Evening star., 1947-09-28
By John A. Giles

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port, Volume w." will devote greai
deal of space to Admiral Oldendorf's
part in what might be called the
Battle for Japan's Life.
Admiral Oldendorf is one of two
naval tacticians ever to execute thai
textbook pattern that all admirals
dream about, the crossed "T." In
this maneuver the enemy's column
steaming straight ahead is crossed
or capped, allowing the use Of full
broadsides of ones own ships while
the enemy can use only his forward
guns. This maneuver had been
executed at the Battle of Tsushima
Straits in 1905 when the slowness
and weakness of the Russian I'M
perial Fleet permitted Admiral Togo
to do it. In 1916 at the Battle of
Jutland, in low visibility, Admiral
Won Scheer unknowingly ran his
column headlong into the broadside
of Lord Jellicoe, who did not know
until long after the battle that he
had his enemy perfectly capped.
Three Battles at Once
Admiral Oldendorf's battleship-
cruiser combination was a part OF
Admiral Thomas S. Kinkaid's 7th
Fleet forces which were deposed
to protect the landings inside Leyte
Gulf. 1t was Admiral Oldendorf's s
job to plug the southern approach
by way of Surigao Strait. The
mouth of the gulf was guarded by
Rear Admiral T. l.. Sprague's 1S
escort carriers, also under Admiral
Kinkaid. Admiral Halseys Sd
Fleet cruised over the horizon, look
ing for trouble.
The Japanese also were divided
into three parts. The largest was
to come through San Bernardino
Straits and hit Leyte from the north
This force was pounded so hard
west of the straits that 1t turned
back temporarily. A second or
northern decoy force managed to
lure Admiral Halsey's forces to
eliminate what seemed to him and
his staff to be the greatest danger
That gave the central or larger
group chance to slip out through
San Bernardino Strait and pound
the escort carriers guarding Leyte
Gulf. The f1attops were near ami
hilation when the enemy, with heavy
wounds and suspecting a trap, re-
treated.
The Sd japanese force, of course
was the one pounded by Admiral
Oldendorf's warships.
All three battles took place vir.
tually at once and each had great
influence on the others.
! Welcomed by PIT Boats
Admiral Oldendorf received the
word to prepare for a night en-.
gagement early in the Afternoon
aboard his flagship, the Louisville
His battleship force consisted Of
five warships which the enemy hac
accounted for" in the Pearl Harbol
attack-the West Virginia, Mary.
land, Tennessee, California ant
Pennsylvania, all modernized ane
more powerful than ever.
ut was obvious that the purpose
Of the attack was to destroy oul
shipping in Leyte Gulf on which
the success Of Gen. Macarthur!
enterprise still depended" the ad.
miral said later.
He had the battle wagons pac,
slowly across the Leyte exit to tn,
strait, f1anked both sides of tn,
battleline to the south with cruiser,
and destroyers and dispatched flvt
picket destroyers deep into Surigat
Strait.
The japanese approached in two
divisions and they might as vel
have been strangers as far as paying
any attention to each other.
The first force, under Vice Ad'
miral s. Nishimura, consisted of twt
battleships, one heavy cruiser ane
four destroyers. Vice Admiral K
Shima, commanding the secont
group comprising three cruisers ane
four destroyers, trailed by some Al
miles.
Admiral Oldendorf's welcoming
committee consisted of 80 PIT boat!
and the first Jap ships were located
by the little fellows at II pm.
The PIT boats torpedo attack.
made Admiral Nishimura open up or
his radio to pass the word to the
ships to his stern. This was the first
knowledge that Admiral Shima (de.
tached from other duty elsewhere
TO help clear the strait) had that the
other Jap force was ahead of him.
Battleships Cap the T
The next attack came by United
States destroyer squadrons at
am. The destroyers were so close
to the target that the shells of theil
sister ships fell both in front ano
behind them.
A second torpedo attack was made
by the destroyers and three leading
Jap destroyers and the battleshil
Yamashiro were hit. The Japs die
not turn back. A third destroyer
extremely close to the targets, suf-
fered some losses also.
! But the japanese ships-only the
battleship Fuse, a heavy cruiser and
a destroyer were left intact by this
time-continued to steam ahead into
the jaws OF Admiral Oldendorf's
cruisers and battle wagons. The
heavy ships were low on arnmuni-
ton and fuel because of their beach
attack supporting activities during
a L. r.