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Casualty Info
Home Town Coatesville, Pennsylvania
Last Address Robert is remembered on the Tablets of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in Manila, Philippines
Casualty Date Oct 13, 1944
Cause KIA-Killed in Action
Reason Air Loss, Crash - Sea
Location Pacific
Conflict World War II/Asiatic-Pacific Theater/Asiatic-Pacific Specified Raids (1944)/Formosa Air Battle
Location of Interment Buried at Sea, Pacific Ocean
Asiatic-Pacific Specified Raids (1944)/Formosa Air Battle
From Month/Year
October / 1944
To Month/Year
October / 1944
Description The Formosa Air Battle took place between October 10 and 20, 1944, off the eastern coasts of the Ryukyu Islands, Formosa, and Luzon. It was fought by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service and the approaching Task Force 38 of the United States Third Fleet and was one of a series of air raids on Japan during the Pacific War. The attacks served to prevent Japanese aircraft from participating in the Battle of Leyte Gulf later that month.
The battle was one-sided, as the U.S. practically dominated the air war due to the superior training and weaponry that it possessed at that point. Japanese air power in the region was battle exhausted, giving the Americans air superiority and weakening Japan's ability to defend the Okinawa Islands in the upcoming Okinawa Campaign. However, in an effort to boost morale and to cover up th
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
October / 1944
To Month/Year
October / 1944
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
Personal Memories
Memories On one of these strikes against Formosa, Robert's aircraft was shot down in flames. Radioman 2nd Class Robert P. Eckman died in service to his country on October 13th 1944. Robert is remembered on the Tablets of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in Manila, Philippines, and his family was awarded an additional Purple Heart for Robert.
