Remembering the Largest Naval Battle in World History

It was the largest naval battle in world history, and it has a little bit of everything to prove it. The Battle of Leyte Gulf included five major naval battles: the Battle of Palawan Passage, the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, the Battle of Surigao Strait, the Battle of Cape Engañ, and the Battle off Samar.

The Battle of Palawan Passage - The USS Darter (SS-227) and USS Dace (SS-247) intercepted the Japanese "center Force" near Palawan Island around 5am on October 23, 1944. The USS Darter (SS-227) is credited for sinking the Japanese flagship, the heavy cruiser Atago, and the USS Darter (SS-227) is credited for causing heavy damage to the heavy cruiser Tatao. The USS Dace (SS-247) is credited for sinking the heavy cruiser Maya. THe Tatao was ordered to return to port with two destroyers. A Japanese fleet of five battleships, ten heavy cruisers, two light cruisers, and fifteen destroyers had lost 3 heavy cruisers and 2 destroyers in 45 minutes thanks to the actions of two submarines. The submarines later chased the crippled cruiser and two destroyers, but the USS Darter (SS-227) ran aground. Her crew was rescued by the SS Dace (SS-247).

The Battle of the Sibuyan Sea - On October 24, 2024 Halsey's 3rd Fleet flew 259 sorties against the remaining ships of the Japanese center force in the Sibuyan Sea. While the American pilots scored several hits on several ships of the Japanese fleets, damage to the Japanese was light and ultimately concentrated on only two ships. The super battleship Musashi was sunk after having her steering crippled, and the cruiser Myōkō was crippled. Every other ship of the Center Force survived the attacks.

The Battle of Surigao Strait - The last battle where battleships faced battleships in a gun dual. The Japanese force, divided into two groups, consisted of two battleships, three heavy cruisers, one light cruiser, and eight destroyers. The US Navy had six battleships, four heavy cruisers, four light cruisers, twenty eight destroyers, and thirty nine PT boats. THe US 7th fleet was able to cross the T of the Japanese battleline, and ultimately sink every ship except for one destroyer.

The Battle of Cape Engañ - A Japanese "Northern Force" consisted of four heavy aircraft carriers, three light carriers, two hermaphrodite carriers that had flight decks in the rear of WWI era battleships, three light cruisers, and nine destroyers faced off against Halsey's 3rd fleet. In 527 sorties, the US sank one heavy carrier, two light cruisers, and one destroyer. One heavy cruiser and one light cruiser was crippled in the fighting. The light cruiser and a destroyer were later sunk by a US surface action squadron, while the heavy cruiser was later sunk by the USS Jallao (SS-368).

The Battle off Samar - The morning of OCtober 25, 1944, the "Center Force" consisting of of four battleships, six heavy cruisers, two light cruisers, and thirteen destroyers turned south after crossing the San Bernardino Strait that night. That force encountered Rear Admiral Clifton Sprague's Task Unit 77.4.3 (Taffy 3) consisting of six escort carriers, three destroyers, and four destroyer escorts. In a final tally, the Japanese lost three heavy cruisers while a fourth heavy cruiser and three battleships were damaged severely enough they never saw action again in the war. A Japanese destroyer was sank late that night by surface forces of Halsey's 3rd fleet. Taffy three lost two escort carriers, two destroyers, and one destroyer escort.

This summery is little more than statistics, and does nothing to capture the essence of the largest naval battle in history. The Battle for Layte Gulf was both less and more than this summery does justice. Not only was it the most lopsided victory by the US against the Japanese Navy in WWII, it is more often remembered as one of the greatest blunders in Command in US Navy history in the criticism of ADM Halsey.

I've read dozens of books on this battle, and would recommend at least ten of them. This is probably my favorite. Check out EagleOne's Sunday Ship History and CDR Salamanders Fullbore Friday, as both take a look at the Battle of Leyte Gulf as we remember the largest battle in naval history.