Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-08-17

giving adequate notification to
the other naval commanders In
the Leyte area. he left unpro-
tected the invasion feet Of am
phibious vessels. cargo ships
and q task unit Of ''baby fat
tops. small, thin-skinned car
riers.
A strong Japanese attack
force headed through the mar
row San Bernardino straits In
northern Leyte, making direct
ly for the American sitting
ducks. Halsey planes earlier had
attacked this force, inflicting
some damage and putting II
to flight. But the enemy turned
about and entered San Ber-
nardino. Then for some I'M
explained reason, the Japanese
commander suddenly got cold
feet. reversed his course 1870
degrees and fled. Meanwhile,
the small carriers were engaged
by an enemy heavy cruiser
force and took a considerable
pounding. two Of them being
sent to the bottom.
The then British Prime
Minister winston Churchill
said. in his memoirs. that Ad-
miral Halsey fell into a trap.
He related the Admiral ordered
the main United States force
to sail northward to destroy a
decoy force Of the enemy. leav-
ing the American invasion
forces without his protection.
Commenting on Churchill's
statements, Admiral william
d. Leahy. who was personal
Chief Of Staff to President
Franklin d. Roosevelt, said
that. at the time, he was fear
full Admiral Halsey's tactics
might lose the war.
I'VE didn't lose the war for
that. but I don't know why
we didn't" Admiral Leahy said.
II was afraid we were going
to. Halsey got off on q little
war Of his own"
The situation was saved, ac-
cording to the Churchill ver-
sion. because Japanese Admiral
Kurita, commanding the enemy
center force from Singapore,
turned back without trying to
enter Leyte Gulf. His reasons
for turning back were obscure.
Admiral Halsey upheld his
action.
First Of ALL" he said 10 years
after the war ended, II still
don't think that was q decoy
force. I still think the Japs
were liars; they just invented
that stuff about the lure after
the event.
Secondly, If I were given the
same information today, I'd do
exactly what ! did. Except this
time I wouldn't turn back. I'd
have stayed up there and I'm
ished that gang. I turned back
south under pressure. That
was the greatest mistake I ever
made. But, hell. all's well that
ends we'll"
Praise From japanese
In Tokyo. Admiral Takeo
Kurita and his superior, former
Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa, agreed
today that in the death of
Fleet Admiral William r. Hal
sey America has lost a great
admiral. Admiral Kurita lost
the Battle Of Leyte to Halsey.
Tameichi Hara, q former
captain in the japanese I'm
perial Navy and navy historian,
said: '"The United States has
lost one Of the finest admirals
in the history Of navies. Had
Japan had an admiral Of Hal
sey's calibre and stubborn
fight, Japan might have at
least won the Solomon battles.
II not the entire war;"
At the time Of the sneak at
tack on Pearl Harbor. the Their
Vice Admiral Halsey command.
ed the Navy's aircraft battle
force in the Pacific. His ships
returning from deli v erin {
planes to Wake Island, were one
day out of Honolulu when the
attack occurred there. He
launched planes which made Q
fruitless search for the enemy
force.
The old sea dog surveyed the
damage. uttered some salty ex.
pletives and started out again
He continued until the Jap.
anese delegates came aboard
his flagship, the USS Missouri
in Tokyo Bay three and a hall
years later for the ceremony al
which Japan formally accepted
unconditional surrender.
Halsey Struck Back
Less than two months after
Pearl Harbor the admiral took
his carriers deep into Japanese
waters for a strike at the Mar
shall and Gilbert Islands. II
was the first big United States
Naval attack of the war.
He carried out the first raid
on Wake after the enemy had
conquered the gallant Marine
garrison there. And he com.
manded the force which took
the aircraft carrier Hornet Close
to Japan's shores in April OF
1912 SO that Army bombers
under the then 1t. Col. James
H. Doolittle could take of to
blast Tokyo.
Admiral Halsey became COM
mander of the South Pacific
Area on October 10, 1912, not
long after three American
cruisers were sunk by the
enemy in q surprise night at
tack at Savo Island.
A few days after he took
command, his forces defeated
the Japs in the Battle of Santa