BREAKING NEWS
Cloud Server Hosting For Online Businesses
Inexpensive SEO Services
Benefits of Wanting to play Free Online Slot machines
Leyte Gulf order of battle

Summary

(Learn how and when to remove this template message)

The Battle of Leyte Gulf, generally considered to be the largest naval combat in history, was fought 24–25 October 1944 in the waters of the Philippine Islands by elements of the Imperial Japanese Navy's Combined Fleet (bringing together the IJN's 2nd Fleet, 3rd Fleet and 5th Fleet) and the United States Navy's Pacific Fleet (bringing together the USN's 3rd Fleet and 7th Fleet). Of the five separate engagements that made up the battle as a whole, the forces involved in the three principal ones are listed here.

IJ Combined Fleet and US Pacific Fleet Commanders
Adm. Soemu Toyoda (HQ at Yokohama)
Adm. Chester W. Nimitz (HQ at Pearl Harbor)
US Seventh and Third Fleet Commanders
Vice Adm. Thomas C. Kinkaid
Admiral William F. Halsey, Jr.

Since the Japanese assumed the tactical initiative in all three actions, their forces are listed first in each section.

Losses in these three actions
IJN: 1 fleet carrier, 3 light carriers, 2 old battleships, 3 heavy cruisers, 3 light cruisers, 9 destroyers, 1 oiler
USN: 2 escort carriers, 2 destroyers, 1 destroyer escort

  • The light aircraft carrier USS Princeton was heavily damaged and scuttled with great loss of life on 24 October while engaging in battle against land-based Japanese aircraft flying into the Leyte area east of Luzon. The loss of Princeton is always included in the casualties of the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

24–25 Oct – Battle of Surigao Strait edit

(according to Tully, Anthony (2009). Battle of Surigao Strait. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0-253-35242-2.)

 
Vice Adm. Shoji Nishimura (KIA)
 
Battleship Fusō
 
Heavy cruiser Mogami
 
Destroyer Shigure, sole survivor of Nishimura's force

Japanese Forces edit

Southern Force
Vice Admiral Shōji Nishimura (killed during battle) in battleship Yamashiro

Force C (sortied from Brunei Bay 22 Oct)
Vice Adm. Nishimura (KIA)
Battleship Division 2 (Vice Adm. Nishimura – KIA)
2 Fusō-class old battleships (12 × 14-in. main battery)
Fusō (sunk by gunfire 25 Oct), Yamashiro (sunk by gunfire 25 Oct)
1 Mogami-class heavy cruiser (6 × 8-in. main battery)
Mogami (damaged by gunfire and air attacks, scuttled 25 Oct)
Destroyer Division 4 (Capt. K. Takahashi)
3 Asashio-class destroyers (6 × 5-in. main battery)
Michishio (sunk by torpedo and gunfire 25 Oct), Yamagumo (sunk by torpedo 25 Oct), Asagumo (sunk by torpedo and gunfire 25 Oct)
1 Shiratsuyu-class destroyer (5 × 5-in. main battery)
Shigure
Second Striking Force[a] (sortied from Pescadores, Formosa 22 Oct)
Vice Admiral Kiyohide Shima in heavy cruiser Nachi
Cruiser Division 21 (Vice Admiral Shima)
2 Myōkō-class heavy cruisers (10 × 8-in. main battery)
Nachi, Ashigara
Destroyer Squadron 1 (Rear Adm. Masatomi Kimura)
1 Nagara-class light cruiser (7 × 5.5-in. main battery)
Abukuma (sunk by air attack 26 Oct)
4 destroyers
2 Fubuki-class (6 × 5-in. main battery)
Akebono, Ushio
1 Asashio-class (6 × 5-in. main battery)
Kasumi
1 Kagero-class (6 × 5-in. main battery)
Shiranui (sunk by air attack 27 Oct)

American Forces edit

Task Force 77 and Surigao Strait Commanders
 
Vice Adm. Thomas C. Kinkaid
 
Rear Adm. Jesse B. Oldendorf
 
Light cruiser Denver
 
Battleship Tennessee after modernization

Seventh Fleet
Vice Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid in amphibious command ship Wasatch

Task Force 77 (Central Philippines Attack Force)
Vice Admiral Kinkaid
Task Group 77.2
Rear Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf in heavy cruiser Louisville
Task Unit 77.2.2 (Left Flank)
Rear Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf
3 heavy cruisers
1 Northampton-class (9 × 8-in. main battery)
Louisville (Capt. S.H. Hurt)
1 Portland-class (9 × 8-in. main battery)
Portland (Capt. Thomas G. W. Settle)
1 New Orleans-class (9 × 8-in. main battery)
Minneapolis (Capt. H.B. Slocum)
2 light cruisers
Both Cleveland-class (12 × 6-in. main battery)
Denver (Capt. Albert M. Bledsoe)
Columbia (Capt. Maurice E. Curts)
Destroyer Squadron 56 (Capt. Roland N. Smoot)
9 Fletcher-class destroyers (5 × 5-in. main battery)
Newcomb, Richard P. Leary, Albert W. Grant (damaged by friendly fire), Robinson, Halford, Bryant, Heywood L. Edwards, Bennion, Leutze
Task Unit 77.2.1 (Battle Line)
Rear Admiral George L. Weyler in battleship Mississippi
6 old battleships
2 Colorado-class (8 × 16-in. main battery)
West Virginia (Capt. Herbert V. Wiley)
Maryland (Capt. Herbert J. Ray)
2 Tennessee-class (12 × 14-in. main battery)
Tennessee (Capt. J.B. Heffernan)
California (Capt. H.P. Burnett)
1 New Mexico-class (12 × 14-in. main battery)
Mississippi (Capt. H.J. Redfield)
1 Pennsylvania-class (12 × 14-in. main battery)
Pennsylvania (Capt. C.F. Martin)
6 destroyers
4 Fletcher-class (5 × 5-in. main battery)
Sigourney, Claxton, Aulick, Cony
2 Gleaves-class (4 × 5-in. main battery)
Thorn, Welles
Task Group 77.3 (Right Flank)
Rear Admiral Russell S. Berkey in light cruiser Phoenix
1 heavy cruiser
1 County-class (8 × 8-in. main battery)
  Shropshire (Capt. C.A.G. Nichols, RN)
2 light cruisers
Both Brooklyn-class
Phoenix (15 × 6-in. main battery) (Capt. J.H. Duncan)
Boise (15 × 6-in. main battery) (Capt. J.S. Roberts)
Destroyer Squadron 24 (Capt. Kenmore M. McManes)
5 Fletcher-class (5 × 5-in. main battery)
Hutchins, Bache, Beale, Daly, Killen
1 Tribal-class (8 × 4.7-in. main battery)
  Arunta
Picket Patrol
Destroyer Squadron 54 (Capt. Jesse G. Coward)
Destroyer Division 107
2 Fletcher-class (5 × 5-in. main battery)
Remey, Monssen
Destroyer Division 108
3 Fletcher-class (5 × 5-in. main battery)
McDermut, McGowan, Melvin
Task Group 70.1 Motor Torpedo Boats
18 motor torpedo boats (MTB)
MTB Squadron 7: MTBs 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 134, 137
MTB Squadron 12: MTBs 146, 150, 151, 152, 190, 191, 192, 194, 195, 196

25 Oct – Battle off Samar edit

Japanese Forces edit

 
Vice Adm. Takeo Kurita
 
American submarine photo of Kurita's Center Force departing Brunei Bay
 
Heavy cruiser Chikuma

Centre Force ('Force A') (sortied from Brunei Bay 22 Oct)

1st Section
Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita
Battleship Division 1 (Vice Adm. Matome Ugaki)
2 battleships
Yamato (9 × 18-in. main battery)
Nagato (8 × 16-in. main battery)
Cruiser Division 4 (Vice Adm. Kurita)
1 heavy cruiser
Chōkai (10 × 8-in. main battery) (scuttled 25 Oct)
Cruiser Division 5 (Vice Adm. Shintaro Hashimoto)
1 heavy cruiser
Haguro (10 × 8-in. main battery)
Destroyer Squadron 2 (Rear Adm. Mikio Hayakawa)
1 light cruiser
Noshiro (6 × 6.1-in. main battery) (sunk by air attack 26 Oct)
9 destroyers
8 Yugumo-class (6 × 5-in. main battery)
Akishimo, Asashimo, Fujinami (sunk by air attack 27 Oct), Hamanami, Hayashimo (sunk by air attack 26 Oct), Kishinami, Okinami, Naganami
1 Shimakaze (experimental destroyer type with 15 torpedo tubes)
Shimakaze (6 × 5-in. main battery)
2nd Section
Vice Admiral Yoshio Suzuki
Battleship Division 3 (Vice Adm. Suzuki)
2 battleships
Kongō (8 × 14-in. main battery)
Haruna (8 × 14-in. main battery)
Cruiser Division 7 (Vice Adm. Kazutaka Shiraishi)
4 heavy cruisers
Kumano (10 × 8-in. main battery)
Suzuya (10 × 8-in. main battery) (sunk by air attack 25 Oct)
Chikuma (8 × 8-in. main battery) (sunk/scuttled 25 Oct)
Tone (8 × 8-in. main battery)
Destroyer Squadron 10 (Rear Adm. Susumu Kimura)
1 light cruiser
Yahagi (6 × 6.1-in. main battery)
6 destroyers
5 Kagero-class (6 × 5-in. main battery)
Hamakaze, Isokaze, Nowaki (sunk by air attack 26 Oct), Urakaze, Yukikaze
1 Yugumo-class (6 × 5-in. main battery)
Kiyoshimo


Note: Battleship Musashi and heavy cruisers Atago (Kurita's original flagship), Takao, Myōkō, and Maya had been assigned to Center Force, but had been sunk or damaged by air and submarine attacks prior to the Battle off Samar.

American Forces edit

Escort Carrier and Taffy 3 Commanders
 
Rear Adm. Thomas L. Sprague
 
Rear Adm. Clifton A.F. Sprague
 
Escort carrier Gambier Bay
 
Grumman F4F Wildcat fighter
 
Grumman TBF Avenger torpedo bomber

Seventh Fleet
Vice Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid in amphibious command ship Wasatch

Task Force 77 (Central Philippines Attack Force)
Vice Admiral Kinkaid
Task Group 77.4 (Escort Carrier Group)
Rear Admiral Thomas L. Sprague
Task Unit 77.4.3 ("Taffy 3")
Rear Admiral Clifton A.F. Sprague
6 escort carriers
Fanshaw Bay (Capt. D.P. Johnson)
Composite Squadron 68 (Lt. Cmdr. R.S. Rogers)
16 FM-2 Wildcat fighters
12 TBM Avenger torpedo bombers
St. Lo (Capt. F.J. McKenna) (sunk 1125 hrs.)
Composite Squadron 65 (Lt. Cmdr. R.M. Jones)
17 FM-2 Wildcat fighters
12 TBM Avenger torpedo bombers
White Plains (Capt. D.J. Sullivan)
Composite Squadron 4 (Lt. E.R. Fickenscher)
16 FM-2 Wildcat fighters
12 TBM Avenger torpedo bombers
Kalinin Bay (Capt. T.B. Williamson)
Composite Squadron 3 (Lt. W.H. Keighley)
16 FM-2 Wildcat fighters
  1 TBF, 11 TBM Avenger torpedo bombers
Carrier Division 26 (Rear Adm. Ralph A. Ofstie)
Kitkun Bay (Capt. J.P. Whitney)
Composite Squadron 5 (Cmdr. R.L. Fowler)
14 FM-2 Wildcat fighters
12 TBM Avenger torpedo bombers
Gambier Bay (Capt. W.V.R. Vieweg) (sunk 0907 hrs.)
Composite Squadron 10 (Lt. Cmdr. E.J. Huxtable)
18 FM-2 Wildcat fighters
12 TBM Avenger torpedo bombers
Screen
3 Fletcher-class destroyers (5 × 5-in. main battery)
Hoel (sunk 0855 hrs.), Heermann, Johnston (sunk 1010 hrs.)
4 John C. Butler-class destroyer escorts (2 × 5-in. main battery)
Dennis, John C. Butler, Raymond, Samuel B. Roberts (sunk 1005 hrs.)
Taffy 2 Commander
 
Rear Adm. Felix B. Stump
 
Fletcher-class destroyer
 
John C. Butler-class destroyer escort
Task Unit 77.4.2 ("Taffy 2")
Rear Admiral Felix B. Stump
6 escort carriers
Natoma Bay (Capt. A.K. Morehouse)
Composite Squadron 81 (Lt. Cmdr. R.C. Barnes)
16 FM-2 Wildcat fighters
12 TBM Avenger torpedo bombers
Manila Bay (Capt. Fitzhugh Lee, III)
Composite Squadron 80 (Lt. Cmdr. H.K. Stubbs)
16 FM-2 Wildcat fighters
12 TBM Avenger torpedo bombers
Carrier Division 27 (Rear Adm. William D. Sample)
Marcus Island (Capt. C.F. Greber)
Composite Squadron 21 (Lt. Cmdr T.O. Murray)
12 FM-2 Wildcat fighters
11 TBM Avenger torpedo bombers
Kadashan Bay (Capt. R.N. Hunter)
Composite Squadron 20 (Lt. Cmdr. J.R. Dale)
15 FM-2 Wildcat fighters
11 TBM Avenger torpedo bombers
Savo Island (Capt. C.E. Ekstrom)
Composite Squadron 27 (Lt. Cmdr. P.W. Jackson)
16 FM-2 Wildcat fighters
12 TBM Avenger torpedo bombers
Ommaney Bay (Capt. H.L. Young)
Composite Squadron 75 (Lt. Cmdr. A.W. Smith)
16 FM-2 Wildcat fighters
11 TBM Avenger torpedo bombers
Screen
3 Fletcher-class destroyers (5 × 5-in. main battery)
Haggard, Franks, Hailey
5 John C. Butler-class destroyer escorts (2 × 5-in. main battery)
Richard W. Suesens, Abercrombie, Oberrender, LeRay Wilson, Walter C. Wann

25 - 26 Oct – Battle off Cape Engaño edit

 
Vice Adm. Jisaburo Ozawa
 
Fleet carrier Zuikaku
 
Battleship Ise after conversion to hybrid aircraft carrier
 
Light cruiser Isuzu

Japanese Forces edit

Northern Force ('Main Body') (sortied from Japanese Home Islands 20 Oct)
Vice Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa

Carrier Division 3 (Vice Adm. Ozawa)
1 fleet carrier
Zuikaku (sunk by air attack 25 Oct)
3 light carriers
Zuihō (sunk by air attack 26 Oct)
Chitose (sunk by air attack, gunfire and torpedoes 26 Oct)
Chiyoda (sunk by air attack, gunfire and torpedoes 26 Oct)
Combined air group
39 Mitsubishi A6M2 'Zeke' fighters
42 Yokosuka D4Y1 'Judy' dive bombers
33 Nakajima B6N 'Jill' torpedo bombers
  4 Nakajima B5N2 'Kate' torpedo bombers
Carrier Division 4 (Rear Adm. Chiaki Matsuda)
2 hybrid battleship carriers
Ise (8 × 14-in. main battery)
Hyūga (8 × 14-in. main battery)
Combined air group for this operation: none
Screen
1 light cruiser
Isuzu (7 × 5.5-in. main battery)
8 destroyers
4 Akizuki-class (6 × 3.9-in. main battery)
Akizuki (sunk by air attack 25 Oct), Hatsuzuki (sunk by gunfire 25 Oct), Shimotsuki, Wakatsuki
4 Matsu-class (3 × 5-in. main battery)
Kiri, Kuwa, Maki, Sugi
2 light cruisers
Tama (7 × 5.5-in. main battery) (sunk by submarine 25 Oct)
Ōyodo (6 × 6.1-in. main battery)
Supply Unit
2 oilers: Jinei Maru (sunk), Takane Maru
1 destroyer: Akikaze (4 × 4.7-in. main battery)
6 escort vessels: CD-22, CD-29, CD-31, CD-33, CD-43, CD-132

American Forces edit

Task Force 38 and Task Group Commanders
 
Vice Adm. Marc A. Mitscher
 
Rear Adm. Gerald F. Bogan
 
Rear Adm. Frederick C. Sherman
 
Rear Adm. Ralph E. Davison

(according to [1])

Third Fleet
Admiral William F. Halsey in battleship New Jersey

Task Force 38 (Fast Carrier Force)
Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher in fleet carrier Lexington
Task Group 38.2 (Task Group Two)
Rear Adm. Gerald F. Bogan
1 fleet carrier
Intrepid
2 light carriers
Cabot
Independence
2 fast battleships
Both Iowa-class (9 × 16-in./50-cal. main battery)
Iowa
New Jersey
3 light cruisers
Biloxi
Vincennes
Miami
16 destroyers
 
Portside view of the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Essex (CV-9), 1944.
 
Task Group 38.3 enters Ulithi led by USS Langley (CVL-27), 1944.
Task Group 38.3 (Task Group Three)
Rear Adm. Frederick C. Sherman
2 fleet carriers
Essex
Lexington
1 light carrier
Langley
2 fast battleships
Both South Dakota-class (9 × 16-in./45-cal. main battery)
South Dakota
Massachusetts
3 light cruisers
Santa Fe
Mobile
Reno
10 destroyers
Task Group 38.4 (Task Group Four)
Rear Adm. Ralph E. Davison
2 fleet carriers
Franklin
Enterprise
2 light carriers
San Jacinto
Belleau Wood
2 fast battleships
1 North Carolina-class (9 × 16-in./45-cal. main battery)
Washington
1 South Dakota-class (9 × 16-in./45-cal. main battery)
Alabama
2 heavy cruisers
New Orleans
Wichita
15 destroyers
 
Vice Adm. Willis A. Lee
Task Force 34 (formed at 02:40 on 25 October, dissolved at 10:55 on 25 October)[2]
Vice Adm. Willis A. Lee
6 fast battleships
2 heavy cruisers
New Orleans
Wichita
5 light cruisers
Santa Fe
Mobile
Biloxi
Vincennes
Miami
18 destroyers

Notes edit

  1. ^ Shima arrived in Surigao Strait after the devastation of Force C. Unable to make contact with Nishimura, who was dead by that time, Shima made a perfunctory attack and retired. "Shima had unusual discretion for a Japanese admiral." (Morison 1958, p. 233)

References edit

  • Morison, Samuel Eliot (1958). Leyte, June 1944–January 1945. History of United States Naval Operations in World War II. Vol. XII. Boston: Little, Brown and Co. ISBN 0-7858-1313-6.
  1. ^ UNITED STATES FLEET HEADQUARTERS OF THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF (1945). BATTLE EXPERIENCE BATTLE FOR LEYTE GULF. NAVY DEPARTMENT Washington DC. p. 78-7. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
  2. ^ "No battle damage was incurred, nor inflicted on the enemy by vessels while operating as Task Force THIRTY-FOUR." https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/rep/Leyte/TF-34-Leyte.html