Battle of Leyte Gulf

The Battle of Leyte Gulf was a battle off the east coast of the Philippines during World War II, arguably the largest sea battle ever. It was the last major attempt of the Japanese Navy to defeat the Americans and prevent the liberation of the Philippine islands. Admiral Bull Halsey along with a large part of the American fleet pursued a decoy force northwards while a second Japanese surface force steamed towards the landing areas and supply ships. Heroic counterattacks by torpedo boats prevented disaster for the Allies.

The battleship Musashi was sunk by air attack during this battle.

The Japanese under Admiral Kurita had a complicated battle plan involving at least four separate groups. The carriers to the north were used as bait to lure away Halsey. They had almost no planes on them, because through attrition the Japanese had nearly no carrier planes and pilots left to man them.

The Japanese plan almost worked. The Americans were drawn in various directions, and the Japanese battleship Yamato and associated ships had a relatively clear path open through the San Bernardino strait. If they had continued, they would have been able to attack the American landing zones and transports. At one point, realizing that very little was left to shield the landing areas, the American destroyer escorts attacked much larger Japanese ships, helping to delay them.

There has been much speculation about why Kurita turned back. Most of it centers around what happened up until him reaching that pivotal moment. He had lost many of his best ships, including his flagship, and had to swim to safety at one point. He was likely mentally exhausted by the aggressive American defense.