Battle of Leyte Gulf

The **Battle of Leyte Gulf,** was the biggest naval battle in modern history. The battle was part of World War II, and happened in the seas near the Philippines island of Leyte. It took place from 23 October to 26 October 1944, between the Allies and the Empire of Japan. The Allies started the battle to cut the way between Japan and its colonies in South East Asia. Japan took its oil for fuel from that area. The Japanese gathered all the ships they had left to fight the Allied troops. However, they failed and lost many ships and aircraft.

The battle was the last big naval fight of World War II. Without fuel, the Imperial Japanese Navy never again sailed to battle. Most of their ships returned to Japan, and were inactive for the rest of the war.

The first use of kamikaze aircraft was during this battle. A kamikaze hit the Australian flagship _HMAS Australia_ on 21 October. Many other suicide attacks by the "Special Attack Force" began on 25 October, and did great damage to the Allied ships.

## Other websites

- WW2DB: Leyte Campaign
- Animated History of The Battle of Leyte Gulf
- Battle Experience: Battle for Leyte Gulf
- Task Force 77 Action Report: Battle of Leyte Gulf
- "Turkey Trots to Water"  — detailed description of the battle from battleship.org
- Orders of battle: Sibuyan Sea, Surigao Strait, Cape Engaño, Samar.
- "Glorious Death: The Battle of Leyte Gulf" by Tim Lanzendörfer
- battle-of-leyte-gulf.com
- The Battle Off Samar - Taffy III at Leyte Gulf by Robert Jon Cox
- Leyte Gulf Naval Chess Game, a free, educational boardgame of the battle, to print off, assemble, and play
- Return to the Philippines: public domain documents from ibiblio.org
- The Battle for Leyte Gulf Revisited  by Irwin J. Kappes
- Timeline for USS Samuel B. Roberts (DE 413)
- Japan's TA-Operation: A Blueprint for Disaster  by Irwin J. Kappes

## Infobox (military conflict)

- **conflict**: Battle of Leyte Gulf
- **image**: USS Princeton (CVL-23) 1944 10 24 1.jpg
- **caption**: The light aircraft carrier USS Princeton (CVL-23), USS Princeton afire, east of Luzon, 24 October 1944.
- **partof**: the Pacific War, World War II
- **date**: 23–26 October 1944
- **place**: Leyte Gulf, The Philippines
- **result**: Decisive Allied victory
- **combatant1**:

- **commander1**: William Halsey, Jr
(United States Third Fleet, 3rd Fleet)
 Thomas C. Kinkaid
 (United States Seventh Fleet, 7th Fleet)
- **commander2**: Takeo Kurita (Center Force)
 Shōji Nishimura (Southern Force)
 Kiyohide Shima (Southern Force)
 Jisaburō Ozawa (Northern Force)
  Yukio Seki  (_Kamikazes_)
- **strength1**: 8 fleet aircraft carrier, carriers
8 Light aircraft carrier, light carriers
18 escort carriers
12 battleships
24 cruisers
141 destroyers and destroyer escorts
Many PT boats, submarines, and fleet auxiliaries
About 1,500 Aircraft, planes
- **strength2**: 1 fleet aircraft carrier, carrier
3 light carriers
9 battleships
14 heavy cruisers
6 light cruisers
35+ destroyers
300+ planes (including land-based aircraft)
- **casualties1**: ~2,800 dead;
1 light aircraft carrier,
2 escort carriers,
2 destroyers,
 1 destroyer escort sunk
 200+ planes
- **casualties2**: ~10,500 dead;
1 fleet carrier,
3 light carriers
3 battleships,
10 cruisers,
11 destroyers sunk
 ~500 planes