Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1947. The Battle of Leyte Gulf 23–26 October 1944 Loading drop tanks on SB2C Helldivers aboard USS Lexington (CV-16) before a TF 38 search mission a day after the … Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Leyte-Gulf, United States History - Battle of Leyte Gulf, military operations in the Philippines, 1941–45, Douglas MacArthur at the Battle of Leyte Gulf. At the end of the strait, the USS California, USS Maryland, USS Mississippi, USS Pennsylvania, USS Tennessee, and USS West Virginia were arrayed in a line of battle under the command of Rear Adm. Jesse Oldendorf. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Ernest J. With no aerial reconnaissance of his own to determine the makeup of the enemy fleet, and unaware that Halsey had taken the bait and moved his ships away from Leyte, Kurita believed that he had engaged a significant portion of the Third Fleet. The Japanese responded to the American landings with Sho-Go (Victory Operation), a plan to decoy the U.S. Third Fleet north, away from the San Bernardino Strait, while converging three forces on Leyte Gulf to attack the landing; the First Attack Force, under Vice Adm. Kurita Takeo, was to move from the north across the Sibuyan Sea through the San Bernardino Strait, with the Second Attack Force, under Vice Adm. Shima Kiyohide, and C Force, under Vice Adm. Nishimura Shōji, moving from the south across the Mindanao Sea through the Surigao Strait. The biggest and most epic battle of the Pacific war goes down in Leyte Gulf in 1944 This documentary was sponsored and commissioned by Enterprise Rent-a-Car and was made possible to have on QTC media by our USS Charrette (DD-581) screening USS New Jersey (BB-62) during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, 24 October 1944 (80-G-K-2191).jpg 5,580 × 4,158; 6.31 MB USS Cowell (DD-547) underway in October 1944.jpg 595 × 740; 278 KB Historical Map of East Asia and the Western Pacific (23 October 1944 - Battle of Leyte Gulf: From the Marianas and New Guinea, the Allies now converged on the Philippines, landing on Leyte in … Lo was struck by a kamikaze and sank shortly after the main engagement had ended. When dawn broke, the submarines made visual contact with the lead elements of the Japanese force and launched torpedoes. Although the Darter ran aground and was eventually destroyed by Japanese aircraft after its crew had safely transferred to the Dace, the two submarines had inflicted serious damage on the Japanese fleet as well as robbing it of the element of surprise. It was simultaneously a climax of successes --the Battle of Surigao Strait stands out-- errors --when Admiral Halsey took his whole fleet north--and mysteries --why Admiral Kurita turned back when the way was open to strike the landings on Leyte. The Battle of Lete Gulf was a turning point of WWII. Battle of Leyte Gulf, (October 23痿・6, 1944), decisive air and sea battle of World War II that crippled the Japanese Combined Fleet, permitted U.S. invasion of the憎.... (Map developed from Dull, "A Battle History of the Imperial Leyte Gulf was a complicated battle. Having been battered by U.S. aircraft and submarines, Kurita initially appeared to be retiring to the west, but he soon resumed course, and the Japanese central force pushed doggedly onward toward the San Bernardino Strait and Leyte. U.S. soldier and his war dog in a foxhole on Leyte Island, October 1944. The Brunei-based Japanese First Diversion Attack Force (“Center Force”), also approaching from the southwest, was hit by U.S. submarines in the Palawan Strait on 23 October and by U.S. naval air attacks as it transited the Sibuyan Sea in the center of the Philippine archipelago on 24 October. The Northern Group would be largely destroyed by Halsey’s carrier air wings in the Battle of Cape Engaño on 24 October. Although Taffy 3’s carrier planes has been outfitted for close air support of the landing forces, they dominated the airspace above the Japanese ships and were eventually joined by aircraft from Taffy 2, another task force that was a short distance away. Men of the central Philippines attack force, under Vice Adm. Thomas Kinkaid (commander of the Seventh Fleet and MacArthur’s principal naval subordinate), went ashore on the east coast of Leyte. The Battle of Leyte Gulf book. Omissions? From Singapore, Formosa, and Japan the Imperial Japanese Navy set forth: 9 battleships, 4 carriers, 14 heavy cruisers, 6 light cruisers, 33 destroyers — all bound for victory or death in the waters of Leyte Gulf. History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Vol. In what was perhaps the unlikeliest naval victory of the Pacific War, Taffy 3 lost two destroyers, Johnston and Hoel, and the destroyer escort Samuel B. Roberts. Halsey also held an overwhelming advantage in air power: not only were his pilots more experienced than the raw recruits that the Japanese were rushing into service, but just one of his heavy carriers boasted an air complement that equaled that of the entire Japanese decoy fleet. This acclaimed book shows how U.S. naval commanders successfully applied lessons learned from interwar war gaming to victorious carrier operations in World War II. It seems as if God had created the Battle of Leyte Gulf just to demonstrate once and for all the supremacy of air power in the modern naval age. The escort carrier USS Gambier Bay was sunk, becoming the only U.S. aircraft carrier of the war to be lost to naval gunfire, and the escort carrier USS St. This, of course, was entirely the point. Thomas Cutler has told a very good story here. Meanwhile, the First Mobile Fleet’s Third Section, based in Brunei and approaching the Philippines from the southwest, and the Kure-based Second Diversion Attack Force approaching from northeast to northwest, were combined in a “Southern Force.” This force would be soundly defeated by the U.S. At the same time, U.S. Navy and Royal Australian Navy cruisers and destroyers on the flanks of the battleship line opened fire. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The limited strike capabilities of severely depleted Japanese carrier air groups were to be augmented by land-based naval and army aviation units based in Formosa (Taiwan) and the Philippines. Naval Academy, The Sullivan Brothers and the Assignment of Family Members, The African American Experience in the U.S. Navy, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. Navy, Contributions of American Indians to the U.S. Navy, Naval Service of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Personnel, The World Cruise of the Great White Fleet, Navy Underwater Archaeology Return Program, Annual Navy History and Heritage Awards - Main, Research Permits for Sunken & Terrestrial Military Craft, Scanning, Copyright & Citation Information, Obtain Duplications of Records and Photos, Impact on American Public and Broader War, Extraordinary Heroism and Conspicuous Courage, Operation Torch: Invasion of North Africa, African Americans in General Service, 1942, Landings at Salerno, Italy: Operation Avalanche, Naval Air Strikes Against German Shipping: Operation Leader, Operation Shingle: Landing at Anzio, Italy, Gamble at Los Negros: The Admiralty Islands Campaign, Evacuation by Submarine: USS Angler in the Philippines, Securing New Guinea: Operations Reckless and Persecution, Exercise Tiger: Disaster at Slapton Sands, Defeating the Sharks: The Capture of U-505, Pearl Harbor Ablaze Again: The West Loch Disaster, Operation Neptune: The U.S. Navy on D-Day, U.S. Navy Vessels in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, Port Chicago Disaster: Leadership Lessons Learned, Operation Forager Continued: Landings on Guam and Tinian, Operation Dragoon: The Invasion of Southern France, Operation Stalemate II: The Battle of Peleliu, "Calmness, Courage, and Efficiency": Remembering the Battle of Leyte Gulf, The Battle off Samar: The Sacrifice of "Taffy 3", "Taffy 3" Presidential Unit Citation and Other Awards, United States Navy War Instructions, 1944, The Japanese “Hell Ships” of World War II, Battle of Iwo Jima Medal of Honor Recipients, Navy Nurses Behind Enemy Lines in the Philippines, Battle of Okinawa Medal of Honor Recipients, Battle of Okinawa: Historic Overview & Importance, A Kamikaze Attack on New Mexico, Fifth Fleet Flag: A Photo Essay, A Ceremony for the Fallen: Aftermath of a Kamikaze Attack, Admiral Spruance Recounts Kamikaze Attack on His Flagship, New Mexico (BB-40), On the Verge of Breaking Down Completely: Combat Fatigue off Okinawa and the Destruction of USS Longshaw, Investigating Okinawa: The Story Behind A Kamikaze Pilot’s Scarf, The Most Difficult Antiaircraft Problem Yet Faced By the Fleet, Victory in Europe: Germany's Surrender and Aftermath, Homeward Bound – World War II Ends in the Pacific, ENS Allen W. Bain and Minneapolis (CA-36), LCDR Joseph W. Callahan and Ralph Talbot (DD-390), LT Albert P. “Scoofer” Coffin of Torpedo Ten, MAtt1/c Leonard R. Harmon and CDR Mark H. Crouter of San Francisco (CA-38), CDR Frank A. Erickson—First Helicoptar SAR, LCDR Bernard F. McMahon and Drum (SS-228), LTJG Melvin C. Roach, Guadalcanal Fighter Pilot, CDR Joseph J. Rochefort and "Station Hypo", Chief Machinist William A. Smith and Enterprise (CV-6), LCDR William J. The Battle of Leyte Gulf was very significant because it destroyed the Japanese naval forces, cut off needed supplies from reaching Japan, was the first battle the Japanese used kamikaze planes, and was the largest and greatest Adm. William (“Bull”) Halsey’s Third Fleet covered the landings with carrier-based aircraft and guarded against attacks by the Japanese fleet. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... U.S. landing ships, tanks (LSTs), on the beach at Leyte Island in the Philippines, October 1944. With the exception of the Mississippi, each of these battleships had been damaged during the Pearl Harbor attack and subsequently returned to service. This plan had to overcome significant resistance from within the American high command, however. Despite hard battles ahead, the American offensive in the Philippines and beyond was to continue unabated. During the night of October 24–25 Halsey had moved the three battle groups of the Third Fleet north to meet the Japanese decoy force. This final stage of the Battle of Leyte Gulf has been derisively termed “Bull’s Run.”. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features In fact to give it the title of one battle is a misnomer, as it was a series of discreet actions, which were interrelated, and which tend to be bundled into the one. It confronted a 270,000-man Japanese army and air force in the Philippines, commanded by Field Marshal Count Hisaichi Terauchi. Title Battle of Leyte Gulf. Kinkaid sent a series of increasingly desperate messages to Halsey, requesting that he dispatch Task Force 34—a collection of Third Fleet battleships, destroyers, and cruisers that was supposed to have been guarding the San Bernardino Strait—to aid Taffy 3. The Japanese battleship Fuso was sunk, as were the destroyers Asagumo, Michishio, and Yamagumo. The Japanese at Leyte Gulf: The Sho Operation. Army Chief of Staff Gen. George C. Marshall had proposed skipping both the Philippines and Formosa and proceeding directly to an assault on southern Honshu. Seventh Fleet’s Bombardment and Fire-Support Group (battleships, cruisers, destroyers, and PT boats) in a tumultuous surface engagement on 24/25 October in the Battle of Surigao Strait as it attempted to force its way into Leyte Gulf from the south. Part of the carrier force was struck by Japanese aircraft on October 13–14, and two U.S. cruisers were damaged and forced to retire. Three days after the battle, Nimitz would relate his disappointment in Halsey in a personal message to King: “It never occurred to me that Halsey, knowing the composition of the ships in the Sibuyan Sea, would leave the San Bernardino Strait unguarded…That the San Bernardino detachment of the Japanese Fleet, which included the YAMATO and the MUSASHI, did not completely destroy all of the escort carriers and their accompanying screen is nothing short of special dispensation from the Lord Almighty.” All the men of Taffy 3 were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for their actions off Samar, and Capt. After supporting the American landings in the western Caroline Islands throughout early September 1944, Adm. Marc Mitscher’s fast carrier task force began launching attacks against Japanese positions in the Philippines. Amazon配送商品ならThe Battle of Leyte Gulf at 75: A Retrospectiveが通常配送無料。更にAmazonならポイント還元本が多数。Cutler, Thomas J.作品ほか、お急ぎ便対象商品は当日お届けも可能。 The battle of Leyte Gulf began well to the west of the Philippines on 23 October (battle of the Sibuyan Sea, 23-24 October, although this battle began outside that sea). Early in the day, a 550-pound (220-kg) bomb from a Japanese dive-bomber penetrated the flight deck of the light carrier USS Princeton and ignited a series of fires on the decks below. Beginning at about 8:00 am and continuting for several hours, waves of Halsey’s planes descended on the Japanese carriers, and in short order, all four —Chitose, Chiyoda, Zuiho, and Zuikaku—had been sunk. The battle was part of World War II, and happened in the seas near the Philippines island of Leyte.It took place from 23 October to 26 October 1944, between the Allies and the Empire of Japan.. With the bulk of the Seventh Fleet engaged with Nishimura at Surigao Strait, all that stood between Kurita and the landing beaches were the ships of Taffy 3—a naval task force that consisted of just six escort carriers, three destroyers, and four destroyer escorts under the command of Rear Adm. Clifton Sprague. These task units had been providing close air support and an ASW screen for the Leyte landings. Despite having already lost most of his fleet, Nishimura pressed onward. Seventh Fleet and the cruisers and destroyers of the Royal Australian Navy’s Task Force 74. The Japanese battleship Musashi under heavy attack during the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, 24 October 1944 (80-G-281765). Showing no desire to fall into the same trap that had decimated C Force, Shima reversed course and withdrew. Although through heavy destruction and civilian casualties, U.S. forces took Manila, effectively putting them in complete control of the Philippines. As the Battle of the Philippine Sea had resulted not only in the sinking of three Japanese carriers but also in the virtual destruction of the air groups of three carrier divisions, the fleet had been reorganized for surface action. The Japanese C Force entered the Surigao Strait in the early hours of October 25 and was annihilated in a night engagement with destroyers and battleships of the U.S. U.S. Navy/National Archives/Naval Historical Center (Digital Photo Numer: 80-G-287970) "'Calmness, Courage, and Efficiency': Remembering the Battle of Leyte Gulf"—in-depth coverage of the Leyte Gulf operations by NHHC historian Martin Waldman, PhD, "The Battle off Samar: The Sacrifice of Taffy 3"—detailed overview of this hard-fought engagement, Battle of Leyte Gulf Photo Gallery—images from the battle's four major engagements, Leyte Gulf: A Select Bibliography—compiled by the U.S. Navy Library. MacArthur was given overall command of the Leyte operation, and Nimitz provided strong naval support from the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Expecting an invasion, the Japanese fleet command ordered its forces to sea at the very first sign of Allied landings. NHHC publication: Winning a Future War—War Gaming and Victory in the Pacific War, by Norman Friedman. Moreover, the seizure of Leyte would bypass and isolate Japanese forces on Mindanao. It successfully drew Admiral William F. Halsey’s Third Fleet (including TF 34, its powerful fast battleships) away from the Leyte Gulf area, exposing the northern flank of Vice Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid’s Seventh Fleet invasion force. Kurita’s armada had been whittled down somewhat over the course of the previous days’ engagements, but it still remained one of the most powerful collections of surface ships to see action in the Pacific War. 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