page_title: Invasion of Leyte naval order of battle
section_title: Northern Attack Force (Task Force 78)
hierarchical_section_title: Invasion of Leyte naval order of battle / US Seventh Fleet / Amphibious Assault Units / Northern Attack Force (Task Force 78)
caption_attribution_description: English: A PC underway
context_page_description: On 17 October 1944, troops of the United States Sixth Army under the direct command of Lieutenant General Walter Krueger, invaded the Philippine island of Leyte. This operation was the beginning of General Douglas MacArthur's fulfillment of his promise in March 1942 to the Filipino people that he would liberate them from Japanese rule.
  MacArthur's formal title was Supreme Commander, Allied Forces, Southwest Pacific Area. The amphibious landings were carried out and supported by the United States Seventh Fleet, including 1 British and 11 Australian ships, under the direction of Vice Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid.
  Seventh Fleet
  Combat ships: 18 escort carriers, 6 old battleships, 5 heavy cruisers, 4 light cruisers, 34 destroyers, 17 destroyer escorts
  280+ amphibious landing and support ships
  110+ auxiliaries
  In case the Imperial Japanese Navy interfered, additional air cover was provided by the fast carriers of the US Third Fleet under the command of Admiral William F. Halsey, Jr..
  Third Fleet
  9 fleet carriers, 8 light carriers, 6 fast battleships, 4 heavy cruisers, 7 light cruisers, 3 anti-aircraft light cruisers, 58 destroyers
context_section_description: Rear Admiral Daniel E. Barbey in amphibious command ship Blue Ridge
  
  Embarking  X Army Corps
  Palo Attack Group (Task Group 78.1)
  
  Rear Admiral Barbey
  
  Embarking  24th Infantry ("Taro") Division (Left beaches)
  Transport Unit (Capt. T.B. Brittain)
  Transport Division 24 (Capt. Brittain)
  4 attack transports: DuPage, Fuller, Elmore, Wayne
  1 transport: John Land
  1 attack cargo ship: Aquarius
  1 landing ship dock: Gunston Hall
  Transport Division 6 (Capt. H.D. Baker)
  3 attack transports: Fayette, Ormsby, Leedstown
  1 attack cargo ship: Titania
  1 cargo ship: Hercules
  2 landing ship docks: Epping Forest, Carter Hall
  Screen (Capt. Henry Crommelin)
  4 destroyers (all Fletcher-class): John Rodgers, Murray, Harrison, McKee
  Control and Close Support Unit (Capt. N.D. Brantly)
  4 submarine chasers: 3 steel hull, 1  wooden hull
  16 landing craft infantry: 9 standard, 5 rocket, 2 gunboat
  3 patrol craft escort
  1 frigate
  3 landing ships medium
  2 fleet tugs: Apache, Quapaw
  San Ricardo Attack Group (Task Group 78.2)
  
  Rear Admiral W.M. Fechteler in attack transport Fremont
  
  Embarking  1st Cavalry Division (Right beaches)
  Transport Unit (Capt. M.O. Carlson)
  Transport Division 32 (Capt. Carlson)
  4 attack transports: Harris, Barnstable
  1 transport: Herald of the Morning
  1 attack cargo ship: Arneb
  1 landing ship dock: White Marsh
  Transport Division 20 (Capt. D.W. Loomis)
  3 attack transports: Leonard Wood, Pierce, James O'Hara
  1 transport: La Salle
  1 attack cargo ship: Electra
  1 landing ship dock: Oak Hill
  9 landing ships medium
  Screen (Capt. A.E. Jarrell)
  4 destroyers
  3 Fletcher-class: Fletcher, Jenkins, La Vallette
  1 Sims-class: Anderson
  1 fleet tug: Sonoma
  8 landing craft infantry: 6 rocket, 2 gunboat
  14 landing ships tank
  Fire Support Unit North
  
  Rear Admiral George L. Weyler
  3 old battleships: Mississippi (Capt. H.J. Redfield), Maryland (Capt. H.J. Ray), West Virginia (Capt. H.V. Wiley)
  3 destroyers (all Fletcher-class): Cony, Aulick, Sigourney
  Panaon Attack Group (Task Group 78.3)
  
  Rear Admiral A.D. Struble in Hughes
  
  Embarking 21st Regimental Combat Team / 24th Infantry Division
  1 destroyer (Sims-class): Hughes
  3 landing ships infantry:  HMAS Kanimbla,  HMAS Manoora,   HMAS Westralia
  1 minelayer:  HMS Ariadne
  4 destroyers (all Fletcher-class): Sigsbee, Ringgold, Schroeder, Dashiell
  Dinagat Attack Group (Task Group 78.4)
  
  Rear Admiral Struble in Hughes
  
  Embarking 6th Ranger Battalion and Co. B / 21st Infantry
  5 destroyer transports: Kilty, Schley, Ward, Herbert, Crosby
  1 fleet tug: Chickasaw
  2 destroyers (both Benham-class): Lang, Stack
  2 frigates: Gallup, Bisbee
  Reinforcement Group One (Task Group 78.6)
  
  Captain S.P. Jenkins
  
  Arriving 22 October
  6 attack transports: Crescent City, Warren, Windsor, Callaway, Leon, Sumter
  1 transport: Storm King
  1 cargo ship: Jupiter
  1 repair ship: Achilles
  4 merchant ships
  32 landing ships tank
  12 landing craft infantry
  Escort (Capt. E.A. Solomons)
  4 destroyers
  2 destroyers (both Sims-class): Mustin, Morris
  2 destroyers (both Fletcher-class: Stevens, Howorth
  2 frigates (both Tacoma-class): Carson City, Burlington
  Reinforcement Group Two (Task Group 78.7)
  Captain J.K.P. Ginder
  
  Arriving 24 October
  32 landing ships tank
  24 merchant ships
  Escort (Capt. Ginder)
  4 destroyers (all Fletcher-class): Nicholas, O'Bannon, Taylor, Hopewell
  2 frigates (both Tacoma-class): Muskogee, San Pedro
  Reinforcement Group Three (Task Group 78.9)
  
  Commander J.L. Steinmetz, USCG
  
  Arriving 29 October
  62 landing ships tank
  19 merchant ships
  Escort (Capt. W.M. Cole)
  5 destroyers (all Mahan-class):  Mahan, Drayton, Lamson, Flusser, Smith
  4 frigates (all Tacoma-class): Eugene, El Paso, Van Buren, Orange
caption: Steel-hulled sub chaser
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