Soemu Toyoda
On 13 June 1944, Admiral Soemu Toyoda, CINC, Combined Fleet, activated the "A-Go" plan for the defense of the Mariana Islands. Suzuya was assigned to Admiral Kurita's "Force C" with the battleships , and aircraft carriers "Zuihō", , , and cruisers , , "Maya", "Chōkai", "Kumano", "Chikuma", , and .