiral King, the irascible chief of naval operations, pointedly told his commander, "Spruance, you did a damn fine job there. No matter what other people tell you, your decision was correct."

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John F. Wukovits is a Michigan-based teacher and author. For further reading, he suggests: Nimitz, by E.B. Potter; and The Pacific War, 1941-1945, by John Costello.[ TOP ] [ Cover ]

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