Japanese ships caught in web of U.S. Navy bombs.

Japanese ships caught in web of U.S. Navy bombs. A flaming Japanese aircraft carrier of the Shokaku class (center) careens to avoid more damaging hits by U.S. Navy bombs while two enemy destroyers swerve to escape damage on June 19, 1944, the second day of the naval Battle of the Eastern Philippines when the enemy suffered the greatest loss over inflicted in a single ocean engagement. The blazing carrier was one of the newest and biggest in the Japanese Navy, estimated to carry from 75 to 80 planes. On June 19, U.S. Navy carrier planes sank or damaged 17 Japanese ships and shot down 26 enemy aircraft. Two aircraft carriers, one destroyer and two tankers were sunk, while three more Japanese carriers, one battleship, three cruisers, two destroyers, and three tankers were probably sunk or damaged. Another enemy aircraft carriier was damaged by a U.S. submarine the previous day when the Japanese Navy lost 402 of the aircraft sent out against the U.S. Pacific Fleet task force supporting American soldiers battling on Saipan Island of the Marianas. The Japanese Navy was forced to abandon its beleaguered garrison on Saipan, part of the enemy's inner defenses. American losses for the two-day sea Battle of the Eastern Philippines were 122 planes downed, while three U.S. ships were slightly damaged.