Replies

Yep, and Admiral Kurita thought he'd hit the mother load when his forces first saw US carriers off of Samar. However, they were only escort carriers and their escorts who gave him a fight that a force their size had no business doing. Truly one of the great moments in American naval history.

Actually the slow battleships were guarding Surigao strait down south which they did to great effect, sinking two Japanese BB's. Some of the old Pearl Harbor battleships got a little payback for Dec 7th.

sinking two Japanese BB's

Let me amend that. A bunch of destroyer and PT boat men might argue about who sunk what. Actually I think one of those Japanese BB's was definitely sunk before the US Battlewagons got their chance at her.

Actually the slow battleships were guarding Surigao strait down south which they did to great effect, sinking two Japanese BB's. Some of the old Pearl Harbor battleships got a little payback for Dec 7th.

Yep. You're right, and thanks for the correction. It was SURIGAO that was the BB action. San Bernadino was the running battle with the Tin Cans & Baby Flattops.

I've never read a convincing reason as to why the Japanese admiral at San Benadino failed to press the attack. Any fair reading of his orders should have made it clear that his force to be sacrificed if necessary. The entire plan was to tie up as many US Fleet assets as possible in the hopes that 1 of 3 prongs would get a shot at the Leyte beaches. To me that's basically a Kamikaze mission with ships.