Retaking of the Philippines Begins
On October 15th, the Hughes leaves New Guinea and heads to the Philippines with General Douglas MacArthur to take the country back from the Japanese who had held it since 1942. Although the weather featured near-hurricane speed winds, the Hughes successfully navigated their way to Leyte Gulf by 6:00am on October 17th. Their job, along with two other destroyers, is to patrol the entrance of Leyte Gulf.
For the next week days, the Hughes would patrol Leyte Gulf for submarines and aircrafts, firing upon any enemy aircraft that came within range. On October 20th,General Douglas MacArthur made his triumphant return to the Philippines, stepping foot on Leyte marked his first time in the Philippines since retreating in 1942. His landing was caught on film and can be seen in the newsreel below along with other footage of the action in Leyte Gulf:
