Halsey had enough ships and planes to handle both Ozawa and Kurita; but as it was, nobody was left to guard the exit of the San Bernardino Strait. At 11:10 A.M. Admiral Sprague’s little fleet was attacked by enemy torpedo planes. Yet it takes no great stretch of the imagination to understand the indecision and uncertainty that marked Takeo Kurita’s actions at this point in the battle. battleships and cruisers. The Battle off Samar is one four battles that occurred during the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Their antiaircraft batteries, nervously anticipating American air strikes, cut loose at a flight of fighter planes soon after dawn. Between October 23 and 26, Japan’s Sho Plan No. A number of ships were named after participants in the battle, and ships from that battle, including USS Copeland (FFG-25), USS Evans (DE-1023), USS Clifton Sprague (FFG-16), and USS Carr (FFG-52). Subsequently, the carriers of the 3rd Fleet launched a series of air strikes against Kurita's forces in the Sibuyan Sea, damaging several vessels and sinking Musashi and initially forcing Kurita to retreat. The other plane, its engine sputtering, swerved toward the St. [51] The first hit smashed high on the Hoel’s forward superstructure, sending hot pieces of steel whistling through her radar antennas and falling on her decks. The task force swung to starboard into the path of a second U.S. submarine. They together had dozens of large caliber guns, including the Yamato's 18.1 in (460 mm) guns, which could reach out to 25 mi (22 nmi; 40 km). At 08:00, Sprague ordered the carriers to "open fire with pea-shooters when the range is clear". The effect of the Johnston's attack was to cause confusion in the minds of the Japanese commanders, who thought they were being engaged by American cruisers. The importance of Ozawa’s Northern Force as a decoy to draw oft the powerful U.S. Third Fleet was emphasized by the marked Japanese inferiority in aircraft and by the totaf number of Meet units involved—64 Nipponese vessels against a 16 American and 2 Australian warships. Demolishing the cannon, the blast sent the gun crew tumbling in all directions like so many rag dolls. A 40 ft (12 m)-wide destroyer at 30 kn (35 mph; 56 km/h) can travel up to .35 nmi (0.40 mi; 0.65 km) away in the 35 seconds it takes for a shell at 3,000 ft (910 m)/sec to cover 20 nmi (23 mi; 37 km). [10] Minutes later, 0733, Kongo was forced to turn away north to avoid four torpedoes. Two were immediately shot down by U.S. interceptors near the Kitkun Bay . The Seventh Fleet fought in two of the Battle of Leyte Gulf's main actions, the Battle of Surigao Strait and the Battle off Samar. Steaming on one engine and maneuvering on emergency steering apparatus, with three of her 5-inch cannons out of commission, the Hoel made another run on the enemy. Members. By early the following morning, the 1,150 survivors of the Taffy 3 ships sunk by the Center Force had been transferred from Baxter’s seven vessels to hospital ships and transports in Leyte Gulf. The six carriers dodged in and out of rain squalls and they launched all available Grumman F4F Wildcat fighter planes and TBF Avenger torpedo bombers with whatever armament they were already loaded with. Credit is given to the Kongo for striking the final decisive blows at 0900, which knocked out her remaining engine. Chikuma superstructure was ripped by salvo after salvo of armor-piercing shells, high-explosive shells, anti-aircraft shells, and even star shells that created chemical fires even in metal plates. Since the nearest enemy ships were supposedly over a hundred miles away, the American radiomen reasoned that the enemy chatter must be coming from one of the nearby Japanese-held islands. Then, at 9:45 A.M. , Commander Evans ordered the surviving crewmen off the doomed ship. On October 18, while the Japanese fleets were still at sea, the word flashed (Vom Combined Fleet commander Admiral Soeniu Toyoda in Tokyo: “Execute Sho Plan No. The, Pounding in behind the cruisers for the kill, the closest of the Japanese battleships—the, Nipponese destroyers were now also closing in on Taffy 3. The melange of battleships, cruisers, and destroyers in this Southern Force—seventeen ships in all—were commanded by Vice Admirals Kiyohide Shima and Shoji Nishimura. Sailing into battle against four enemy battleships, each weighing up to 65,000 tons and armed with 14 to 18-inch guns, cruisers with 8-inch guns and ten torpedoes, plus fifteen destroyers, the little ship faces a nearly insurmountable task. This sonar video from the ROV dive on Kaga is of the 1st two 200mm gun barbettes on the starboard side. The Battle off Samar was the centermost action of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, one of the largest naval battles in history, which took place in the Philippine Sea off Samar Island, in the Philippines on 25 October 1944. [33] In a desperate bid to avoid approaching shells, Copeland ordered full back, causing the salvo to miss. If successful, it would split what remained of the Japanese Empire in half. Around 10:50, the task unit came under a concentrated air attack. [10] The aircraft carriers of Taffy 3 turned south and withdrew through shellfire at their top speed of 17.5 kn (20.1 mph; 32.4 km/h). At 0840, a much more pressing target appeared astern. The little carriers swung due east, far enough into the wind to launch aircraft without bringing them closer to the enemy. Designed to compensate for Japan’s shortage of aircraft carriers, the hybrid ships would never have a chance to prove themselves. So a simple query by a distant supervisor had, through the random actions of three sailors, become a stinging rebuke. American destroyer and destroyer escort counterattack, Anthony P. Tully, 'Solving some Mysteries of Leyte Gulf: Fate of the. (0700) As towering splashes from Japanese shells began bracketing the ships of the task group, Hoel began zig-zagging and laying smoke to help defend the now fleeing CVE's. However, Kurita did not receive the transmission from the Northern Force that Halsey had been lured away. From as close as 7,000 yards Hagen fired and scored a dozen hits on the destroyer leader before it turned away. The battleship-carriers—the, The third prong, the Center Force, was the most potent of the Nipponese units, and was to deliver the knockout blow. Equipment of the Republic of Singapore Air Force, Articles with dead external links from November 2014, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2014, Articles needing clarification from December 2014, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, Military history of the Philippines during World War II, World War II aerial operations and battles of the Pacific Theatre, Naval battles of World War II involving Japan, Naval battles of World War II involving the United States, Task Force 34 Action Report: October 6, 1944 – November 3, 1944, "Action Report - Leyte Operation from 12 October to 29 October 1944, p.31", http://www.bosamar.com/pages/ctu7741_action_report, "Reoccupation of Leyte Island...25 October 1944,p.13,14", http://www.bosamar.com/pages/ctu7742_action_report, "Reoccupation of Leyte Island...25 October 1944,p.20", "Navy Cmdr. Excellent U.S. 5 in (130 mm) and 40 mm anti-aircraft fire directed by radar and computer control downed several kamikazes, while the lack of comparable systems made the Japanese ships vulnerable to American fliers. A Leyte-öböl csatája: 1944. október 23–26 . His flagship Yamato had been forced to turn north in order to avoid torpedoes, causing him to lose contact with much of his task force. Of Nishimura's force, only one destroyer survived. At 0826 and again at 0834 Commander Thomas requested an attack on the heavy cruisers to the east of the carriers. The fire control radar was damaged but quickly returned to service. Cautious Japanese tactics were hampered by the belief they were fighting a much more powerful force. Just hours after his chastisement by Nimitz, Admiral Halsey's forces did destroy all four enemy aircraft carriers he had pursued. 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