Philippine Sea, Battle of the

Philippine Sea, Battle of the

(June 19–20, 1944) Naval battle of World War II between the U.S. and Japan. On June 19, after the U.S. invaded Saipan, Japan sent 430 planes to destroy U.S. ships but suffered heavy losses from U.S. carrier aircraft before retiring the next day. Called the greatest carrier battle of the war, it ended with the loss of over 300 Japanese planes and two carriers, while U.S. aircraft losses totaled 130, with minor damage to ships.