romikgosai/squad_modified huggingface dataset:
The Battle of Leyte Gulf was arguably the largest naval battle in history and was the largest naval battle of World War II. It was a series of four distinct engagements fought off the Philippine island of Leyte from 23 to 26 October 1944. Leyte Gulf featured the largest battleships ever built, was the last time in history that battleships engaged each other, and was also notable as the first time that kamikaze aircraft were used. Allied victory in the Philippine Sea established Allied air and sea superiority in the western Pacific. Nimitz favored blockading the Philippines and landing on Formosa. This would give the Allies control of the sea routes to Japan from southern Asia, cutting off substantial Japanese garrisons. MacArthur favored an invasion of the Philippines, which also lay across the supply lines to Japan. Roosevelt adjudicated in favor of the Philippines. Meanwhile, Japanese Combined Fleet Chief Toyoda Soemu prepared four plans to cover all Allied offensive scenarios. On 12 October Nimitz launched a carrier raid against Formosa to make sure that planes based there could not intervene in the landings on Leyte. Toyoda put Plan Sho-2 into effect, launching a series of air attacks against the U.S. carriers. However the Japanese lost 600 planes in three days, leaving them without air cover.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What is argued to be the largest naval battle in history?
A: Battle of Leyte Gulf', '
Q: When did the Battle of Leyte Gulf occur?
A: 23 to 26 October 1944', '
Q: When did Nimitz launch a carrier raid against Formosa?
A: 12 October', '
Q: What was the largest naval battle in World War II?
A: Battle of Leyte Gulf', '
Q: What did Nimitz favor blockading?
A: Philippines']
Sho-1 called for V. Adm. Jisaburo Ozawa's force to use an apparently vulnerable carrier force to lure the U.S. 3rd Fleet away from Leyte and remove air cover from the Allied landing forces, which would then be attacked from the west by three Japanese forces: V. Adm. Takeo Kurita's force would enter Leyte Gulf and attack the landing forces; R. Adm. Shoji Nishimura's force and V. Adm. Kiyohide Shima's force would act as mobile strike forces. The plan was likely to result in the destruction of one or more of the Japanese forces, but Toyoda justified it by saying that there would be no sense in saving the fleet and losing the Philippines.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: Who would enter Leyte Gulf to attack the Allied landing forces?
A: V. Adm. Takeo Kurita', '
Q: How many Japanese forces were likely to be destroyed?
A: one or more', "
Q: What was the namee of the plan where Ozawa's force would lure the U.S. 3rd Fleet away from Leyte?
A: Sho-1"]
Kurita's "Center Force" consisted of five battleships, 12 cruisers and 13 destroyers. It included the two largest battleships ever built: Yamato and Musashi. As they passed Palawan Island after midnight on 23 October the force was spotted, and U.S. submarines sank two cruisers. On 24 October, as Kurita's force entered the Sibuyan Sea, USS Intrepid and USS Cabot launched 260 planes, which scored hits on several ships. A second wave of planes scored many direct hits on Musashi. A third wave, from USS Enterprise and USS Franklin hit Musashi with 11 bombs and eight torpedoes. Kurita retreated but in the evening turned around to head for San Bernardino Strait. Musashi sank at about 19:30.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: How many battleships were in Kurita\'s "Center Force"?
A: five', '
Q: How many cruisers were in Kurita\'s "Center Force"?
A: 12', '
Q: How many destroyers were in Kurita\'s "Center Force"?
A: 13', "
Q: When did Kurita's force enter the Sibuyan Sea?
A: 24 October"]
Nishimura's force consisted of two battleships, one cruiser and four destroyers. Because they were observing radio silence, Nishimura was unable to synchronize with Shima and Kurita. Nishimura and Shima had failed to even coordinate their plans before the attacks – they were long-time rivals and neither wished to have anything to do with the other. When he entered the narrow Surigao Strait at about 02:00, Shima was 22 miles (40 km) behind him, and Kurita was still in the Sibuyan Sea, several hours from the beaches at Leyte. As they passed Panaon Island, Nishimura's force ran into a trap set for them by the U.S.-Australian 7th Fleet Support Force. R. Adm. Jesse Oldendorf had six battleships, four heavy cruisers, four light cruisers, 29 destroyers and 39 PT boats. To pass the strait and reach the landings, Nishimura had to run the gauntlet. At about 03:00 the Japanese battleship Fusō and three destroyers were hit by torpedoes and Fusō broke in two. At 03:50 the U.S. battleships opened fire. Radar fire control meant they could hit targets from a much greater distance than the Japanese. The battleship Yamashiro, a cruiser and a destroyer were crippled by 16-inch (406 mm) shells; Yamashiro sank at 04:19. Only one of Nishimura's force of seven ships survived the engagement. At 04:25 Shima's force of two cruisers and eight destroyers reached the battle. Seeing Fusō and believing her to be the wrecks of two battleships, Shima ordered a retreat, ending the last battleship-vs-battleship action in history.

Questions and answers:
["
Q: How many battleships were in Nishimura's force?
A: two", '
Q: Which Japanese admiral was a  rival of Nishimura?
A: Shima', "
Q: How many miles was Shima's fleet behind Nishimura?
A: 22", '
Q: Who set the trap for the Japanese forces as they sailed by Panaon Island?
A: R. Adm. Jesse Oldendorf', '
Q: How many battleships did the U.S.-Australian 7th Fleet have?
A: six']
Ozawa's "Northern Force" had four aircraft carriers, two obsolete battleships partly converted to carriers, three cruisers and nine destroyers. The carriers had only 108 planes. The force was not spotted by the Allies until 16:40 on 24 October. At 20:00 Toyoda ordered all remaining Japanese forces to attack. Halsey saw an opportunity to destroy the remnants of the Japanese carrier force. The U.S. Third Fleet was formidable – nine large carriers, eight light carriers, six battleships, 17 cruisers, 63 destroyers and 1,000 planes – and completely outgunned Ozawa's force. Halsey's ships set out in pursuit of Ozawa just after midnight. U.S. commanders ignored reports that Kurita had turned back towards San Bernardino Strait. They had taken the bait set by Ozawa. On the morning of 25 October Ozawa launched 75 planes. Most were shot down by U.S. fighter patrols. By 08:00 U.S. fighters had destroyed the screen of Japanese fighters and were hitting ships. By evening, they had sunk the carriers Zuikaku, Zuihō, and Chiyoda, and a destroyer. The fourth carrier, Chitose, and a cruiser were disabled and later sank.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: When did the allies spot Ozawa\'s "Northern Force"?
A: 16:40 on 24 October', '
Q: How many aircraft carriers were in Ozawa\'s "Northern Force"?
A: four', '
Q: How many planes were in the U.S. 3rd Fleet?
A: 1,000', '
Q: How many cruisers were in the U.S. Third Fleet?
A: 17', '
Q: How many destroyers were in the U.S. Third Fleet?
A: 63']
Kurita passed through San Bernardino Strait at 03:00 on 25 October and headed along the coast of Samar. The only thing standing in his path were three groups (Taffy 1, 2 and 3) of the Seventh Fleet, commanded by Admiral Thomas Kinkaid. Each group had six escort carriers, with a total of more than 500 planes, and seven or eight destroyers or destroyer escorts (DE). Kinkaid still believed that Lee's force was guarding the north, so the Japanese had the element of surprise when they attacked Taffy 3 at 06:45. Kurita mistook the Taffy carriers for large fleet carriers and thought he had the whole Third Fleet in his sights. Since escort carriers stood little chance against a battleship, Adm. Clifton Sprague directed the carriers of Taffy 3 to turn and flee eastward, hoping that bad visibility would reduce the accuracy of Japanese gunfire, and used his destroyers to divert the Japanese battleships. The destroyers made harassing torpedo attacks against the Japanese. For ten minutes Yamato was caught up in evasive action. Two U.S. destroyers and a DE were sunk, but they had bought enough time for the Taffy groups to launch planes. Taffy 3 turned and fled south, with shells scoring hits on some of its carriers and sinking one of them. The superior speed of the Japanese force allowed it to draw closer and fire on the other two Taffy groups. However, at 09:20 Kurita suddenly turned and retreated north. Signals had disabused him of the notion that he was attacking the Third Fleet, and the longer Kurita continued to engage, the greater the risk of major air strikes. Destroyer attacks had broken the Japanese formations, shattering tactical control. Three of Kurita's heavy cruisers had been sunk and another was too damaged to continue the fight. The Japanese retreated through the San Bernardino Strait, under continuous air attack. The Battle of Leyte Gulf was over; and a large part of the Japanese surface fleet destroyed.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: When did Kurita pass through the San Bernardino Strait?
A: 03:00 on 25 October', '
Q: Where did Kurit head after passing through the San Bernardino Strait?
A: along the coast of Samar', '
Q: Admiral Kincaid commanded what three groups of the Seventh Fleet?
A: Taffy 1, 2 and 3', '
Q: What broke the Japanes formations under Kurita?
A: Destroyer attacks', "
Q: How many of Kurita's heavy cruisers were sunk?
A: Three"]
The battle secured the beachheads of the U.S. Sixth Army on Leyte against attack from the sea, broke the back of Japanese naval power and opened the way for an advance to the Ryukyu Islands in 1945. The only significant Japanese naval operation afterwards was the disastrous Operation Ten-Go in April 1945. Kurita's force had begun the battle with five battleships; when he returned to Japan, only Yamato was combat-worthy. Nishimura's sunken Yamashiro was the last battleship in history to engage another in combat.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What were the Leyte beachheads of the U.S. Sixth Army secured from?
A: attack from the sea', '
Q: When did Operation Ten-Go occur?
A: April 1945', '
Q: How many battleships did Kurita begin Operation Ten-Go with?
A: five', '
Q: What was the last battleship in history to engage in combat with another battleship?
A: Yamashiro', '
Q: Which battleship was still capable of combat when Kurita returned to Japan?
A: Yamato']
On 20 October 1944 the U.S. Sixth Army, supported by naval and air bombardment, landed on the favorable eastern shore of Leyte, north of Mindanao. The U.S. Sixth Army continued its advance from the east, as the Japanese rushed reinforcements to the Ormoc Bay area on the western side of the island. While the Sixth Army was reinforced successfully, the U.S. Fifth Air Force was able to devastate the Japanese attempts to resupply. In torrential rains and over difficult terrain, the advance continued across Leyte and the neighboring island of Samar to the north. On 7 December U.S. Army units landed at Ormoc Bay and, after a major land and air battle, cut off the Japanese ability to reinforce and supply Leyte. Although fierce fighting continued on Leyte for months, the U.S. Army was in control.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: When did the U.S. Sixth Army land on the eastern shore of Leyte?
A: 20 October 1944', '
Q: Where did the Japanese rush reinforcments to on the western side of Leyte?
A: Ormoc Bay area', '
Q: What force devastated resupply attempts by the Japanese?
A: U.S. Fifth Air Force', '
Q: Fighting continued on Leyte for how long?
A: months', '
Q: What was the neighboring island to the north of Leyte.
A: Samar']
On 15 December 1944 landings against minimal resistance were made on the southern beaches of the island of Mindoro, a key location in the planned Lingayen Gulf operations, in support of major landings scheduled on Luzon. On 9 January 1945, on the south shore of Lingayen Gulf on the western coast of Luzon, General Krueger's Sixth Army landed his first units. Almost 175,000 men followed across the twenty-mile (32 km) beachhead within a few days. With heavy air support, Army units pushed inland, taking Clark Field, 40 miles (64 km) northwest of Manila, in the last week of January.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: Landings were made on the beaches of what island on December 15, 1944?
A: Mindoro', '
Q: Lingayen Gulf operations supported what landings?
A: Luzon', '
Q: Who led the Sixth Army?
A: General Krueger', '
Q: Clark field was how many miles northwest of Manila?
A: 40']
Palawan Island, between Borneo and Mindoro, the fifth largest and western-most Philippine Island, was invaded on 28 February with landings of the Eighth Army at Puerto Princesa. The Japanese put up little direct defense of Palawan, but cleaning up pockets of Japanese resistance lasted until late April, as the Japanese used their common tactic of withdrawing into the mountain jungles, dispersed as small units. Throughout the Philippines, U.S. forces were aided by Filipino guerrillas to find and dispatch the holdouts.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What island was between Borneo and Mindoro?
A: Palawan', '
Q: What island was invaded by the Eighth Army on February 28?
A: Palawan', '
Q: Where did the Eighth Army land?
A: Puerto Princesa', '
Q: Who aided U.S. forces in finding Japanese holdouts in the Philippines?
A: Filipino guerrillas', '
Q: What is the western-most Philippine island?
A: Palawan']
The battle of Iwo Jima ("Operation Detachment") in February 1945 was one of the bloodiest battles fought by the Americans in the Pacific War. Iwo Jima was an 8 sq mile (21 km2) island situated halfway between Tokyo and the Mariana Islands. Holland Smith, the commander of the invasion force, aimed to capture the island, and utilize its three airfields as bases to carry out air attacks against the Home Islands. Lt. General Tadamichi Kuribayashi, the commander of the island's defense, knew that he could not win the battle, but he hoped to make the Americans suffer far more than they could endure.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What was "Operation Detachment"?
A: battle of Iwo Jima', '
Q: When did "Operation Detachment" occur?
A: February 1945', '
Q: How many square miles is the island of Iwo Jima?
A: 8', '
Q: Iwo Jima is halfway between the Mariana Islands and what city?
A: Tokyo', '
Q: How many airfields were on Iwo Jima?
A: three']
From early 1944 until the days leading up to the invasion, Kuribayashi transformed the island into a massive network of bunkers, hidden guns, and 11 mi (18 km) of underground tunnels. The heavy American naval and air bombardment did little but drive the Japanese further underground, making their positions impervious to enemy fire. Their pillboxes and bunkers were all connected so that if one was knocked out, it could be reoccupied again. The network of bunkers and pillboxes greatly favored the defender.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: How many miles of hidden tunnel were on the island?
A: 11', '
Q: What were the pillboxes and bunkers connected by?
A: underground tunnels', '
Q: Who transformed the island into a fortress?
A: Kuribayashi', '
Q: Who did the network of fortifications on the island favor?
A: the defender']
Starting in mid-June 1944, Iwo Jima came under sustained aerial bombardment and naval artillery fire. However, Kuribayashi's hidden guns and defenses survived the constant bombardment virtually unscathed. On 19 February 1945, some 30,000 men of the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Marine Divisions landed on the southeast coast of Iwo, just under Mount Suribachi; where most of the island's defenses were concentrated. For some time, they did not come under fire. This was part of Kuribayashi's plan to hold fire until the landing beaches were full. As soon as the Marines pushed inland to a line of enemy bunkers, they came under devastating machine gun and artillery fire which cut down many of the men. By the end of the day, the Marines reached the west coast of the island, but their losses were appalling; almost 2,000 men killed or wounded.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: When did Iwo Jima come under bombardment?
A: mid-June 1944', '
Q: How many men landed on Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945?
A: some 30,000', '
Q: What was the name of the mountain on Iwo Jima?
A: Mount Suribachi', '
Q: How many U.S. Marines were killed by the time thhey reached the west coast of the island?
A: almost 2,000']
On 23 February, the 28th Marine Regiment reached the summit of Suribachi, prompting the now famous Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima picture. Navy Secretary James Forrestal, upon seeing the flag, remarked "there will be a Marine Corps for the next 500 years." The flag raising is often cited as the most reproduced photograph of all time and became the archetypal representation not only of that battle, but of the entire Pacific War. For the rest of February, the Americans pushed north, and by 1 March, had taken two-thirds of the island. But it was not until 26 March that the island was finally secured. The Japanese fought to the last man, killing 6,800 Marines and wounding nearly 20,000 more. The Japanese losses totaled well over 20,000 men killed, and only 1,083 prisoners were taken. Historians debate whether it was strategically worth the casualties sustained.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What marine regiment reached the summit of Mount Suribachi?
A: 28th', '
Q: When was the summit of Mount Suribachi reached by U.S. marines?
A: 23 February', '
Q: Who said "there will be a Marine Corps for the next 500 years"?
A: Navy Secretary James Forrestal', '
Q: When was the island of Iwo Jima secured by the Americans?
A: 26 March', '
Q: How many Japanese prisoners were taken on Iwo Jima?
A: 1,083']
During April, Fourteenth Army advanced 300 miles (480 km) south towards Rangoon, the capital and principal port of Burma, but was delayed by Japanese rearguards 40 miles (64 km) north of Rangoon at the end of the month. Slim feared that the Japanese would defend Rangoon house-to-house during the monsoon, placing his army in a disastrous supply situation, and in March he had asked that a plan to capture Rangoon by an amphibious force, Operation Dracula, which had been abandoned earlier, be reinstated. Dracula was launched on 1 May, but Rangoon was found to have been abandoned. The troops which occupied Rangoon linked up with Fourteenth Army five days later, securing the Allies' lines of communication.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What was the capital of Burma?
A: Rangoon', '
Q: What was the principle port of Burma?
A: Rangoon', '
Q: When was Operation Dracula launched?
A: 1 May', '
Q: What force was delayed by Japanese rearguards north of Rangoon?
A: Fourteenth Army', '
Q: What month was a delay caused by Japanese rearguards north of Rangoon?
A: April']
Although the campaign was criticized in Australia at the time, and in subsequent years, as pointless or a "waste" of the lives of soldiers, it did achieve a number of objectives, such as increasing the isolation of significant Japanese forces occupying the main part of the Dutch East Indies, capturing major oil supplies and freeing Allied prisoners of war, who were being held in deteriorating conditions. At one of the very worst sites, around Sandakan in Borneo, only six of some 2,500 British and Australian prisoners survived.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: How many British and Australian prisoners survived out of about 2500 around Sandakan?
A: six', '
Q: Sandakan was located in what providence?
A: Borneo']
By April 1945, China had already been at war with Japan for more than seven years. Both nations were exhausted by years of battles, bombings and blockades. After Japanese victories in Operation Ichi-Go, Japan were losing the battle in Burma and facing constant attacks from Chinese Nationalists forces and Communist guerrillas in the country side. The Japanese army began preparations for the Battle of West Hunan in March 1945. Japanese mobilized 34th, 47th, 64th, 68th and 116th Divisions, as well as the 86th Independent Brigade, for a total of 80,000 men to seize Chinese airfields and secure railroads in West Hunan by early April. In response, the Chinese National Military Council dispatched the 4th Front Army and the 10th and 27th Army Groups with He Yingqin as commander-in-chief. At the same time, it airlifted the entire Chinese New 6th Corps, an American-equipped corps and veterans of the Burma Expeditionary Force, from Kunming to Zhijiang. Chinese forces totaled 110,000 men in 20 divisions. They were supported by about 400 aircraft from Chinese and American air forces. Chinese forces achieved a decisive victory and launched a large counterattack in this campaign. Concurrently, the Chinese managed to repel a Japanese offensive in Henan and Hubei. Afterwards, Chinese forces retook Hunan and Hubei provinces in South China. Chinese launched a counter offensive to retake Guangxi which was the last major Japanese stronghold in South China. In August 1945, Chinese forces successfully retook Guangxi.[citation needed]

Questions and answers:
['
Q: In 1945, how many years had Japan already been at war with China?
A: seven', '
Q: What battle did the Japanese Army begin to prepare for in March 1945?
A: Battle of West Hunan', '
Q: How many Japanese soldiers were mobilized to capture the Chinese airfields and railroads in West Hunan?
A: 80,000', '
Q: Who was the Chinese commander-in-chief of the 10th and 27th Army Groups?
A: He Yingqin', '
Q: When did Chinese forces retake Guangxi?
A: August 1945']
The largest and bloodiest American battle came at Okinawa, as the U.S. sought airbases for 3,000 B-29 bombers and 240 squadrons of B-17 bombers for the intense bombardment of Japan's home islands in preparation for a full-scale invasion in late 1945. The Japanese, with 115,000 troops augmented by thousands of civilians on the heavily populated island, did not resist on the beaches—their strategy was to maximize the number of soldier and Marine casualties, and naval losses from Kamikaze attacks. After an intense bombardment the Americans landed on 1 April 1945 and declared victory on 21 June. The supporting naval forces were the targets for 4,000 sorties, many by Kamikaze suicide planes. U.S. losses totaled 38 ships of all types sunk and 368 damaged with 4,900 sailors killed. The Americans suffered 75,000 casualties on the ground; 94% of the Japanese soldiers died along with many civilians.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: How many B-29 bombers were airbases need for in Okinawa?
A: 3,000', '
Q: How many squadrons of B=17 bombers were airbases need for in Okinawa?
A: 240', '
Q: How many Japanese troops were on Okinawa?
A: 115,000', '
Q: When did the United States land forces on Okinawa?
A: 1 April 1945', '
Q: How many U.S. ships were lost at Okinawa?
A: 38']
Hard-fought battles on the Japanese home islands of Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and others resulted in horrific casualties on both sides but finally produced a Japanese defeat. Of the 117,000 Japanese troops defending Okinawa, 94 percent died. Faced with the loss of most of their experienced pilots, the Japanese increased their use of kamikaze tactics in an attempt to create unacceptably high casualties for the Allies. The U.S. Navy proposed to force a Japanese surrender through a total naval blockade and air raids.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What percent of Japanese troops died on Okinawa?
A: 94', '
Q: Using a total blockade and air raids, what did the US Navy hope to force?
A: Japanese surrender', '
Q: How many Japanese troops defended Okinawa?
A: 117,000', '
Q: How did the Japanese attempt to cause high Allied casualties?
A: kamikaze tactics']