Battle of Leyte Gulf

The Battle of Leyte Gulf, also known as the “Second Battle of the Philippine Sea“, was the largest and most viciously fought naval engagement of the Second World War. It took place off the coasts of Leyte, Samar, and Luzon, which are the main islands that make up the Philippines, from October 23 to October 26, 1944. It was fought between US 3rd and 7th fleets and the Japanese Imperial Navy.

On October 20, 1944, American ground forces had landed on the island of Leyte, initiating the Philippines campaign, which was part of a strategy to isolate Japan from South East Asia, depriving its armies and industry of important sources of oil supplies. In order to interdict the Allied invasion of Leyte, the Imperial Japanese Navy mobilized nearly all of its remaining major warships and attacked the American forces, triggering the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

Summary

The Japanese were determined to hold on to the Philippines. So, they planned a naval operation, called Sho Go, through which they would attempt to destroy the American invasion fleet, isolating the Allied ground forces on Leyte. Sho Go depended on the use of a decoy force. A Japanese northern force, commanded by Vice Admiral Ozawa, would sail down from the North and lure the main American covering force. Meanwhile two powerful battleship forces would penetrate the Central Philippines and then converge on the American invasion naval force in Leyte Gulf.

A southern and second force, under the command of Rear Admiral Nishimura, would penetrate through Surigao Strait just south of Leyte. A third naval force, the Central Force, commanded by Vice Admiral Kurita, would plow through San Bernadino Strait and then sail down the coast of Samar, to fall on the American invasion fleet from the north-east.

The Battle of Leyte Gulf included four major naval battles: the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, the Battle of Surigao Strait, the Battle off Cape Engaño and the Battle off Samar, as well as other actions.

Despite the fact that the Japanese had powerful naval forces, they were defeated by the US Navy’s 3rd and 7th Fleets in each of these four battles. Thus, the Imperial Navy failed to accomplish their mission of forestalling the American invasion of Leyte, suffering heavy losses. The rest of their surviving war ships remained in their bases for the rest of the Pacific War due to lack of fuel.

In the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the Japanese navy lost 1 fleet carrier (Zuikaku), 3 light carriers, 3 heavy battleships, 8 cruisers, 12 destroyers, and other minor vessels.

Below, the USS Princeton light carrier destroyed and sunk during the battle